I got a call from an artist friend the other day.
– Hey, Peter, I was thinking of something. You never hear any longer songs on the radio. The longest song I have heard was around 4:30. I have recorded a new single that is 8 minutes. That should stand out for the listening team on the radio!

– Sorry to say that radio has an unofficial rule that not to play songs over five minutes. And there is your reason why you don’t hear longer songs. Also, the reason why it’s called radio edit on songs.

– Still, if it is that way, not many send in long songs and I would stand out?

– No, they probably get long songs all the time but it’s an easy decision to just take them off. In reality, they would probably sort out your song just to see the length.

– But my song is really great so if they hear it, they would do an exemption.

– They hardly did exemptions even for the Beatles so even if they played it they would fade it out around 4 min in.

– But the best part is around 6 min. Maybe I can tell them to start around 2:30 in the song?

– Or do a radio edit with the good part?

– No that destroy my artistic feeling of the whole song.

– Well if people hear the radio edit they might look up the longer version online.

– Still, I don’t like the idea. Isn’t better to just tell them in the letter?

– They get over 200 songs a week and your song doesn’t fit the format and you demand them to do special things to play it? You just make it hard for them.

– I want my artistic freedom.

– You have that. Is just that you need to know what rules are there and when and where you can break them. I just say that in this case, you break them in the wrong way.

– I still feel they should give my song a chance.

– The rule is there since they know that length kills the listeners and won’t fit the rest of the program. To play your song they have to move a section in the show.

– They should listen to all music that comes in.

– They do but you breaking rules will give them a easy decision to say no. But go ahead and send it in.

– It feels like they are not giving it the chance it deserves.

– No you are not giving you music the chance it deserves. You know the rules, just adapt to them and do awesome things inside the rule system. Yes it’s harder but when you do it right it will be noticed. Just break the rules just because is just rude and not artistic.