Song Moneyball

Music is heavily influenced by quantitative factors. That it is art does not disprove this.

A musician making a song from love alone is steeped in ideas that reached her because of quantitative forces. If her song influences other musicians, it is only possible with the cooperation of the market.

The love and wild inspiration she works from is necessary but not sufficient.

This blog is about the quantitative aspects of creative choices.

• How does song length influence chart position and duration?
• Which tempos get the most listens? How is tempo changing?
• What sonic moods are falling out of favor? How has this changed over decades?
• What songs make listeners happy? Do listeners like to be happy? If a song makes a listener happy, does it get more repeat plays?

Music is mysterious. It is a playground with an endless amount of terrain. Centuries from now this will still be true. It can’t be reduced to trivial formulas.

But it can be observed, measured and studied.

Good music rises at the expense of bad. Popular music influences more musicians than unpopular music, even musicians whose work is unpopular.

No musician is immune. No music is pure. Every system is gamed. Every song is gaming the system.

So how?