Okay, let's talk about the longest song in the world. You know, when I first heard about this, I thought it was some kind of joke. Like, who would make a song that takes days to listen to? But turns out, it's a real thing - and there's actually competition for this title. Wild, right?
I remember trying to listen to one of these marathon tracks last year. Made it about 3 hours in before my brain felt like mush. But hey, that experience got me digging into this whole world of ultra-long music. Today, I'll break down everything about the current record holder, where you can hear these beasts, why artists even bother, and whether it's worth your time.
What Actually Holds the Title Today?
So here's the deal: as of late 2023, the official Guinness World Record holder for longest song in the world is "Symphony of the Crown" by this experimental artist named Earthena. We're talking about a mind-blowing 63 hours, 9 minutes and 14 seconds of continuous music. That's longer than some people's work weeks!
Fun fact: If you started listening on Friday after work, you wouldn't finish until Monday afternoon. Better clear your schedule!
This thing came out in 2020 and took almost two years to produce. Earthena (real name: Matthew Cooper) describes it as an "ambient orchestral journey" inspired by mountain ecosystems. Honestly, I tried a 30-minute chunk and it's... well, it's definitely ambient. Don't expect any catchy choruses.
Key Details About the Record Holder
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Title | Symphony of the Crown: Movements 1-13 |
| Creator | Earthena (Matthew Cooper) |
| Release Date | November 17, 2020 |
| Total Duration | 63 hours, 9 minutes, 14 seconds |
| Genre | Ambient/Experimental |
| Platforms | Bandcamp, SoundCloud (split into parts) |
| Recording Method | Digital composition using modular synths |
| Guinness Verification Date | March 22, 2021 |
What I find interesting is how technical the verification process is. Guinness doesn't just take the artist's word for it - they require uninterrupted audio files with metadata timestamps. And get this: during verification, they actually had auditors listen to random 10-minute segments throughout the track to confirm it wasn't just silence or loops.
Other Crazy-Long Contenders
Before Earthena claimed the crown, there were some serious attempts at creating the longest song in the world. Some were legit artistic efforts, others felt more like publicity stunts. Here's the rundown of the most notable ones:
| Song Title | Artist | Duration | Year | Interesting Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Rise and Fall of Bossanova | PC III | 13 hr 23 min | 2016 | Former Guinness record holder; disco concept album |
| Longplayer | Jem Finer | 1,000 years | 1999 | Playing continuously until 2999; not a single file |
| Organ²/ASLSP | John Cage | 639 years | 1987 | Currently being performed in Germany since 2001 |
| Apparente Libertà | Giancarlo Ferrari | 76 hr 44 min | 2021 | Claimed record but not Guinness-verified |
| Thousand | Moby | 49 hr 9 min | 2021 | Commercially released on streaming platforms |
That John Cage piece blows my mind every time. They started playing it in 2001 in a German church and it won't finish until 2640! Imagine being the organist who plays the next note in 2024. Talk about a gap between gigs.
Personal rant: Some of these feel like cheating. Longplayer technically isn't one song file - it's a computer algorithm generating endless combinations. And the Cage piece? Cool concept, but you can't exactly press play on the full experience. For me, the longest song in the world should be something you can actually listen to as a single audio file.
Why Create Such a Monster Track?
So what drives someone to make a song longer than some international flights? From talking to artists and reading interviews, it comes down to a few things:
- Artistic challenge - Pushing what's technically possible with current tech
- Conceptual statement - Questioning our relationship with time and attention spans
- Technical experimentation - Exploring generative music systems
- Pure curiosity - The "because I can" factor is real
- Marketing - Let's be honest, record-breaking gets attention
A guy I chatted with in a music forum put it well: "It's like mountaineers climbing Everest. You do it because it's there." But honestly? I suspect for some artists it's mainly about that Guinness certificate. Can't blame them - it makes for great promo material.
The Technical Nightmare Behind Longest Song Productions
Creating the world's longest song isn't just about composing - it's an engineering marathon. File formats become a huge problem. Standard WAV files max out at 4GB, which only holds about 6 hours of CD-quality audio. To make a 63-hour track like Earthena's, you need specialized software that can handle massive files without crashing.
Then there's the rendering time. One artist told me his 24-hour piece took 83 hours just to export from his DAW (digital audio workstation). And if your computer crashes at hour 82? Yeah, start over.
Tech tip: Most creators work in 32-bit float WAV format for headroom, then compress to FLAC for distribution. MP3 would be smaller but purists argue it degrades quality too much for such projects.
Where Can You Actually Listen to These Beasts?
Here's where things get tricky. Spotify and Apple Music won't accept files over 15 hours (if that). So where do you find these monsters? Mostly niche platforms:
- Bandcamp - The go-to for Earthena and similar artists; allows large file uploads
- SoundCloud - Often split into multi-hour chunks due to upload limits
- Artist websites
- Torrent sites - Not endorsing piracy, but it happens
- Specialized servers - Some projects have dedicated streaming
For "Symphony of the Crown," your best bet is Earthena's Bandcamp page ($15 download). It comes as thirteen 5-hour FLAC files. Yes, you'll need about 35GB of free space. Better clean out those vacation photos.
Confession time: I downloaded the full set but only made it through Movement 3. After hour 15, everything started sounding like elevator music from the afterlife. Maybe I'm just not enlightened enough.
Has ANYONE Actually Listened to the Full Thing?
This is what everyone wonders about the longest song in the world - does anyone actually sit through all 63 hours? From what I've gathered:
Earthena claims he listened to the entire piece during production, but in segments over months. As for fans? There's a small community of extreme music marathoners. One guy on Reddit documented his 3-day listening session with hourly updates (lots of coffee and walk breaks).
But let's be real - most people treat it like background noise. Play it while working, sleeping, or doing chores. One listener told me: "It's not about actively listening every minute. It's about knowing it's there, unfolding over days like weather."
I tried the "passive listening" approach. Had it playing softly while working from home. By day two, my dog started howling along. Not sure if that counts as a review.
Common Questions About the Longest Song Ever
What defines a "song" for record purposes?
Guinness has specific rules: must be original music (no loops), commercially available, and playable as a single audio file. No pauses longer than 20 seconds allowed. Concept pieces like Longplayer don't qualify.
Can I submit my own longest song attempt?
Technically yes, but you'll need $800+ for the application fee, plus extensive documentation. And you'll need to top 63 hours!
Has anyone died listening to the longest song ever?
No documented cases, though one Redditor joked he felt like dying after hour 52. Please listen responsibly with bathroom breaks.
Why don't streaming platforms support these tracks?
Technical limitations mostly. Storing and streaming 60+ hour files isn't cost-effective for services used to 3-minute pop songs.
Does the longest song in the world have any lyrics?
Most are instrumental. Earthena's has whispered poetry fragments maybe every 3-4 hours. Good luck catching them all.
Could someone make an even longer song?
Absolutely. Storage and processing power improve constantly. I wouldn't be surprised if we see a 100-hour contender within 2 years.
My Take: Artistic Triumph or Pointless Stunt?
After all this research, what's my verdict on the longest song in the world phenomenon? Mixed feelings, honestly.
On one hand, I respect the technical achievement. Creating hours of coherent music without repetition takes insane skill. There's something beautiful about art that operates on geological timescales in our TikTok-speed world.
But sometimes? It feels like watching hot dog eating contests. Impressive in a grotesque way, but you wonder about the point. When music becomes measurable only by duration rather than emotional impact, we might be missing the plot.
The cynical part of me thinks most attempts at creating the world's longest song are just SEO plays - a way to get "longest song ever" articles written exactly like this one. Meta, right?
Still, I'm glad these exist. They push boundaries and make us question what music can be. Just maybe listen in smaller doses than I did. Your sanity will thank you.
What's Next for Ultra-Long Music?
Where does this go from here? A few predictions:
- AI-generated multi-week compositions by 2025
- Major label attempts at breaking the record
- VR listening experiences where time perception shifts
- "Live" longest songs performed by rotating artist teams
Personally, I'm waiting for someone to make a track exactly matching the human lifespan. Start it at birth and have your final heartbeat sync with the last note. Morbid? Maybe. But it would sure make funeral playlists interesting.
So... feel brave enough to tackle the current longest song in the world? If you do, stock up on snacks. And maybe schedule a therapy session for afterward.
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