Why do songs fade out and not just finish?

Was stood at my drawing board yesterday working from home with the iPod on random.

I’ve never really thought about it before but why do songs fade out?

When you go and watch a live performance they don’t start turning the volume down to fade out……

The song must have a natural end, so why fade out and not just stop?

The really random question, (and answers) thread. – Singletrack World Magazine June 26, 2024

Post in there ^^ 🙂

Its lazy song writing. Nothing more.

Laziness. Can’t be arsed to write the end of the music? Fine, just fade it.

the dead kenndys cornered the market on great song endings

It’s hard to write a good end. Good ends really stand out.

I’ve never really thought about it before but why do songs fade out?

You’ve got the crossfade feature turned on..?

I’m more concerned about why they piss around at the start instead of just launching into the song. For example, this could have been half as long if they’d just got straight to the point:

It’s because they didn’t use Scotch tape for the masters. If they had done that then they would just re-record, not fade away.

It’s hard to write a good end. Good ends really stand out.

This.

In my mind, those songs that fade out are still playing but have reached a point at which they shift into another plane.

I’m sure in that other plane there is a thread on a bike forum that asks why songs just fade in..

It’s because they didn’t use Scotch tape for the masters. If they had done that then they would just re-record, not fade away.

Delete your account.

Eh Yep ironing

1/ makes life easier for DJs

2/ adds time

The absolute proof, a forty something second song with an abrupt end:

Could be a new topic:

great song endings.

im convinced some songs have to fade out, ‘glory box’ by Portishead for example.  even the great Geoff Barrow couldn’t do a rock ending on that one.   Any of you doubters are welcome to compose an alternate ending to Glory box

Its lazy song writing. Nothing more.

You’re all perfectly welcome to contribute your own well-crafted song that stops precisely.

In your own time…

…still waiting.

Any of you doubters are welcome to compose an alternate ending to Glory box

This, ☝🏼

The song must have a natural end, so why fade out and not just stop?

Who sez? Who died and made you Elvis?

Also, I have been to gigs where a song has faded out at the end, which neatly puts the lie to “The song must have a natural end, so why fade out and not just stop?”.

Naaa naa na na-na na naa,

Na-na na naa,

Noodling

Naaa naa na na-na na naa,

Hey Jude?

Weird, I’m not a particular fan but that was immediately clear from two letters.

‘the dead kenndys cornered the market on great song endings’

You’ve got to get there first.  Two minutes can be a long time

Another reason to listen to Shellac.

I’m more concerned about why they piss around at the start instead of just launching into the song.

See Brakes

The song must have a natural end, so why fade out and not just stop?

Also, see Brakes

I used to present on student radio back when I was at uni. Most radio edits of tunes fade out so you can seamlessly mix into the next tune or segment. Plus it gives you an audio cue to know when to mix.

Longer 12 inch mixes / ‘club’ mixes often have ‘dead beats’ at the end, for the same reason.

Isn’t that a feature of lpods/ apple music? Don’t they add a fade between songs?

1/ makes life easier for DJs

This.  Or so I was told 30+ years ago by someone at BBC Radio.

Gives the chance to ‘mix’ into the next tune & it’s less irritating for the listener if that’s the bit the DJ starts talking over.