Add each song and its length below to get your total set time.
| Song | mm:ss |
|---|
Total Runtime: --
This setlist timer adds up every song's runtime so your set lands exactly in its time slot. Enter each song with its length in mm:ss, and it totals the whole set instantly, which is useful for worship sets, gigs, or any performance with a fixed window.
How to Use
- List each song title and its length in mm:ss format.
- Add as many songs as you need.
- See your full set runtime instantly.
Example: enter three songs at 3:45, 4:10, and 5:00, and the tool returns a total of 12:55 for the set.
Typical Set Lengths by Event Type
How long should your set run? It depends on the room, but these ranges are a reasonable starting point.
| Event Type | Typical Length |
|---|---|
| Sunday worship set | 20-35 minutes |
| Bar or club gig (per set) | 45-60 minutes |
| Wedding reception | 60-90 minutes |
| Open mic slot | 10-15 minutes |
| Festival slot | 20-30 minutes |
Tips for Staying on Time
- Time your rehearsal run-through with a stopwatch, since live tempo often runs a little slower than a studio recording.
- Keep one short, cuttable song near the end of the set as a safety valve if you're running long.
- Build in a couple of minutes of slack for tuning breaks, banter, or a broken string.
Did You Know?
Most churches keep their Sunday worship set between 20 and 35 minutes. A traditional service built around hymns and a choir piece often lands near 20 minutes. A contemporary set with room for spontaneous prayer or reflection tends to run 30 to 40 minutes instead (worship set length guidance).
Running over isn't just a worship-set concern. Some venues enforce hard curfews: DTE Energy Music Theatre near Detroit fined Neil Young $10,000 in 2015 for two encore songs that pushed his set about 10 minutes past an 11 p.m. noise curfew, at a rate of $1,000 per minute (Neil Young curfew fine report). Either way, the total runtime matters less than how the songs flow together, but it's worth knowing exactly.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I calculate my total setlist time?
Enter every song's title and length in mm:ss into the rows above, then click Calculate Total. The tool adds up all the runtimes and returns your set's total length instantly.
How do I fit my set into an exact time slot?
Add up your planned songs first, then compare the total against your slot. If you're over, cut a song or trim between-song banter rather than rushing the performance.
Should I include banter and transitions in my total?
- For a tightly-timed slot like a festival set, budget 15-30 extra seconds per song for tuning and talking.
- For a worship set or a casual gig, banter time is more flexible and usually doesn't need to be tracked.
What if I don't know a song's exact runtime?
Use the Song Length & Runtime Calculator to estimate it from tempo and measure count, or check the track's runtime on any streaming service.
Can I reorder songs after adding them?
Not yet within the tool itself; re-enter the rows in the order you want to play them. Reordering doesn't change the total, since the calculation just sums every row regardless of sequence.