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What is a hook in a song?

A hook is the catchiest idea in a song: the line, riff, melody or sound that sticks in your head. It is not one fixed section. It is often in the chorus, but it can be a guitar riff, a synth line or a vocal chop. In rap and hip hop, “the hook” also means the chorus itself.

Usually 8 bars · a rap hook is usually 8 bars, often a 4-bar phrase sung twice

Where the hook goes

Wherever the song wants to be remembered: the chorus, the intro, the drop, or between the verses of a rap song.

The hook, lit on a rap song map at 90 BPM.

Open this song map in the editor

A rap beat across all 80 bars, with a marker at each section, to change part by part. No account needed to start.

How long is a hook?

A hook usually runs 8 bars (a rap hook is usually 8 bars, often a 4-bar phrase sung twice). In seconds, that depends on the tempo:

How long a hook of 8 bars is at three tempos
Tempo8 bars16 bars
90 BPM21 s43 s
110 BPM17 s35 s
128 BPM15 s30 s

How to make a hook

  • Keep it short and repeat it: two to four bars that come back.
  • Make it different from everything around it: higher, simpler, or on a sound of its own.
  • Put it early: many songs play it in the intro as well.

Questions about the hook

How long is a hook in a rap song?

Usually 8 bars, often a 4-bar phrase sung twice: about 21 seconds at 90 BPM.

Is a hook the same as a chorus?

In rap, yes: the chorus is called the hook. Elsewhere the hook is the catchiest idea, which is often in the chorus but not always.

Other parts of a song

IntroVersePre-chorusChorusPost-chorusRefrainBridgeBreakdownDropOutro

Song maps with a hook

Rap song structure

Map out a song

The free editor opens with a rap beat laid out as a whole song, a marker at each section. Change any part, add one, or take one away.

Open a song mapSong structure

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