play a song in/on (a) loop? (2025)

Good day to all!

If I want to say I've been listening to a song over and over again, which of the following sentences is correct:

1. I've been playing this song on loop for days now.
2. I've been playing this song on a loop for days now.
3. I've been playing this song in loop for days now.
4. I've been playing this song in a loop for days now.

Agreed, but only as the best of the bunch I think.

The phrase that comes to mind is 'on repeat', or perhaps 'over and over'.

"I've been playing this song on repeat for days now."

cidertree said:

Agreed, but only as the best of the bunch I think.

The phrase that comes to mind is 'on repeat', or perhaps 'over and over'.

"I've been playing this song on repeat for days now."

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The music app on my computer calls the setting "Repeat." I associate "loop" with continuous video: The museum has that documentary on [a] loop all day long.

autumnwater said:

If I want to say I've been listening to a song over and over

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I would take "on a loop" or "on repeat" to mean specifically a setting on a music player. Your music player plays the song again as soon as it's finished with it.

Are you really doing that for days? If you're just listening to the song a lot by choice I wouldn't say that.

I have put a song on repeat and listened to it for 24 hours that way before and that's a very long time for one song. (But an interesting experience. The lyrics start to morph a bit in some cases.)

autumnwater said:

If I want to say I've been listening to a song over and over again, which of the following sentences is correct:

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None of them.
"I've been

listening to this song

for days now."

Your listener/reader will understand that you have not been doing this 24/7, but rather you have played it an unreasonably large number of times during those days.

PaulQ said:

None of them.
"I've been

playing

listening to this song

on a loop

for days now."

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Lots of people say "I've been playing this song..." in this context, and it's perfectly correct and understandable. There's no reason to strike it out.

kentix said:

Are you really doing that for days?

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Haha yes! When I find a song I like very much I play it on my music app on repeat for days until I'm a bit tired of it. But I don't mean I listen to that songs 24 hours for days. It's just when I listen to music I listen to that song, that song only.

Damoetas said:

There's no reason to strike it out.

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autumnwater said:

If I want to say I've been listening to a song

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It's the question that was asked.