diff --git a/beets/config_default.yaml b/beets/config_default.yaml
index ba58debe7e..545fa96385 100644
--- a/beets/config_default.yaml
+++ b/beets/config_default.yaml
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ ui:
 format_item: $artist - $album - $title
 format_album: $albumartist - $album
 time_format: '%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S'
+format_raw_length: no
 
 sort_album: albumartist+ album+
 sort_item: artist+ album+ disc+ track+
diff --git a/beets/dbcore/query.py b/beets/dbcore/query.py
index f0adac665c..d8a3a0ea89 100644
--- a/beets/dbcore/query.py
+++ b/beets/dbcore/query.py
@@ -653,6 +653,33 @@ def col_clause(self):
         return clause, subvals
 
 
+class DurationQuery(NumericQuery):
+    """NumericQuery that allow human-friendly (M:SS) time interval formats.
+
+    Converts the range(s) to a float value, and delegates on NumericQuery.
+
+    Raises InvalidQueryError when the pattern does not represent an int, float
+    or M:SS time interval.
+    """
+    def _convert(self, s):
+        """Convert a M:SS or numeric string to a float.
+
+        Return None if `s` is empty.
+        Raise an InvalidQueryError if the string cannot be converted.
+        """
+        if not s:
+            return None
+        try:
+            return util.raw_seconds_short(s)
+        except ValueError:
+            try:
+                return float(s)
+            except ValueError:
+                raise InvalidQueryArgumentTypeError(
+                    s,
+                    "a M:SS string or a float")
+
+
 # Sorting.
 
 class Sort(object):
diff --git a/beets/library.py b/beets/library.py
index 870c468565..f8d226dbe3 100644
--- a/beets/library.py
+++ b/beets/library.py
@@ -195,6 +195,28 @@ def normalize(self, key):
             return self.parse(key)
 
 
+class DurationType(types.Float):
+    """Human-friendly (M:SS) representation of a time interval."""
+    query = dbcore.query.DurationQuery
+
+    def format(self, value):
+        if not beets.config['format_raw_length'].get(bool):
+            return beets.ui.human_seconds_short(value or 0.0)
+        else:
+            return value
+
+    def parse(self, string):
+        try:
+            # Try to format back hh:ss to seconds.
+            return util.raw_seconds_short(string)
+        except ValueError:
+            # Fall back to a plain float.
+            try:
+                return float(string)
+            except ValueError:
+                return self.null
+
+
 # Library-specific sort types.
 
 class SmartArtistSort(dbcore.query.Sort):
@@ -426,7 +448,7 @@ class Item(LibModel):
         'original_day':         types.PaddedInt(2),
         'initial_key':          MusicalKey(),
 
-        'length':      types.FLOAT,
+        'length':      DurationType(),
         'bitrate':     types.ScaledInt(1000, u'kbps'),
         'format':      types.STRING,
         'samplerate':  types.ScaledInt(1000, u'kHz'),
diff --git a/beets/util/__init__.py b/beets/util/__init__.py
index e2d09c3ab4..55c599a056 100644
--- a/beets/util/__init__.py
+++ b/beets/util/__init__.py
@@ -843,3 +843,16 @@ def case_sensitive(path):
     lower = _windows_long_path_name(path.lower())
     upper = _windows_long_path_name(path.upper())
     return lower != upper
+
+
+def raw_seconds_short(string):
+    """Formats a human-readable M:SS string as a float (number of seconds).
+
+    Raises ValueError if the conversion cannot take place due to `string` not
+    being in the right format.
+    """
+    match = re.match('^(\d+):([0-5]\d)$', string)
+    if not match:
+        raise ValueError('String not in M:SS format')
+    minutes, seconds = map(int, match.groups())
+    return float(minutes * 60 + seconds)
diff --git a/docs/changelog.rst b/docs/changelog.rst
index a78bfb7274..003319267f 100644
--- a/docs/changelog.rst
+++ b/docs/changelog.rst
@@ -26,6 +26,11 @@ New:
   singles compilation, "1." See :ref:`not_query`. :bug:`819` :bug:`1728`
 * :doc:`/plugins/info`: The plugin now accepts the ``-f/--format`` option for
   customizing how items are displayed. :bug:`1737`
+* Track length is now displayed as ``M:SS`` by default, instead of displaying
+  the raw number of seconds. Queries on track length also accept this format:
+  for example, ``beet list length:5:30..`` will find all your tracks that have
+  a duration over 5 minutes and 30 seconds. You can toggle this setting off
+  via the ``format_raw_length`` configuration option. :bug:`1749`
 
 For developers:
 
diff --git a/test/test_info.py b/test/test_info.py
index aaabed9805..4a85b6dc94 100644
--- a/test/test_info.py
+++ b/test/test_info.py
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ def test_custom_format(self):
         self.add_item_fixtures()
         out = self.run_with_output('--library', '--format',
                                    '$track. $title - $artist ($length)')
-        self.assertEqual(u'02. tïtle 0 - the artist (1.1)\n', out)
+        self.assertEqual(u'02. tïtle 0 - the artist (0:01)\n', out)
 
 
 def suite():
diff --git a/test/test_library.py b/test/test_library.py
index 30b0d6fc45..860227a139 100644
--- a/test/test_library.py
+++ b/test/test_library.py
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 import re
 import unicodedata
 import sys
+import time
 
 from test import _common
 from test._common import unittest
@@ -1126,6 +1127,58 @@ def test_parse_bytes(self):
             beets.library.parse_query_string(b"query", None)
 
 
+class LibraryFieldTypesTest(unittest.TestCase):
+    """Test format() and parse() for library-specific field types"""
+    def test_datetype(self):
+        t = beets.library.DateType()
+
+        # format
+        time_local = time.strftime(beets.config['time_format'].get(unicode),
+                                   time.localtime(123456789))
+        self.assertEqual(time_local, t.format(123456789))
+        # parse
+        self.assertEqual(123456789.0, t.parse(time_local))
+        self.assertEqual(123456789.0, t.parse('123456789.0'))
+        self.assertEqual(t.null, t.parse('not123456789.0'))
+        self.assertEqual(t.null, t.parse('1973-11-29'))
+
+    def test_pathtype(self):
+        t = beets.library.PathType()
+
+        # format
+        self.assertEqual('/tmp', t.format('/tmp'))
+        self.assertEqual(u'/tmp/\xe4lbum', t.format(u'/tmp/\u00e4lbum'))
+        # parse
+        self.assertEqual(b'/tmp', t.parse('/tmp'))
+        self.assertEqual(b'/tmp/\xc3\xa4lbum', t.parse(u'/tmp/\u00e4lbum/'))
+
+    def test_musicalkey(self):
+        t = beets.library.MusicalKey()
+
+        # parse
+        self.assertEqual('C#m', t.parse('c#m'))
+        self.assertEqual('Gm', t.parse('g   minor'))
+        self.assertEqual('Not c#m', t.parse('not C#m'))
+
+    def test_durationtype(self):
+        t = beets.library.DurationType()
+
+        # format
+        self.assertEqual('1:01', t.format(61.23))
+        self.assertEqual('60:01', t.format(3601.23))
+        self.assertEqual('0:00', t.format(None))
+        # parse
+        self.assertEqual(61.0, t.parse('1:01'))
+        self.assertEqual(61.23, t.parse('61.23'))
+        self.assertEqual(3601.0, t.parse('60:01'))
+        self.assertEqual(t.null, t.parse('1:00:01'))
+        self.assertEqual(t.null, t.parse('not61.23'))
+        # config format_raw_length
+        beets.config['format_raw_length'] = True
+        self.assertEqual(61.23, t.format(61.23))
+        self.assertEqual(3601.23, t.format(3601.23))
+
+
 def suite():
     return unittest.TestLoader().loadTestsFromName(__name__)