Time taken spreading it around (8)
I believe the answer is:
duration
'time taken' is the definition.
'spreading it around' is the wordplay.
'spreading' indicates an anagram.
'it'+'around'='itaround'
'itaround' is an anagram of 'DURATION'.
(Other definitions for duration that I've seen before include "Length of time" , "Time scale" , "Term, span, time" , "Period during which something continues" , "Around it (anag.)" .)