Website background sound

[adamnichols45]

can somebody please tell me the best way todo this please. ie small file size fast and user friendly.

Any place i can get some free slow beats for a background sound - ideally something about 1 minute long on loop.

thanks

[kevinpate]

The most user friendly background sound file is the one which is never heard unless and until the user makes the decision to hear the sound.

Speaking for myself, I choose to not hunt for a volume control or a pause or an off button. I simply click the back button and never return. FYI, I am not alone in this view.

If you proceed, good luck to you all the same.

[adamnichols45]

thanks for the reply - i just thought it would make a change from all the quiet websites out there. Im sure that in the future most websites willbe using sounds to add a more dynamic experience to their sites.

[lZakl]

That may be true, as nobody can see the future. But until then, a small statistical tidbit for you to chew on.

How many people listen to music on their PC? Whether it be iTunes or what have you. Do you know? I don't, but I'd be willing to wager that it's over 50%.

How many of those people surf and listen at the same time? Again, probably quite a few.

What happens when a user is listening to his favorite song on a Broadcast, and you smother it with a 1 minute loop? You make end user mad most likely.

Until that day in the future you were talking about comes, I for one choose non-musical websites, so I can let my music of choice ring through my speakers, not what someone else chooses for me to listen to while I surf their site.

I mean no disrespect, and I truly beleive to-each-his-own. This is just my 2¢

-- Zak

[katana_one]

Just to add my own 2 cents …

I always surf with my speakers turned OFF. I got tired of getting blasted with bad MIDI files when I least expected it. I've read posts on blogs and bulletin boards by other users who feel the same way. I even read a post by someone whose speakers were blown out by an unexpected background music file.

My work PC doesn't even have speakers or a sound card installed. I prefer it that way.

I HATE background music just for the sake of "ambiance."

[limbo]

This [webmasterworld.com] may or may not stop you - either way you will read enough to be certain that some HATE bg music.

[Beagle]

I always surf with my speakers turned OFF.

Yep. I turn them on when and if I specifically want to hear something (a taped interview, or a movie trailer I want to see and hear). And one of the first things I do when I start using a new computer (just after I turn off the grammar check) is turn off all the annoying dings and other little computer sounds that are supposed to tell me that something's just worked... or hasn't.

My work PC doesn't even have speakers or a sound card installed. I prefer it that way.

Yep.

[D_Blackwell]

The earth is flat pretty muchy sums up where the web is, versus where it will be - but for now...

I keep the sound on, and am often listening to something myself. I don't mind the idea of people 'programming' their websites, but it almost always turns out to be poorly implemented, and interrupting MY programming is not recommended:))

The best implementation is to offer what you have, make it easy and attractive to try out - but without dicating the choice.

[lZakl]

^^ My thoughts exactly ... Don't make the end user listen to it, if they don't want to. The fact that the option would be there to turn the music on, would make it attractive enough in itself to persuade end users who don't mind "musical websites" to listen, while not annoying those who have their sound on and/or might be listening to something else at the time.

[abbeyvet]

Picture the scene. You are at work, in your little cubicle surrounded by many others, and bored. A little surupticious surfing is in order. Off you go. Then you click on a link, arrive at a site and ....... BOOM!

Not good.

[nigassma]

I simply click the back button and never return.

I second that. Thats why I stopped using Instant Messenger. They started blasting you with commercials right in your buddy window. I used to be woken up by the chime that alerts you of a message from a buddy until I turned off all sounds, and then they released that version with the Ads, damn! No more open and close door sounds for me.

[travelin cat]

One of the most important things to take in to consideration when creating a web site is to not alienate your visitors. NEVER EVER force things such as sound on them.

What I tell my customers when they ask for things like this is Just because you CAN do somehing doesn't mean you SHOULD...

there's a reason most sites do not have sound, it's intrusive...

[Beagle]

With most "special features," it's best to use them when there's a specific reason to--not when there's no specific reason not to... and then, when possible, to give an option.

Best use of ambient sound I've found is a museum website that gives the viewer the option of listening to music from the same historical period as the artwork being viewed. First there's a logical reason for it, and second the viewer decides whether or not to turn on the music.

[adamnichols45]

Excellent responses - thanks for all your time everyone. I wont be having sounds afterall. thanks so much

[ScratchDisk]

If you are looking for free audio loops and are determined to use music on your site, (which as most of us know is generally a bad idea unless you are a composer, professional musician or highly gifted with audio) - you can find free loops at flashkit.com.