Recently I was reading a discussion over at BlogCatalog about things people hate to see on blogs. One of the things mentioned was music. Someone said, “It is the kiss of death.”
This made me a little upset because I have music on my blog, Supernatural Fairy Tales I really like the music, but I don't want to annoy readers.
So my question is… Do you think music on a blog or website is annoying or enjoyable?
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Is Music the Kiss of Death? by HFC member, Dorlana
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5 comments:
If it's music that plays automatically when the site comes up, I never return.
If it's something I can click on if I feel like listening to it, no problem.
This is mostly a problem with Myspace, and it's the main reason why I've migrated over to Facebook. I don't want to be assaulted with sound when I click on a link or have to scramble to find the stop button (or buttons).
Plus, chances are, I'm already listening to something anyway.
The main thing to remember is that while the music you have on your site is something YOU like, it's highly likely that many of the people visiting your site might not like that music or just may not be in the mood for it at that time.
The music on your blog isn't something I personally like, so that makes me want to read what I came to read, then get out as quickly as I can (since it's hard to find the stop button for your music, if it's there at all).
In general, if the purpose is to keep people on your site and have them explore and stay awhile, then absolutely, I'd say NO music.
I'll keep this short and sweet:
I *detest* music or sound effects or any kind of "noise" on web sites or blogs. I keep my computer muted for exactly this reason.
I think music on a blog or website is OK - but just OK, and only if there is a clear way to shut it off. Sometimes it isn't convenient and it actually distracts from the site. It is always preferable to me that there is an option to play the music versus the music starting automatically when the site is opened.
What has really been annoying to me is when music automatically starts to play, then I see something interesting to click (pehaps a video) and I can't figure out how to turn off the darn music to hear the video.
I like the music on Myspace and on blogs. If I don't like a song, I just turn down my volume. But seeing how the majority don't like it, I suppose I should reconsider my blog music.
I think it all boils down to it being MY choice of whether or not I want to listen to something or watch something.
Since most websites don't have sound or music, there's a good chance I had my volume up from something I was listening to before, maybe a video or something on iTunes. So when it's an hour or two later, and I go to a website with sound, and it comes up at full volume, it doesn't leave a good impression.
Again, I think it goes back to the question of is the website just for YOU, or for visitors? If it's for the masses to potentially visit, then you must do as they wish and make sure the website isn't providing an obstacle or barrier to their enjoying the experience.
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