Music to enrage the savage beast
You would be surprised how many of our clients ask to have music with auto-play inserted into their websites. I always discourage this line of thinking, but it always seems to come up. So I put this question out to people on my Twitter feed: “Need some input: music on websites — added value or UX disruption?” I received quite a few responses, all on the same wavelength.
Here’s what my tweeps had to say about it:
- alainsaffel: disruption
- Meeners: 99% of the time I mute it!
- mspixieriot: Only on a site for a music act, and even then no auto-play… you have to press the play button yourself. Otherwise bad.
- thecolinium: unless there is video, disruption
- grempel: hate it.. if u must provide music.. make it quiet.. and clearly display where to turn it off
- stormbrew: annoying as fuck unless opt-in. (I use the swear to really clearly state how much I despise websites with music, and not lightly at all)
- buck75: make sure a person has the ability to turn it off. i don’t like it.
- evolvingblue: as I have music going pretty much 24-7, the first thing I look for when browsing a site with audio is where to shut it off.
- hilarydarrah: Most of the time I’m already listening to music, so definitely a disruption.
- chigaze: Autoplay music/sound on a website is one of the ultimate evils. I will close the window! A button to turn on sound is alright.
- TheTowelBoy: music on websites is annoying….and SOooooo 2005.
- stygldpnyby: badbadbadbadbad
- paulney: It can be done well. But VERY rarely is. http://www.jeshderox.com/ as an example of stunningly beautiful UX (including music).
- steenyweeny: I’m with everyone else. Hate hate hate it.
- ChrisInEdmonton: I have no words to describe how much I loathe music on websites.
- MarkCluett: hate hate HATE music on websites. distraction/interrupts other tasks/programs
- marshaboyd: Annoying….music on websites are distracting and usually bad. Turn it off!!
- bevurlee: I don’t like it. Especially if it’s auto play!
- Hunnyfreak: Music that automatically plays when you log on to a website is EVIL! EVIL!!!
- GuitarKat: Hate it. Only if there’s a play button. No auto play. I listen to music all the time so I will find where to turn it off and such
- edmsymphony: A lot of symphony websites used to have auto-play music, but lately the trend has been to remove it (thankfully)
The thing to note here isn’t just that people find it irritating; it’s that they absolutely HATE it. And I agree with people. It’s intrusive and disruptive.
I’m going to use this info the next time a client says they want their website to have music. Thanks for your input, everyone!
I missed this when you tweeted it, but I’ll definitely add my voice to the chorus of haters.
Yeah, it’s super irritating… What about buttons that pay sounds onmouseover? Totally unacceptable as well?