Music on Portfolio Site?

Manfr3d

I've seen quite many portfolio websites
that have some kind of music that starts
playing once the page has loaded. How
do you feel about music on a webpage?
Do you see it as a feature or an annoyance?

denisegoldberg

Manfr3d wrote:

I've seen quite many portfolio websites
that have some kind of music that starts
playing once the page has loaded. How
do you feel about music on a webpage?
Do you see it as a feature or an annoyance?

I think you'll probably see strong reactions from both sides. There are people who love sites with music, and there are people who hate them. There are other threads floating around here with music / no music opinions too, just can't put my finger on them at the moment.

Me? I dislike music on web sites. If a site opens with music and there isn't an immediately obvious button to turn it off, I immediately leave the site. Am I missing something? Maybe, but unsolicited noise coming from my computer isn't welcome. (See, didn't I say you would hear strong reactions? And you did ask...)

--- Denise

rdlugosz

I generally dislike "surprise" music on web sites, but not nearly as much as the portfolio sites that take over your browser & resize windows!! (In fact, I disable that javascript capability via my browser.)

However, brides seem to *love* hearing "their" song attached to a slideshow of their stuff... but...

Note that in both of those cases (especially the first) you're in copyright violation territory if you don't properly license the music in question. You'll want to make sure you're using public domain music unless you're willing to pay a license fee for the tunes.

While it's unlikely that someone will call you on this unless you are "big time", it's no different than someone using one of your photographs without permission. ...and you know how we all feel about that!

Just a (hopefully helpful) reminder.

SloYerRoll

I have a friend that's developing a script so music will start at a very low volume and slowly go to a "normal" volume setting. As long as the button is EASY to find to stop or turn down. I've got no beef w/ tunes on a site. It is annoying when it's louder than a jet taking off as soon as you navigate to the site.

rdlugosz

SloYerRoll wrote:

I have a friend that's developing a script so music will start at a very low volume and slowly go to a "normal" volume setting. As long as the button is EASY to find to stop or turn down. I've got no beef w/ tunes on a site. It is annoying when it's louder than a jet taking off as soon as you navigate to the site.

I suppose that a low volume option doesn't both me either. It's the ones that are autoplay at full volume that honestly piss me off more than anything!

FEATURE: Tell your friend to drop a cookie that remembers if I turned off the music or not. I don't want to have to turn off the tunes every time I visit!

SloYerRoll

rdlugosz wrote:

FEATURE: Tell your friend to drop a cookie that remembers if I turned off the music or not. I don't want to have to turn off the tunes every time I visit!

Excellent idea! Thanks rd!

Cheers,
-Jon

DavidTO

Hate it.

RustingInPeace

Music

Manfr3d wrote:

I've seen quite many portfolio websites
that have some kind of music that starts
playing once the page has loaded. How
do you feel about music on a webpage?
Do you see it as a feature or an annoyance?

As mentioned above, there are strong opinions about having music. Think less about what other photographers "think" about music on your site, and more about what you target clients think about music. I have done several market surveys with past and prospective clients regarding music as well as other visual attributes of photography sites. I came up with the following data regarding music:
1. Vast majority preferred sites with music 103 out of 125
2. Respondents felt that music added depth to the experience
3. Respondents also felt a more emotional connection to the images
4. Respondent indicated that with music the sites felt more polished

Here is a link to a local guy here that had very positive feedback. He also got high marks for clarity. It helps that he is a great photographer.
http://www.aperturephotographics.com/darkroom/share/?client/intro

You might want to conduct a little local market research to see how your target market "feels" about it.

gregneil

I hate it.

But I wouldn't mind if there were an option to play music on the site. I just don't like it when I'm forced by a website to listen to something I didn't choose. Usually when I'm surfing the web I've got my own music going on, I'd rather not listen to yours.

SloYerRoll

RustingInPeace wrote:

Think less about what other photographers "think" about music on your site, and more about what you target clients think about music.

Well put.

ivar

Personally: :puke
I usually skip a site with music, unless I really need to be there. There has been research about annoyances on websites, and music ranked high, if not #1. (this was not specific for photography sites).

However, as mentioned above, it is the target audience that you have to consider. IF you use it, make sure it is not set to a loud volume, it can be easily switched off, and that the music fits the theme of your pages and the product that you are selling.

urbanaries

Great discourse, and I agree that it matters less what other photographers think, and more about my clients. I currently don't have music but it is something I am constantly debating.

WPJA has a very thorough and insightful article on user preferences, and ethics surrounding this topic here.

DavidS

RustingInPeace wrote:

As mentioned above, there are strong opinions about having music. Think less about what other photographers "think" about music on your site, and more about what you target clients think about music. I have done several market surveys with past and prospective clients regarding music as well as other visual attributes of photography sites. I came up with the following data regarding music:
1. Vast majority preferred sites with music 103 out of 125
2. Respondents felt that music added depth to the experience
3. Respondents also felt a more emotional connection to the images
4. Respondent indicated that with music the sites felt more polished

Here is a link to a local guy here that had very positive feedback. He also got high marks for clarity. It helps that he is a great photographer.
http://www.aperturephotographics.com/darkroom/share/?client/intro

You might want to conduct a little local market research to see how your target market "feels" about it.

I have not done a formal survey, but I have talked to a lot of people about my new website (which has music) most photographers do not like the music, but those who are not photographers (my potential clients) love it.

I agree with the article. The music we use on our website must be licensed for that purpose. We don't want people using our photos without authorization and musicians deserve the same respect. There are a number of sources that cater to photographers.

djspinner2k

urbanaries wrote:

Great discourse, and I agree that it matters less what other photographers think, and more about my clients. I currently don't have music but it is something I am constantly debating.

WPJA has a very thorough and insightful article on user preferences, and ethics surrounding this topic here.

thats a good link. It states the legality of using music without the artists permission.

evoryware

“Most visitors like to have a little bit of control,” he says. They will go on a Web site at work, and it can open with unexpected, even jarring, loud music. When I go to Web sites and the music starts playing, I’m not necessarily looking at the site in an environment that’s conducive to visual learning, and the first thing I’m doing is looking for the stop or pause button. I don’t want the first thing people do on our site is to be looking for the mute button.”

I also find myself vigorously searching for the mute button often. I may turn it back on after I adjust my volume if I like the song and every now and then I'll hear a song I like and search it on Napster for myself.

Morbid Andrew

I think music adds to the feel of your style. If you have a slow romantic song playing compared to a dancy upbeat song, that portrays your style alot differently.

And I do agree that most photographers that I know aren't into music too much. Me, I have 6000 songs on my ipod which is playing in my house most the time, as oppose to having the tv on. So, I am a little bias.

SloYerRoll

To photogs, the images are the art. To musicians the music is the art. Of course you want your images to be the focal point. But in the era of muti-media/sensory communication. I think your missing out on a very important component of a website if you don't at least offer music of something to add to the overall experience of visiting your site.

I agree w/ the posters that said that they would close the tab or hit the back button if music started up. It's annoying when your speakers or headphones are set to a comfortable level and then 'click' = blaring music. But it's up to the site host to create an environment that's comfortable for the viewer. i.e. starting out your music at an almost imperceptible level then in creasing. Making the stop & play buttons very obvious even for the non web savvy.

What I find ironic about music on sites is this:
Most every photographer starts jumping up and down when someone uses their images (even if the image links back to them) but a majority of the sites I've seen using music are a blatant infringement of copyright.

jneal

not a pro but I like to lurk in this forum. I would like to add that a lot of folks surf at work even though they are not supposed to. As my company's only IT guy ask me how I know If the music just starts playing it can attract unwanted attention from the boss.

I would suggest to default it to off and allow the surfer to turn in on if desired.

Personally I hate any kind of audio on a website because I am usually listening to my own music or internet radio. I will immediatly close a site I opened if it plays music.

gus

Manfr3d wrote:

How
do you feel about music on a webpage?

I give myself under a second to find the ' MUSIC OFF ' button & if i cant then i close the site. I find it to be possibly the most annoying thing to encounter on the net.

cdonovan

SloYerRoll wrote:

What I find ironic about music on sites is this:
Most every photographer starts jumping up and down when someone uses their images (even if the image links back to them) but a majority of the sites I've seen using music are a blatant infringement of copyright.

Couldn't agree with you more, I can't understand where these photographers get all the moula to be able to afford the licensing fees for these main stream big name artists! I think I am in the wrong business!

jdryan3

SloYerRoll wrote:

What I find ironic about music on sites is this:
Most every photographer starts jumping up and down when someone uses their images (even if the image links back to them) but a majority of the sites I've seen using music are a blatant infringement of copyright.

About as funny as all the graphic artists, designers, etc with bootleg copies of Adobe products, or all the programmers with pirated copies of C##, VB, ...

Moogle Pepper

I like it once in awhile.

But I usually jack up my music anyway so I can never tell.

SloYerRoll

jdryan3 wrote:

About as funny as all the graphic artists, designers, etc with bootleg copies of Adobe products, or all the programmers with pirated copies of C##, VB, ...

Yea it's the same issue. It really sucks since there are tons of ppl having licensing issues all the time since Adobe is trying so hard to keep hacks from "liberating" their applications.
It sure would be nice if Adobe could figure out a failsafe way to keep non-legal copies running. It would eliminate 3/4 of the competition

playernovis

music or any kind of sound (mouse over button) on any web site is annoying, but ... I personally really like music when it is part of the slideshow, it adds really another dimension.

don't tell me the music with this slideshow is not awesome

http://jiri.phanfare.com/slideshow.aspx?username=jiri&album_id=549789

:ivar