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13 Replies Last post: Jul 13, 2009 8:17 AM by freelancer412

Music on Website

May 25, 2009 12:40 PM

Click to view freelancer412's profile Professional freelancer412 6 posts since
May 25, 2009
I'm new here and I'd like to ask a question. Maybe some people would be able to help me in this dilemma. I'm an author / book writer / graphic artist and I'm just intending to make the official website to myself, but what is more important, to my new book itself. My question is, is it a good idea to add an atmospheric, licensed! background music to the website (Think here for Immediate Music, X-Ray Dog or Two Steps from Hell like atmospheric music. So, calm orchestra, trailer like music which is a bit above the standard quality.). And in my plans, the loops or even the whole track would change menu by menu (Of course Turn off music would be guaranteed.). The musics are also able to discribe the whole book and able to give the appropriate epic atmosphere, so by my opinion the background music would help a bit to give something more to the reader. But that's just my idea and I can make mistakes too. Although until this time I never saw a webpage with music, so maybe it's not a good idea (Also the book webpages aren't that quality websites comparing to epic movie or gaming websites. And this one would be somewhere between the two.). Also, after the musics are relatively short, the streaming time or the webpage's opening time would not rise significantly.

Forwardly, thanks for your help.
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Click to view Lighthouse24's profile Mogul Lighthouse24 2,396 posts since
Oct 10, 2007
1. Re: Music on Website May 26, 2009 12:10 PM
The effectiveness probably depends on your target audience/readers. For instance, if it's a graphic novel for teens or young adults, the right music might really enhance the presentation. On the other hand, if it's a professional book for readers who might be accessing the site from their desks at work, then it may detract from the site's objective -- and therefore, from sales (a lot of people will simply exit the site rather than look for a way to turn off the music).

With my books (business management topics), I generally use a flash video intro on the website that includes licensed theme/background music (of course, the intro can be skipped, and the "skip intro" option is obvious) -- but I use no other music on the site. I think that approach works best for my target audience, but yours may be different.

Welcome to the community and good luck.
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Click to view freelancer412's profile Professional freelancer412 6 posts since
May 25, 2009
2. Re: Music on Website May 26, 2009 1:38 PM
in response to: Lighthouse24
Thank you for your advise and your friendly welcome, Lighthouse. Well, it's going to be a unique and epic fantasy book which is requiring a different approach then other, previously published books (Think here for LOTR. Now, my one has the same epic story, but quite different then LOTR and it's building up on it's very own world, instead of the well known ones.). The basic concept of the webpage is also coming from here as it's not going to be a standard webpage, intending to be unique but clean and atmospheric just as the book. As the book is from years 9-99, the website will try to fit to all generations on a unique way. That's where the music tracks would come in as optional elements (The readers may decide personally are they willing to listen them or not. But that decision also will have a strange, unique effect on the website too. :) ).

Again, thanks for the help. I'll meditate on your advice.
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Click to view david_aa's profile Mogul david_aa 41 posts since
Jul 1, 2009
3. Re: Music on Website Jul 7, 2009 9:43 AM
I love when website provides a good music on the background as long as it has a "turn off" option. it's good when you don't have to leave the website to be able to listen something else. My opinio is that your type of website will get more attention from visitor if it has music option.
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Click to view freelancer412's profile Professional freelancer412 6 posts since
May 25, 2009
4. Re: Music on Website Jul 7, 2009 10:55 AM
in response to: david_aa
Thanks for the replies. Actually the site is launched few days ago and according to the personal responses the music is loved by the viewers. You may check it out at...

www.crystalshadeangeni.com
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Click to view bentenn's profile Mogul bentenn 33 posts since
Jul 7, 2009
5. Re: Music on Website Jul 7, 2009 4:41 PM
Before you use the music created and owned by someone else to help you sell your book you will need to secure a license from them to allow you to do so. Otherwise you are breaking their copyright and could be sued. You can research the songs you want to use, contact the music publisher for that song and request a license.

In all things in marketing and sales, testing can be of great value. So if you find that most visitors to you website leave the music playing and also buy, you have a winner. If not, turn it off or delete the feature.

All the best for a prosperour year. Ben
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Click to view DomainDiva's profile Mogul DomainDiva 1,731 posts since
Oct 10, 2007
6. Re: Music on Website Jul 8, 2009 8:30 AM
Music on a business website is obnoxious. The web is visual not auditory. If I visit a website and there is music I turn it off, if I vist a website and there is music I depart...quickly. If I know in advance that there is music on a website I will not even go there. That's how bad music is. Music is a distraction from the message especially if the message is purely visual like selling books....

My visual communition guru says that if your message is visual enough and well presented music is not needed. You don't know my guru but you know his work, Chilis, Dr. Pepper, Steak & Ale just to name a few.

Notice that even YouTube is visual + auditory and has a purpose. Music on business websites has no purpose. We tolerate it on tv because TV is an entertainment medium and the advertising and music on TV is meant to entertain not to educate.

Notice that goodreads.com a book website has no music but there are plenty of interactive things to do. THAT is what people like.
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Click to view freelancer412's profile Professional freelancer412 6 posts since
May 25, 2009
7. Re: Music on Website Jul 8, 2009 9:17 AM
in response to: bentenn
Bentenn. Actually the music what you can hear on the website is licensed by me to this franchise. So I don't violate anything as I own these tracks.
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Click to view freelancer412's profile Professional freelancer412 6 posts since
May 25, 2009
8. Re: Music on Website Jul 8, 2009 9:21 AM
in response to: DomainDiva
DomainDiva. I got feedbacks from both future readers and industry pros
(Be it movie or book) and somehow no one is bothered by the music. I'm also wondered on this.
As they said, it's giving a unique atmosphere for this product / this world. So, as
I see the "That is what people like" is not automatically true in all cases. I just took the tracks up as an experiment, but I'm going to keep it on the site. If someone not likes it, there is the turn off option.
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Click to view caffeinated's profile Mogul caffeinated 175 posts since
Apr 29, 2008
9. Re: Music on Website Jul 8, 2009 11:44 AM
in response to: freelancer412
Hi freelancer412,

Its great to hear (no pun intended) that the music isn't bothersome to your readers. In my opinion, music on a website is distracting and don't like it when I'm caught off guard with it. Meaning I forgot my volume was set high and it scares the bejesus out of me when I enter the site initially. Yours is subtle with gentle lead in, which is a good approach. So to contradict myself, the music on your site works and is very complimentary.

Good luck with your book

-caffeinated.
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Click to view gophered's profile Professional gophered 3 posts since
Jul 8, 2009
10. Re: Music on Website Jul 8, 2009 12:12 PM
I have seen it used very well by very few. When done right it doesn't distract but too many use music that doesn't coorelate or is simply too loud and obtrusive. I say go for it but be smart and think to yourself what you would like to hear and I think you will be happy.
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Click to view gophered's profile Professional gophered 3 posts since
Jul 8, 2009
11. Re: Music on Website Jul 8, 2009 12:15 PM
in response to: gophered
I like what you have done
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Click to view DomainDiva's profile Mogul DomainDiva 1,731 posts since
Oct 10, 2007
12. Re: Music on Website Jul 8, 2009 12:45 PM
in response to: freelancer412
Begging to digress, interactive websites will always trump noisy ones.
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Click to view freelancer412's profile Professional freelancer412 6 posts since
May 25, 2009
13. Re: Music on Website Jul 13, 2009 8:17 AM
in response to: DomainDiva
Diva. By my opinion interactive websites has no real purpose. Yes, they looks fine for the first look, but when you arrive back for the sixth or seventh time, they're rather bothering you then entertain you. Originally I wanted an interactive website with music. Then I draw out interaction completely as interaction has one great disadvantage. The loading time from page to page. Also by my opinion it's drawing the attention away from the essence. The question is, when you're intending to make a website, you'd like to make it to fit for your own taste or you'd like to grab the attention of the readers? The two is not the same.

It seems I have luck, because as around 9 pages of responses telling to me, here the music and the arts are creating the basic atmosphere already for the book which hasn't published yet at all and while there is not so much content on it, it was able to grab the attention of the people.

Also I got responses from few industry pros that they're listening my website's background music, leaving my site open in a secondary window, while they're surfing on the net. So sometimes noisy sites can be good sometimes. It seems I had luck.
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