Website Music?

Do you have music on your website? Why or why not?

I don't because music on a website serves no purpose and is ungodly annoying.

 

95% of the time I have my own music on, and your customers and mine probably do a lot of

the time too, or the TV, or maybe they are on the phone, or in a conversation, and nobody

wants to hear the monotone version of Here Comes the Bride or compressed copy of White

Wedding.

 

Well, that's my two cents, but I really hate any website with music....

Music can add a powerful emotional element to your images. However good taste and tact is not something everyone has and unfortunately people that do not have it have no idea they do not have it lol. The music industry has started softening on usage for multiple mp3 players and in time we will be able to use paid for downloads legally for our slide show. I do now as it is for entertainment after a job is paid for and the music is paid for. I don't think music on a website can induce a direct sale so it is very hard for that to be "Policed" thus the laws will soon change for usage. I use legal authorized piano music but I do plan to use comercial stuff soon. Of course an on and off music button on the site is a smart move.

my site is in the making - and i fully intend on having music. i will also have the option to shut it off for those who would prefer. why do i have it:

 

music combined w/ image is a powerful medium...hence every movie that isn't "silent" would be very different w/ out music...(pycho shower scene/soundtrack for "Crash" etc...) music can add flavor that combined right can push your images to another level and vice verca...if picked correctly - it can pull on your heart strings...i have recieved permission from 2 major record labels so far to use my music...

I don't know, Steve. I don't think the laws are going to change any time soon - at least not in a way that would allow you to use someone else's commercial music on your commercial web site without their permission and/or paying for the privilege. Would you be OK with someone using your images without your permission - to say nothing of using them to help SELL things, with no credit back to you? Can't have it both ways, so as a creative person who generates bitmaps that very much can be ripped off by any kid, you'd better hope they DON'T change the law to make that perfectly OK all the sudden. Slippery slope, here.

You can't just get permission from labels (and having done a lot of work for one of the big ones, I'm surprised they would just give permission), you have to also go the publishers. Without a license from the publishers, you are violating copyright regardless of other permission.

No. The vast majority of human beings hate Web site music on any site, at least music that is on by default. Photographers' sites are no different -- more people will instantly shut your site down than say "aww, how pretty," especially if they're browsing from work (which, let's face it, happens a lot.)

First thing I look for is the "mute" button on any website that plays music. Very annoying.

 

All I can add is, if you are going to have music on by default, make sure the "off" button is as large and annoying as the music. I don't want to have to hunt for the thing.

Believe it or not, more people are still using dial-up than high speed. Music just sucks up resourses.

Nothing says "amateur schlock" more than automatic music playing on a Web site. Especially

MIDI music.

"Believe it or not, more people are still using dial-up than high speed."

 

Broadband use totaled nearly 1.2 billion hours, or about 51 percent, of the 2.3 billion online hours logged during January 2002, according to the audience measurement service NetRatings.

 

That's more than five years ago.

As Jeff S above says. I also used to work for a publisher- There will be copyright in both the original song and the specific recording, speak to their licensing (or 'sync') department if unsure.

It's really too bad that if a photographer feels the NEED to have music on his/her website to sell/promote their images and talents.

 

But if you feel that your images cannot stand on their own and somehow need some help from a music background - go for it.

 

Of course - I personally HATE any sort of music on photo websites.

I don't. That's always felt like an personal website kind of thing. Music really doesn't have anything to do with photography so it just doesn't make any sense to me.

I don't use it on the site, it's annoying to some of the people visiting, and it also takes longer to load if you're not on high-speed connections. I do have some slideshows online that have music on them, but they are separate files from the site itself.

I LOVE music, and I'd KILL to have some good Pixies or Regina Spector or Imogen Heap

playing during our portfolio slideshow. But I don't have the money to license those songs,

and I'm not going to play a silly license-free song in it's place.

 

So no music for us.

 

Plus, like has been mentioned, while the Pixies might do it for me, it might just be obnoxious

noise to someone else. So better to leave it alone.

Absolutely not. Meg, while it's true that music can add impact to your images, the reality is that people aren't going to pop a bucket of popcorn, dim the lights, and visit your website for an emotional experience. They just want to see your pictures.

 

As others have said, people are used to multitasking while they surf the web. They'll often have their own music playing, or be switching back and forth between different pages or applications. Ironically, if you add music to your already slow Flash site, it will take even more time to load your site. During this loading time, your visitor will switch over to something else.

 

I strongly recommend against adding music to your website. While a few people might find it adds to the experience, the vast majority will find it annoying and immediately hunt for the "mute" button.

<b><i>"Broadband use totaled nearly 1.2 billion hours, or about 51 percent, of the 2.3 billion online hours logged during January 2002, according to the audience measurement service NetRatings."</b></i>

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Measuring the number of hours logged does not accurately reflect the number of users who use broadband versus dial-up. Broadband users may typically leave their connection/computer on ALL the time while dial-up users log on for a specific purpose (like looking at a wedding photography website) and then log off to free up their phone line.

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There are millions of users in rural areas that still do not have access to broadband/hi-speed internet and yet these people also need wedding photographers.

Its hard enough to book a wedding with the images and options you already offer. Why add

an extra, irrelevant variable, that may just break the deal? If they don't like your photos,

albums, prices or personality, personality - fine. But why risk turning someone off with

something that is unnecessary?

As far as movies using music to add to the emotion I think it would be nice to see more

movies rely on the actual story. Has anyone seen "Open Water"? What about "Blair Witch"? I

don't think either had any soundtrack yet both movies where terrifying. Music in movies can

be just as gimmicky as it is on websites.

What I am about to say may be very controversial but I have been holding it in for a while:

 

Album design can be just as gimmicky and detract as much from quality photographs as

music on a website can. You may be the best photographer in the world but a good

graphic designer that makes you not. I know that its standard operating procedure for

photo studios to offer and design albums but I don't see why that has to be the case.

Maybe its a non-issue for most people but if I was shopping for a wedding photographer

and I loved his pictures but hated his albums that would be a deal breaker. Heaven forbid

a studio would allow the client to take the album design to a second party. Do usage

rights provided with high-res cds even allow for this?

 

Maybe my background as a designer puts me at odds with the rest of you; but maybe its

something that you should give credence to. In any field other than wedding photography

the design and photography is decided by two different people/departments. Until

recently I felt the same way about most photographers websites. They were all homemade

by the photographers and where, for the most part, dreadful. Its only recently that

photographers have started utilizing actual designers to create beautiful sites that match

the quality of the images. Why cant albums be treated the same way.

 

There are a few photographers who frequent these forums that seem to realize this. They

consistently design albums that are simple and minimalist in design and truly focus on the

images. Lack of design can often mean good design.

I just say let the images do the talking. I had music on my site and I removed it. Why? Even if you find some song that the majority of people like, you'll always annoy some other people. You can't find something that everybody will like. Some people will say that it adds to the experience; I just reply that a web site should be a reflection of the portfolio you carry with you to client sites. You want as less distractions as possible. Your art is visual media. Try to mesmerize them with visual media instead of music. Personnal opinion only, but based on a lot of feedback from people that I got when I decided to do a little survey about that and the music on my site.

I read an article about a photographer who puts his clients' slideshows to the song the B&G dance to. Nice touch.

I detest music that automatically plays on ANY web site. In fact any sound at all from a web site is horrible! Having a "player" that a user may use to play some music is acceptable, as long as it is very clear that clicking on it will cause sound.

Just so everybody knows. My slideshows have music. If you don't like it, don't click my links.

 

I'm not having any trouble finding plenty of customers. If I can fill my schedule with people who can afford DSL, do not live in remote areas, and have somehow found their way into the 21st century, why should I worry about ignoring people who are obviously not in my target market. A full schedule is a full schedule.

 

Last time I looked, my local Mercedes dealership was not selling KIA's. They leave that market to be tapped by a different dealer.