Research against auto-playing background music?

[anthonyp1222]

Hey everyone,

I'm looking for some research on the negative effects of auto-playing music on a website's user experience. I've been looking for hours and while there is a general consensus that users hate auto-playing music on web sites, I can't find any actual numbers to support any of it.

Does anyone know of research that prove it unequivocally? My company is trying to make a case against if for a client who wants background music on their website.

[mangome]

There will be very few returning visitors...
Many people browse the web with their musing already playing..so when they get to a site with background music, the only way is to press the "X" button and close the page...

[snakeair]

Originally Posted by anthonyp1222

Hey everyone,

I'm looking for some research on the negative effects of auto-playing music on a website's user experience. I've been looking for hours and while there is a general consensus that users hate auto-playing music on web sites, I can't find any actual numbers to support any of it.

Does anyone know of research that prove it unequivocally? My company is trying to make a case against if for a client who wants background music on their website.

I am having a hard time finding some numbers but found some interesting articles that have some info about this.

http://www.scribizzy.com/website-des...hings-to-avoid

http://www.zigpress.com/2009/10/30/1...ot-play-music/

In my own opinion, i really dislike it when i open a website and music or a video starts playing automatically. If i want to listen to it, i will hit play when the time comes. Sometimes i am surfing online at work and well the music or video playing right away is a giveaway i am online doing something i should not be doing.

Or, i forget my laptop speakers are on full blast and the music/video is super loUd. One thing that erks me is on a site that has music or a video playing that there is no option to turn it off. I just leave those sites right away and never visit again even though the site is a good site. What if the visitor does not have any program on there computer to hear the music?

Hope this helps a little.

[aliceandmosee056]

I find it annoying too. Especially if I find no way to shut it off.

Most video game websites have that function where music from it's OST automatically plays welcoming the visitors into the site, perhaps for the sake of ambience but I don't usually like everything I get welcomed with.

But if I truly have no choice but to stick around, I put Firefox on mute so I can browse in peace. Hassle much but it works.

Interesting articles! I'm reading it now as I type this. Multi tasking FTW!

[DesignJunky]

Well we all agree it's annoying, hopefully we will see less and less of it. I also hate some of the gimmicky sounds that some flash websites use....beeps, pings, buzzes....they are all so distracting.