Using music on a website

For those who want music on their web sites, it is important that they answer one question early on: Is having music worth having viewers wait for the site to load or for the music to start? Clearly that is a decision for each site owner to make.

In the case for our own (CCI) web site (Flash version), it didn't take long to decide we wanted music. That decision does not come without good reasoning — recording is part of our business, and it only makes sense to give people a sampling.

Were we building a web site for a client not associated with the music business, then that decision likely would go the other way. Just as it should be with any content included on a web site, there should be a compelling reason to include it.

Later, when we redesign and rebuild our site, adding a college basketball section and a web guide, we will still want to use music in the web design part of the site. But rather than have it on the entrance to the entire site, if will be only on that segment of the site. That is when load time will become important to us.

Why music in the first place?

Clearly if music is a part of your business, then it becomes more logical to make use of it on your web site. But there are other reasons some might wish to include it on their site. For example, numerous studies have shown that music can affect a person's mood, thus it makes sense that if people are more relaxed and more at ease, the more receptive they may be to the products and services offered on a web site.

That is not to say it makes people stupid. If the products and services are lousy, having Stevie Wonder make a live appearance beside the viewer's computer won't make them buy what is being offered.

The type of music chosen is a large factor in its effectiveness. Studies show that grunge rock tends to create a negative feeling, and vocals can be distracting. Further, loud music can interrupt life at the viewer's home — drowning out their own TV or radio, or if late at night, perhaps waking others in the home.

However, a milder, instrumental form of music is less apt to cause such problems and can improve people's moods, therefore improving their receptiveness.

Music that is moderate in volume and tempo generally will help improve concentration, and it is important for visitors to concentrate on what you are saying on your web site. That calming effect is why many companies have "elevator music" playing at their stores.

It is important to consider what type of people will most likely be visiting your web site. If your target audience is the executive age group, "Who Let The Dogs Out" might not work. If the target audience is the 16-19 age group, chances are that Lawrence Welk orchestra music won't cut it.

There are other uses for music on the internet, such as background to go along with cartoons. Still more can be used with a program such as Toon Boom Studio, where users can make cartoon characters lip-sync with the music. If cartooning is your primary focus, then it makes sense to add music to the site, too.

For larger companies, using music on a web site makes sense to reinforce the branding they get from television ads in which they use popular music and performers. If you think it doesn't work, consider how many times you have gone around all day humming a jingle from a particular commercial. Music can be a strong factor in placing your business in a viewer's mind.

Further, if you sell advertising on your web site, banners and other advertisements accompanied by music tend to sell for higher rates than they normally would.

Finally, though, if you cannot think of a reason beyond "I just want to have music on the site," then you are probably better off to take a pass. If visitors do not see a connection to the music and the site — and this is particularly crucial for web designers — then they may wonder if you will use unnecessary items on their site, too.

Which format to use?

Having decided you want music on the site, one of the first topics to consider when adding music is to decide in which format you wish to present the sounds. Here is a look at some of the possibilities:

• WAV: The common format for Windows. While other formats can compress files more, the sound quality is generally better using uncompressed .wav files, though they are large. Still, for short music clips, they work quite well. When used in Flash, the files are compressed and work quite nicely.
• Flash: Here you can use .wav again, but simply put it on a layer in the Flash file, and it is loaded with the rest of the file. It requires a Flash player, which is fairly common on computers these days.The advantage of Flash is that it not only compresses the .WAV file, but it also streams it. Regardless of what type of music file used, Flash is currently the best choice for including music along with other elements where timing makes a difference.
• MP3: MP3 can be compressed to make smaller files. However, much of what is lost is out of the range of the human ear, so it is a good choice to reduce files and maintain quality of sound. This is a good choice for longer clips.
• MIDI: Not really a music format, MIDI produces music from sound boards, which eliminates voices. In short, it is merely contains the instructions for creating music. Although high quality sound cards may produce a decent sound, most computers create a sound much like that which occurs when stepping on the family cat. (Note for animal lovers: We know how the stepped on cat sounds from accidents, not extensive testing.)

Another factor to consider is that not all browsers are created equal, and they do not handle all files — including MIDI files — the same way. Thus, different browsers may produce different results. While devotees of MIDI will disagree, the choice is up to the individual user. In other words, whatever trips your trigger is the rule.

• Real Audio: Good sound for streaming music, but it requires a sizeable player download. Real Audio plays the file as it downloads it, but play can be interrupted by pauses for "buffering," waiting on the file to continue.
• Quicktime: Not much different than Real Audio.
• MOD: Features qualities of .MIDI and .WAV, and players can be found for it throughout the internet.

With most any of these formats, music software is available to manipulate it as desired. My company tends to use Flash files with .WAV files included. Before putting the .WAV file into the Flash, we use a program called Cool Edit 2000 to alter them as needed. That same program is the one we use to edit full length digital recordings when we make demo CDs for singers and bands.

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