Using Music on your ProBoard

[EelKat]

May 26, 2009 23:45:20 GMT -8 Artemis said:

Many sites, regardless of their type, have added play lists or other forms of music players to their sites. These players sometimes consist of music that is either picked out by the staff team themselves, or music that the members were able to state that they would like to hear.

While the idea of having a music player on a site can be considered a great idea, especially if it increases a person’s muse or writing ability, there are some drawbacks to the idea. Sometimes, when the person creating the play list isn’t familiar with site that they’re getting the player from, they’re more likely to put the player on the default settings, which can sometimes include auto play. This simple error can cause issues with not only members but potential members and guests as well. Not only does the music interfere with any music the guest or member might be listening to, it also can turn them away if it’s something they don’t like. For example, Jane Doe might visit a Harry Potter forum and hear Metallica, which isn’t something she likes so instead of joining, she closes out of the site. And so in this case, the member is turned away from the other aspects the site might hold, and the site loses out on another member. It’s a lose/lose situation for both in this case.

Having music players on a site, however, can have some good aspects. If used properly on a roleplaying site, it can help the roleplayer‘s ability to connect with their character if they‘re allowed to give input as to what music would be on the player. If it‘s set to not automatically play every time the page is loaded, then it‘s more likely that no one can get upset by it, and the staff team won‘t have to deal with the increased irritation of members and potential members. Either way though, music players can help and/or destroy a site.

What are your opinions on this subject?

I have never personally used one on any of my forums, none of them fit with that sort of thing.

However, I do like the idea of them, and think it is a great thing to add if appropriate for your site.

BUT: I really, really, really, REALLY HATE it when I open a web site and music comes blaring into my headphones! It's especially annoying when it happens why I'm listening to music already and my computer crashes because it gets confused over playing both at the same time. I do not like music players that are set to autoplay. It'll cause me to close the site and never go back, rather than scroll up and down the page trying to find a way to turn off the music.

Also sticking the thing in your header right at the top of the page is rather annoying. When I open a site the first thing I expect to see is a banner and the nava links, not some big music player! It belongs in the footer underneath and at the bottom of the forum, out of the way, out of sight, and out of mind....the music should be part of the background not the main theme of the site - unless of course you are a musician and the whole point of the site IS your music, than I expect the music player to be at the top, but that's the only time I would expect to see it there.

If I see the music player, and I WANT to listen to it, I'll turn it on in my own sweet time.

But yeaah, as long as the settings are not on autoplay, I don't mind sites having music added.

[Mike]

I say no to music on sites. The majority of people on forum sites jump around to much and since the music shuts off every time you jump it starts all over again. Big waste of time and coding.

[Exxie (currently a Nomad)]

I hate music on a forum because it just reminds me of something I don't have. I'm in love with music and love to explore new tastes. However, I'm on dial-up internet (yes I know I'm stuck in the dinosaur age - I can't help it) and music doesn't load (at least not in the first hour or two XD ). Having a music player just reminds me of what I can't have, and slows the page down to crawl-speed to boot.

[Rosa Calica]

I say no to that. The people that want music on while they write up a post will play it themselves on their own music player with no prompting. There doesn't need to be one installed on the site for them. They do it on their own, in a way that doesn't bother people.

[jig]

I say no to playlists because I'm almost always on pandora.com or youtube playing my own playlists I created. (Or listening to my CD player in the background) Also, I'm not restricted to the staff's choice in music. On my pandora and youtube playlists I can skip songs, stop music quickly if someone calls me and add/remove songs.
So it's a waste of time and coding.

[?Britt?]

I am definitely not a fan of music on forums. For one thing depending on the speed of the internet, it makes the site itself run ridiculously slowly. Also, like many have said before, if you’re switching from page to page it constantly starts over or changes.

On a personal note, I cannot listen to music while I’m trying to post. I get distracted. So constantly having to turn the music player off is a huge annoyance. To be honest I usually don’t join sites that have music players on auto-select for those specific reasons.

[steveliddle]

imagine coming across your forum at work and you do not realise the speakers are on, you are supposed to be working and suddenly everyone realises that you are not

some people are on really slow internet or even dialup, eg those who live in the countryside miles from the nearest town, music on a forum will kill their use of that forum due to bandwidth issues

[Krakarot]

Autoplay is the problem, not the player itself.

Depending on the setting, I actually might prefer having music built into the board. Just so long as auto play is off, everything's good. Then you can simply leave one tab open playing music, and conduct your readings and writings in another tab. Especially in a RP board where the music would fit the theme of the board.

[Professor Munchlax]

I've always wished I could have music on my forums, but every time I've tried the music has slowed down loading times almost irreparably. So until I can find an efficient way to include music without lengthening loading times, I'm afraid I just can't include it when the cost is so great.

[Tsoa]

Exactly how would I put a music player on my forum?

[🎶Sossity🎶]

Jan 25, 2012 8:50:44 GMT -8 Tsoa said:

Exactly how would I put a music player on my forum?

Hi

Please place all such queries on the support board

For queries about coding, please post on the code support/request board.

To ensure you are posting in the correct place, and following the criteria, it is important that you check the rules of all the boards, prior to posting.

Thanks.

[SelBear]

I have never joined a site that has a music player on the site. It interferes with what I do on my computer, creating and playing music. I have noticed more often than not that site creators do not know how to work the players and every site I have ever been on has it on instant play, so not only when I'm trying to look at the site, every time I go to a new page the music starts back up. It's very bothersome. If people who put up a player on their site they should know how to work it or learn to work the settings before putting it up. It's not the player itself but it does bother me when sites have players on them.

[Captain Ron]

I generally don't think music is a good idea on a forum. If it autoplayed, I would close it immediately. I cannot stand any websites that play sounds or music automatically. There are too many circumstances in which music would only serve to annoy and irritate people. I would say that it is only acceptable if the playlist opens in a separate window and the user has control over when it starts playing, the volume, etc. For my own site, I think it would be a neat addition to have a playlist of early-mid twentieth century music to enhance and contribute to the atmosphere I'm trying to create, but I just don't think enough people would use it for it to be worth setting up.

[kimchugli]

how can it possible i want to Custom Web Applications and also want music in this application with others system.

[steveliddle]

would probably block an autostart forum, some people are still on dialup and should someone be browsing at work, even during lunch time, they might never come back to one with music on it