Web Usability - Background Music

Question

I personally loathe background music on a website. My client has opposite feelings on the subject. I added music because the customer is always right, though I'd like to revisit the subject with them.

Almost everyone would agree that it is annoying and wastes precious bandwidth but are there any usability studies or a recommendation for someone esteemed in the profession that can provide a valid argument against background music?

Answer 1

Usability is not the only concern. Consider the following scenarios:

1 - Someone browses to the site while at work in a shared office, and now all of their co-workers think "Gee, he's wasting time".

2 - Someone browses to the site while in a room with a sleeping baby, and now they have to spend an hour getting him/her back to sleep.

3 - Someone browses to the site while they are listening to their own music, and now they hear a cacaphony of shrieks until one source is muted.

Also, consider that any benefit gained from the music on your website will be totally lost on anyone who has their speakers muted. So your audience can be divided between:

A - People who cannot hear the music

B - People who can hear it, but do not like it

C - People who can hear it, and do like it

I would not care to estimate the percentages associated with each of these groups, but keep in mind that category "B" is actively offended by your website. To take a line from the hippocratic oath, one rule of web design should be "do no harm".