The profiliation of technologies such as Flash, combined with the growing feature sets of the web browser and widespread adoption of broadband, have really transformed the web over the past ten years. Whereas previously web pages were mostly static, with conservative use of images and minimal animation; the web of 2008 is a visual and aural extravaganza.
Aside from an additional layer of visual richness and interactivity, web publishers are increasingly relying on video and audio in order to connect with visitors on both a rational and emotional level.
Broadcasters and news agencies have long been the pioneers in this space. If we take the BBC as an example, their online services have evolved from RealPlayer clips attatched to news articles, to streaming radio, to the iPlayer, a web or desktop based means of streaming radio and television programmes after they have aired. As technology has evolved, the BBC has also followed, recently adopting Flash as the delivery mechanism - a much more ubiquious and flexible solution compared to the ever-so-slightly-old-in-the-tooth RealPlayer. In fact, today audio/video is the only way some news stories and features can be experienced - a sign that this is becoming a mainstream expectation among users.
Part of what has been responsible for this mainstream acceptance of video is in no small part due to social sites such as YouTube - growing communities around the concept of creating and sharing video content. Television networks and movie studio's have also embraced this medium both for making regular content such as TV episodes and trailers available, producing web-only interviews, documentaries and "webisodes"; and by specific viral marketing campaigns.
Marketers have embraced the likes of YouTube as an additional marketing channel, where one can generate buzz around a product.
What all this goes to show is that with the careful combination of the visual and the aural, incredible experiences can be created and user engagement can be taken to the next level. It can compliment existing content as is the case with BBC News, or it can often stand on its own.
Technology has also been an enabling feature - once in an environment of several competing and non-compatible plug-in technologies it was frustrating just to begin the process of watching a video or listening to a piece of music. Today, this is less of an issue with the majority of web video being made available using Adobe Flash or Quicktime - both boasting a high install base and seamless integration with the web browser.
Sound: The Red-headed Stepchild
In many ways, this is paradoxical given the rise and very rapid fall of one "feature" of the web. Does anyone remember back in the 1990's when you would visit a website and be greeted with an exceptionally loud sound, jingle or other device. Usually it would scare the hell out of you, sending you scrambling for the mute button. Most companies soon got the idea and realized that this kind of "sonic branding" was a bad idea (and others are living in
blissful ignorance).
Why did this fail when at the same time multi-media took off? There are several reasons, the first being that in many ways surfing the web is a private, contemplative, experience - it is akin to reading a book. The user is often in a focused state of mind, and to interrupt them is a jarring experience similar to how interruptions during the working day have been proven to have a negative impact on productivity.
Imagine if you were forced to listen to a soundtrack as you read the latest Harry Potter novel! Or the sense of intrusion which you get when your favorite iTunes track is interrupted by a web page with obnoxious theme music.
The user does not want to be surprised, and this becomes even more important when we consider the context as to where people are using the internet - more often than not at work, where it could cause embarrassment if co-workers knew what they are up to. Perhaps they are at home, with a sleeping child, where it would cause frustrating if a virtual marching band caused the child to wake up.
Even if the initial surprise was acceptable, online audio branding faces another challenge - how does the user feel on repeat listening? If someone is visiting a website on a regular basis, it is a sure bet that over time any "theme music" may become annoying and become a reverse-branding play.
Another more recent problem is the user being unable to associate the sound with the web page (or brand). All modern browsers support tabbed browsing, leading to the behavior of many users to queue up several pages in multiple tabs and then processing the content. If a page in one of the closed tabs starts to play audio, the user will either associate it (and all their feelings toward it) with the currently open tab, or engage in a frantic game of hide and seek as they rush to kill the offending sound.
Following this theme of disconnected audio, another thing to watch out for is misassociation with advertising banners or other elements which may also be animating on the page and causing the user to draw the mental connection.
When does it sound good?
Recognizing some of the fundamental usability and user experience issues associated with a musical web, are there any times when it is appropriate? The answer is yes.
Audio and Video - A Match Made in Heaven
Obviously, audio goes hand in hand with video content. When a sound is played, it is natural human behavior to associate it with moving objects (animation or video) or the most current interaction (opening a page, clicking a button).
Good, Sound, Experience Design
When you are not dealing with video content, it is important to consider how sound is going to integrate with an experience - will it be synced with animation, or triggered when a user clicks a button? Its important to avoid simply adding a sound to a page without considering how it will be perceived, and what events it will be associated with. For example, simply tacking an MP3 onto an
onLoad event will likely not present a good experience.
Notifications
Sound can be a powerful tool when it comes to notifications, as can be seen by its use within the operating system - whether to signify a system error or an incoming email, it can instantly communicate changes in state to the user. On the web this is certainly still the case, with Google Mail and Facebook's chat facility providing excellent examples of this. A short, distinctive beep is used to alert the user to a new message.
When using sound for notifications on the web, it is worth taking a step back and considering what you are notifying a user and if it is really necessary. Is it an event which demands the user's immediate attention, or can it wait until later? For example, do you really need to notify the user that they have just clicked a button? There is a limit on the number of short distinctive beeps one can process, and they should be kept for signifying activity which occurs whilst a user may have their browser window in the background.
Giving Back Control
Going back to why websites tend not to have theme tunes, many users dislike not being in control and dislike unexpected surprises. Whilst a user watching a video on YouTube expects to hear sound, someone logging onto their bank's website may not.
Where possible, best practice is to ensure that all audio (and visual) content is user initiated.
A Kill Switch
Whilst many of these strategies may help you best add sound to an experience, there is still the chance that the user may not want or desire it to be part of an experience. This is more often the case when we consider theme music or notifications.
Always provide a mute button.
Sanity Check
Finally, ask yourself, how does audio enhance the user experience of my website? Alongside video this may be a no brainer, but if you do not have a compelling answer then that should be an instant warning sign.
Could a sound be misinterpreted? An example might be using a
ka-ching sound on the checkout page of an e-commerce site. Whilst it may evoke the emotional feelings of a transaction, it could also convey the undesired feeling that someone is being ripped off.
In the case of theme music or notifications, does the audio have the potential to sound annoying? How about if you had to listen to it hourly?
