Because it is almost always annoying. >You probably recognize this situation: You’re surfing the web looking for inspiration, you click on some links, monitor your Twitter feed, and open pages in the background for later review. Suddenly your computer starts to scream! >It’s some rock song, very loud and unrecognizable because of it’s way-too-low bit rate. You don’t know where it’s coming from but you want it to stop immediately so you close all browser tabs and it’s quiet again. >Almost all people I ask about background music on websites tell me they find it totally annoying. A website just isn’t a thing you would expect to make any sound. **People often listen to music while browsing the web, there’s no room for an extra layer of sound**. >*There’s a difference between background music and interface sounds though*. I believe the right use of the right sounds can actually improve the user experience of a website. Source: [SOUND ON WEBSITES: A SENSITIVE SUBJECT](http://www.everydaylistening.com/articles/2009/6/15/sound-on-websites-a-sensitive-subject.html) [![enter image description here][1]][1] But if you need it or want it – here are a few tips on how to do it: > Using sound on your website [isn't always a good idea](http://www.everydaylistening.com/articles/2009/6/15/sound-on-websites-a-sensitive-subject.html). > In fact, it annoys people more often than not. This is probably caused > by the enormous amount of web sites containing crappy sounds. The > right use of sound though, can enhance the user experience. So if you > want to do it anyway, here's a list of 10 tips to make the experience > as pleasant as possible: > > - **No background music** A lot of people are listening to music while browsing the web. Don't interrupt them by playing music on your > website. For some sites the use of music might enhance the overall > experience, like web/sound-art and some specific sound-related web > sites, but don't do it without warning your visitor (see tip 3). If > you really want to give your website a continuous soundtrack, consider > using a background atmosphere (see tip 4). > - **No auto-play** If you decide to use music, don't have it start without the visitors' permission. If you ever opened an auto-playing > MySpace page in a new browser tab for later review, you know what I'm > talking about. And provide a mute-button: if a user doesn't like the > sound and there's no way to turn it off, he/she will leave your > website. > - **Unobtrusive interface sounds** Adding sounds to user-interface items can absolutely enhance the usability of your site. Try to keep > these sounds unobtrusive in a way that a user can still hear them, > even while listening to music, but without being disturbing while > browsing in a quiet environment. > - **Keep sounds short** A good way to prevent sounds from becoming annoying is by keeping them short. Imagine navigating a website with a > second-long sound playing for every link your mouse cursor touches, > that wouldn't be a pleasant experience, would it? > - **Use the right frequencies** The human ear is most sensitive to sounds between 1kHz and 5kHz, so if you want people to hear the > sounds, even on crappy laptop speakers set to low volumes, focus on > this frequency range. > - **Add extra functionality** Do it right or don't do it at all. If you decide to use sound on your website you can give it extra > functionality, more than just providing auditive feedback. Variations > in timbre and pitch of the sounds can be used to tell the user more > about the menu or the page he/she is browsing. > - **Make sound and design match** Try to create sounds which match the design of your site as close as possible. If your design is rather > futuristic, it would be strange to use very natural or recognizable > instrumental sounds. In this case abstract electronic sounds would > most probably complement the graphic design much better. > - **Care about the overall user experience** Don't just add sounds to your website because you think it's cool. Ask yourself what it means > to the user, and how it will improve the overall user experience. If > you don't find a clear answer to these questions, don't do it. Most > internet users still prefer web sites to be silent. Be precautious, > don't act like you don't care. Source: [10 TIPS FOR EFFECTIVE WEB SOUND DESIGN](http://www.everydaylistening.com/articles/2009/6/21/10-tips-for-effective-web-sound-design.html) [1]: https://i.sstatic.net/OeizF.jpg