by Effie Moore Salem

Created on: April 08, 2008   Last Updated: September 19, 2011

Installing background music in your web page is as easy as installing pictures. You select the the extension and upload to your site. In other words, you select your music file with the music extension Mid or one of the other acceptable extensions and upload this to your on line space where your web page is. It must be in the same file.

You go on line from some html source and find the correct coding and copy it. You can write it out yourself if you know html but it is far easier to copy it into your browser. In this way you will be sure it is correct.

You find the appropriate place in your web space html source where to paste the downloaded code. Be sure you place nothing in the head section of the html document except the code. Otherwise you not only won't get your music but you will mess up your web page. That's all there is to it if you are sure about what you are doing.

Note of caution: There is difference between music in the background which will play continually and music that you can switch on and off. You can fine the html code or the scripting language for both on line. Be sure, however, you get the same one. I lean toward music that can be turned on or off as opposed to background music. I find the latter distracting when I am researching.

A good html site will not only give you the necessary coding for each but will explain the coding to you. It has everything to do with how you assign the looping variable. If you fail to assign it a time limit or some other variable, it will go on and play indefinitely, which is exactly what background music is. The only way the visitor has of escaping it is to leave. And believe me, many will after a second or so.

When background music was first introduced to web pages they were fascinating for the web developers but aggravations for those who wanted to get to the information they sought quickly. Just getting on line took minutes and then having to wait several more minutes for the music to begin was too much. Having to be bothered with images was enough and then along came music.

It is really a very bad idea unless you are in the music business or if you are promoting your own album; othewise I cannot think of single reason a personal or a small web site would need one. If you are in the music business you will either be savvy enough to have and to know how to use the software or will have a someone do it for you. Dreamweaver with its Flash capabilities and Microsoft's Front Page and Coffecup are three that readily come to mind.

Of the three software packages that I mention above Coffeecup is probably the easier, and the least expensive. It is one of the oldest, if not the oldest html web page developing software available. The name Coffeecup was taken from their on-line site all about html. It was such a popular site and after many requests for help they developed he software. They have all kinds of other software addressing all kinds of web site needs.

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