Why do people ruin their video with music?

jonbeeza

jonbeeza

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I tend to watch a lot of YouTube videos, there are a lot of great videos on there, but most are ruined by music.
Why do people always stick silly music over their video? Most of the time it adds nothing, and at other times it can be hard to hear what is being said.

I would much rather watch a video without music, as I would like to hear the natural sounds of the environment.
Whenever I view a video, if there is music on it I skip past that video.
 
I sometimes wonder how many Youtubers actually critically review their offerings with regard to both content and production before hitting the 'Upload' button.

Yours,
Senior Member, GOM Surrey Branch :D
 
jonbeeza said:
I tend to watch a lot of YouTube videos, there are a lot of great videos on there, but most are ruined by music.
Why do people always stick silly music over their video? Most of the time it adds nothing, and at other times it can be hard to hear what is being said.

I would much rather watch a video without music, as I would like to hear the natural sounds of the environment.
Whenever I view a video, if there is music on it I skip past that video.
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I agree ,puts me off watching the whole video if its drowning out the speaker.poor production
 
Anyone got any examples?

Most of the YT vids I watch are music vids, and secondly, camera gear/photography:

Matti, Gareth, Peter, Joseph, Marlene, Samuel, James, Jamie, Kai etc. None have loud music. I don't think.
 
It's widespread. Why do people do it - well it probably parallels why they take photos / videos in the first place - ie essentially because they can.

But there's an existing culture that arose in broadcast media (film & telly) of avoiding silence - perhaps the psychology is to do with claiming the viewers attention even if it's with irrelevant material - and much soundtrack is superfluous. I suspect that amateur videographers mimic this. It probably makes them feel 'professional'.
 
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ancient_mariner said:
Music choices require more care and consideration than many give them (and setting levels seems a mystery to many too)
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This.

I have started to just stop watching videos that have the lo-fi vintage boombox soundtrack plastered across them. Apart from Grainydays... He makes a joke of it :)
 
I think we watch different videos. Some I watch have music but it doesn't dominate and helps fill in the gaps between the talkie bits... Music choice is good.

GOM SW London branch,.
 
I was watching one video the other day, and as the video started there was no sound, I turned up the volume. Then they started with the music, you know the kind of video, when they delay the music slightly, then bring it in all of a sudden. I nearly shat myself, as it was that very loud heavy metal music, you know the kind, when the fellas roar loudly, and the guitar riff comes blasting in. There are one or two heavy metal tracks that I do like, but not over a car or camera or other review, and at 7am in the morning. ;)
 
artyman said:
It depends if the music is appropriate, I've used it in some of mine. At the start of this one for instance
Watercress Line Autumn Gala 2011
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Watched the into, makes me think of some soap Mrs d00d is watching on Netflix; Morocco: Love in Times of War

Made in Spanish, badly dubbed in English. There seems to be one soundtrack and constant orchestral music fills in for all BG sounds. Dire.
 
d00d said:
Anyone got any examples?

Most of the YT vids I watch are music vids, and secondly, camera gear/photography:

Matti, Gareth, Peter, Joseph, Marlene, Samuel, James, Jamie, Kai etc. None have loud music. I don't think.
Click to expand...


This Fujifilm X100 review, I found a bit irritating. I want to hear what he is saying, but the music put me off.

This is by no means a very bad example, just a niggle that is hard for my brain to handle.

There really was no need for him to add music. Or at least that is how I feel, others may feel different.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HktGFvMKGk0
 
pukkagen said:
Music is the key to creativity, once you are @ loggerheads with such, walk plank, cease breath. Or merely converse @ geriatric forums.


View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NJDWd91nlI4
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Obviously music can work with films and the suchlike, to help with suspense and other various emotions. But I really don't think it helps with most home movies, and video reviews, when we are trying to listen to specifications and the such like. As all this info tends to get drowned out, by loud and very intrusive music.
 
I agree with you Jon. It puts me straight off and the video doesn't get watched. Being a GOM myself and having to use hearing aids adds to the discomfort and irritation too. ;)

Thankfully, most aren't like this and in my experience the ones that are, were never worth watching anyway.
 
Sky said:
I agree with you Jon. It puts me straight off and the video doesn't get watched. Being a GOM myself and having to use hearing aids adds to the discomfort and irritation too. ;)

Thankfully, most aren't like this and in my experience the ones that are, were never worth watching anyway.
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Some say simply mute the sound, but then you miss all the review. :)
 
jonbeeza said:
I tend to watch a lot of YouTube videos, there are a lot of great videos on there, but most are ruined by music.
Why do people always stick silly music over their video? Most of the time it adds nothing, and at other times it can be hard to hear what is being said.

I would much rather watch a video without music, as I would like to hear the natural sounds of the environment.
Whenever I view a video, if there is music on it I skip past that video.
Click to expand...

I completely agree.

Most of the time the music adds nothing, but often detracts from the video, sometimes to the point of annoying.

I've been a powerlifter for over 20 years and with training videos it is often Death Metal style music, which maybe in the gym is fine for short periods, but not something I want to listen to for 10 minutes sitting at home watching a video.

Unfortunately I think a lot of people do it, because they see a lot of people do it, so they assume it is just the thing to be done, without actually thinking for themselves.

This then makes it the norm, and maybe videos without music seem 'strange' so people keep adding pointless sound tracks?

Even the faint background music can be very distracting from what is being said, especially if listening with headphones.
 
jonbeeza said:
This Fujifilm X100 review, I found a bit irritating. I want to hear what he is saying, but the music put me off.

This is by no means a very bad example, just a niggle that is hard for my brain to handle.

There really was no need for him to add music. Or at least that is how I feel, others may feel different.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HktGFvMKGk0
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This one I meant bloody irratating
 
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Nytol said:
I completely agree.

Most of the time the music adds nothing, but often detracts from the video, sometimes to the point of annoying.

I've been a powerlifter for over 20 years and with training videos it is often Death Metal style music, which maybe in the gym is fine for short periods, but not something I want to listen to for 10 minutes sitting at home watching a video.

Unfortunately I think a lot of people do it, because they see a lot of people do it, so they assume it is just the thing to be done, without actually thinking for themselves.

This then makes it the norm, and maybe videos without music seem 'strange' so people keep adding pointless sound tracks?

Even the faint background music can be very distracting from what is being said, especially if listening with headphones.
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When you say you’ve been a power lifter do you mean you shoot Canon lol.sorry had to post
 
Nytol said:
Unfortunately I think a lot of people do it, because they see a lot of people do it, so they assume it is just the thing to be done, without actually thinking for themselves.
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Yes. And this probably applies to lots of things besides!
 
I don't mind music in videos if it's suitable music played quietly during a time when no one is talking, as I think long silences can feel a bit awkward. My pet hate though is people who have the sound levels wrong so that you get really quiet talking which you have to turn up to hear, only to be deafened by music a few seconds later.
 
I'm afraid you're all being a bit sexist here and you can't save all this grumpiness for men only - I'd like to add myself in as a Grumpy Old Woman :LOL:

I have a hearing loss and it drives me bonkers when they play music over the narrative. At other times, it's fine, you can turn the volume down if you want.

I often use subtitles if they're available and I usually make a comment too if it's a problem - if their hearing is perfect then it won't have occurred to them that the music may lose them subscribers... and they want subscribers.
 
pukkagen said:
Music is the key to creativity, once you are @ loggerheads with such, walk plank, cease breath. Or merely converse @ geriatric forums.
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Music well chosen can be a key to creativity, but it can also dampen it or distract. Witless choice is worse than none at all. It might be fun to look at stormy landscapes with Ride of the Valkyrie playing, but not so much with the Flying Lizards cover of I Want Your Money.
 
I totally agree with you.
Many a time I've given up watching a video due to annoying and repetitive dance music.
 
Giblets said:
I sometimes wonder how many Youtubers actually critically review their offerings with regard to both content and production before hitting the 'Upload' button.

Yours,
Senior Member, GOM Surrey Branch :D
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Agree.

I sometimes think the author of the video switched on the camera about 2 seconds after first having the idea and without any thought about where the camera should be, what they are want to convey or how they are going to do it. Oddly enough they rarely forget to include music, as if putting music on a video instantly makes it a masterpiece.

I wonder if the same people go on online and type 25 lines of text without any paragraphs.

Dave
 
I particularly like the walk about videos, when the videographer treats us to a a lovely silky smooth video, done with a Gimbal of some sort, NO music just the sound of the street.
 
I hope Kylie Minogue (and Danii!), Kate Bush and the Spice Girls see this thread and take note...
 
Thread title makes no mention of camera reviews. ;)
 
droj said:
Yes. And this probably applies to lots of things besides!
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I genuinely think it is becoming that way for most things, and thinking for ones self is being actively discouraged with mocking lables and name calling :(
 
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