If you have done enough fanfic readings on this site yet, you have probably seen this before: a writer trying to set the mood for a scene by linking a song in the writing or (shudder) embedding a youtube video. You see this mostly in Vinyl stories; some of them even do fairly well as far as ratings go.

But I can't stand this personally. It screams a lack of creativity and is often times just distracting.

That said, I can understand it somewhat. We get inspiration from different things, and music is a big one. A scene I planned out, but haven't written, has Luna dancing by herself in the castle ballroom, a scene inspired mostly by Makkon's Hallowed Waltz and little bit of the ballroom scene from Anastaia.

Even so, I wouldn't detract from my story by placing the song in the middle of the writing. At most I would put where my inspiration came from in the author's notes, maybe with a link.

What do you think? Is linking and embedding music just another way to put creativity into a story, or is it an annoyance that ruins a story for you?

I guess it depends on usage. In one of my stories, I have a character who sings a few bars of popular songs and I link to the song to source it.

I've done it only once, and I embedded the link in a single word that is easily ignorable, were you not to be of that persuasion.

I do it to help with the reader get what song I have the characters singing. After all I get annoyed when they play a song and I cant do an appropiate music for it to set the scene. I also mainly do it for fight scenarios to get the mood pumping

824951 Like everything, it has to be applied right. For instance, in my own The Toaster of the Gods I inserted a certain musical piece at just the right moment. However, containing more than two music links usually is a bad idea, unless the story is loooong. Like, SS&E long.

824951 I did the same thing as 824957 and it's only really so you know what the character is referring to, because most people probably wouldn't know of it.

As to whether it's annoying or artistic, like everything it can be good in moderation. It should probably be good music, or if it's something obscure that just simply saying the name of doesn't give people an idea of the song.

So, it depends.

I don't use music links, and when I see them pop up in a story, I don't click them. The writing, in my humble opinion, needs to be able to stand on its own without things like music links. I wouldn't say it ruins the story for me, I just ignore them.

It depends on the fic and how the writers use it.

What I CAN'T STAND is someone just copypasting LYRICS into their fic. Good lordy does that irk me.

Okay maybe if it's just a few lines and its meant as a callback or something, but an entire page taken up by just LYRICS?!?!?!?!?!

/rage mode activate

In one of my stories, Death sings Sufjan Stevens. I simply gave the song name in the notes.

824957 You pretty much wrote down my answer to a tee.

I have one fic where I make a point of having a bit of action music in each chapter, because it's a straight-up adventure fiction with Daring Do. I make sure that the link is also just one word, I realize that people often have their own music when they read, but I just figured for those that didn't or those who want to know what I listened to when writing a scene, they might find it as a neat little Easter egg.

If it's just a song out of nowhere, to try to provide a movie-esque soundtrack, then it's a bad idea. They are fine, however, when there's actually a song playing in the story. A good example would be a scene where Octavia is playing a song, and the link is to a cello solo.

Music in fiction is a brilliant usage of the internet as a medium, but it should be used in context, to provide better context, and to improve the reader's immersion. If you're throwing a Guns 'n' Roses track in there because it would go well to a montage in a movie version of your fic, it's usually a sign that you should stop and rethink what you're doing.

Too many links is a no-go, too. If there is another link before the first one has finished playing and there has been no major scene transition in the meantime, that's too many. Going by what I said about immersion earlier, the track should run through, and the reader forget that the Youtube tab is even open. A good limit is not more than one or two (three is stretching it, four is right out) per chapter, and not every single chapter.

I think it depends on whether or not it fits the mood.

If a writer does provide link for music in the story, I usually finish reading, and then listen to the music and just take that time to think over the chapter.

You don't read a story to get a movie like sense, you read a story to, well, read it. Lyrics in a story can work, but not when trying to force some soundtrack that doesn't even fit the mood of the situation. Now that gets annoying, especially when the writer provides a link to the song.

I didn't link to a song within the only story of mine that includes a song, instead just lyrics with a link placed elsewhere. Twi was singing, though it wasn't entirely lyrics.

I like it if played for comedy. Dresden Fillies: False Masks has a bit where Pinkie is doing a lawyer-y thing, and he links several Phoenix Wright songs. Even nor knowing that material I found the passage hilarious.

I typically just ignore the links. Usually that means the scene fails, because they're counting on using that music for setting the mood or otherwise fleshing out the scene, leaving it a bit lacking.

Then again, you've got ones like March to the Scaffold, in which each chapter is themed off a piece of music (And includes a link to it in notes), but doesn't actually need that music to work. Mainly it's because it's a matter of inspiration (good) rather than being a part of the narrative (Not so good).

The embedded Youtube links, though? Yeah, that's the worst. I've read a story where it felt like half the chapter length for some chapters was simply embedded Youtube videos of music the main character was supposed to be playing. No attempt to work it into the narrative, just "He started to play a song:" *VIDEO*

It depends on how it is used and why. In my naruto crossover story, I use themes from the show to be out into fight scenes or other important moments that help match the mood of whatever is happening; high fast themes for action, or slow and emotional themes for sad moments

background music is ok, but if you make your character sing, don't pick a youtube song>>824951

I find the music links to be an intriguing little addition to a scene, but that's probably because I adore music and finding new songs to listen to for my own inspiration.

Like many people here have already said, it all depends on the scene and what the story calls for, and it's good practice to insert a tiny link. I won't be adding any of my own music to my stories anytime soon, but... well, yeah. Everyone above said it.

I don't have much opinion on it one way of another. I usually just ignore them.

What does bother me though is that when they are used, they are often used A LOT. Instead of a one time thing, you'll see several throughout the story, sometimes same chapter. There's no reason to do that.

Incredibly annoying. Especially when you're on an iPad.

825080

I know, and I think they work really well. The fact that they are, in most cases, the actual Akatsuki themes certainly helps there.

I was going to link to a version of You Are My Sunshine in my fic, since two characters sing it to another, but I couldn't find the version that I wanted (WIlliam Shatner singing it to Shirley Schmidt in Boston Legal, because it was at the appropriate slow pace) so I ended up not. I still plan on doing it at some point.

In a non-ponyfic, Code Geass Lelouch of Britannia, the author sometimes notes at the chapter end what music he feels would fit certain scenes. Some of it is obvious (With Your XXX being used for the scene of Viletta at Kewell's memorial) but it's still pretty effective.

Given one of my stories takes place in a videogame world, that to me would be acceptable. If it fits, it's cool. If not, it sucks.

I'm really not a fan of using music because I've seen too many writers use it as a crutch. They think they can set a mood or tone by plugging in a quick tune when such things should be done through the writing itself. That said, if the writer does a good job with the writing part, I don't mind supplemental tunes, though I don't usually listen to them. As long as the song doesn't take away from the story and isn't used to cover up weak writing or (worse) as an excuse to be a lazy writer, I don't usually mind.

Well I think this has been answered rather well, I have one thing to say though, I personally have certain soundtracks that I read to, depending on the type of story, but none of the songs in these soundtracks have lyrics, if I come across a link to a song in a story that I know is going to have lyrics, I will ignore it and go back to it later. like other people are saying, it all depends on the setting of the story and if you feel that a song is absolutely necessary to set the mood.

I usually ignore it. When I read, chances are I've got my own music going already, and stopping that song to start a new one is just too much effort.

As for myself, I've only used music once, at the end of first story. I took a song I heard on the radio, completely rewrote the lyrics, and then had a character sing it. I kept jumping back and forth between the character singing and another event taking place in a completely different area, trying to give the feeling of the song playing over the scene. Afterwards, I named the original song in the author's notes.

It was a lot of work, but it was pretty fun as well. I've never seen anything like it done in another story, though.

My story uses a musical theme or two in nearly every chapter to set atmosphere. I even used some songs in two of them and came up with new lyrics or just reworked them a little. ^ ^

I don't mind it, as long as its not a ton of embedded vids. V-pony uses them quite a bit in Blue Angel, but they fit where he uses them. Generally, I do not bother clicking the links, because I find the music not really needed, where as the story is that well done. Just the same, some readers like the added music, and I have done so once in one of my stories. I will probably do so at least three more times in the one fic I have done this in.

824951

Depends on the reason why they are provided. If fiction involves some kind of song or melody being performed, then making a footnote with a link is a reasonable gesture.

However, when author sets about "Listen to this and now this and now that, none of those have any relevance to text whatsoever but I was listening to them while writing and it sounds really cool and I`m all hyped up about stuffing my text chock-full of links and oooo, shiny!", then it`s annoying.

824951

I use to embed/link music. Now, I only do audio files of a certain character's voice. In the next fic I'm writing, I link the voice track to the main character's voice to give the reader an idea of how he sounds - since he's narrating it all. Self-narration, you can't describe your own voice.

I'd say save the videos for the A/N, preferably the links too. If you absolutely must link something in the body, do it with a single, unobtrusive word that doesn't completely shatter the flow.

The answer is a big "no".

Like autoplay on a blog, music links in a story are just annoying.

I did it once, in a short story about sisterly troubles between Sweetie Belle and Rarity. Basically they both started singing the lyrics of 'Sister Hate' by The Living Tombstone. I didn't really do it to set any mood, I just wanted to link it so people knew what I was referencing.

I don't mind it and in fact I once did a reading of a parody scientific document about about BRON-E being a dangerous virus that would spread the horror of love and tolerance to the world. In that document the writer recommended a song to listen to while reading it, so I actually put the track in my recording.

I wrote a new chapter to my story Element Seven just now and left the links to the songs used in the story by that point in the author's comments, where they should be.

Music links can help people have a much better visualization of the scene and better connect with it, as well as help authors who have a worse sense of bringing their readers in with words than others. It can be annoying when there's a whole video thumbnail on the page interrupting the flow, but if you put a hotlink within a certain set of words (e.g. the start of the paragraph where the mood is presented), then it provides for a much better experience without that interruption to take anything away. I myself am tempted to start using such a method within my own writing in the future.

I guess they're okay for fanfiction...

Honestly, I tend to dislike links and colored text in stories, which seem like gimmicks. Let the writing itself carry the mood.

I was considering adding links to music as hyperlinks posted as one word of the story. For most important battles mostly, as music with lyrics that actually illustrate the situation or character's point of view like "I'm my own Master now". Theme from Metal Gear Rising Revengeance.

The way I see it, hyperlinks to music should only be used if, y'know the song has some relation to the story's theme or a certain moment, or if the character themselves are actually singing it themselves (and even then, just a small section of the songs lyrics can be acceptable). Admittedly, I'm using music in my current fic, but largely because it's a music-based fic. I'm not talking like a song a paragraph, but only if it calls for it in a chapter. If you're doing an adventure or slice of life fic, you really don't need actual music, and if want to use a specific song, small snippets of the lyrics can do the job (unless, of course, if the song is instrumental, but hey ;P).

I dislike it, but not so much because the author is using it as a crutch and their writing won't stand up on it's own, although that is sometimes the case. The main reason it annoys me is that my internet connection isn't fast enough to actually stream the video, so I feel like I'm missing out on the full experience the author was intending to create.

There are times when a song is perfectly appropriate to have in the story, but unless a character is playing, singing, or listening to that song, those times are very rare.

The Order of Koaxia pulls it off extremely well, IMO. The author's choice of music fits the amount of time it takes you to read it (at a moderate pace). I like music in stories, simply because it helps stimulate my imagination more and helps spur the scene into life in my head. Don't know if anyone else has the same thing, but if I'm reading a good quality story and listen to music at the same time, it becomes a film in its own right in my head.

Plus, check the story out. I didn't write it, but I most certainly do recommend it.

If you got the means to add another input to your story, why shouldn't you use it? Sure, music has to be used correctly, the same as any other writing/creative media but just flat out denying yourself a sort of expression is just plain regressive.

I personally don't like it when music turns up all of a sudden, mainly because, for me at least, it throws of my focus on the story as I feel the urgent need to click it. Then I shut down the music immediately, I tend to feel that a good story itself is more capable of inflicting emotions if I don't have to focus on the music while reading it.

824951 Personally I think it should only be used when a character is signing lyrics that exist from a song, or is hearing lyrics from a song. Other than that, I just ignore them.

824951
Pretty much against the idea entirely. For four main reasons:

For one, it assumes that you can actually listen to said thing where you are. I do most of my FiMFiction reading either at work, or on downloaded e-book versions. So, it's all useless to me.

For two, actually tying to sync a scene to music is absurd. People read at different rates. As a pretty quick reader, chances are I'll be off in some entirely different scene, with different emotional resonance, long before said music is over. Others might be only part way through when the song ends. And they have to go break immersion to leave and start it up again.

For three, most of the time, it's used as a crutch, not an addition. That's why the phenomenon is more or less linked to... iffy writing. Too often it's basically: 'I can't be bothered to add emotion to my own fic, so here's a song to add it for me!'

And fourth, tastes in music are radically different. What some people might think is a really cool song for their climax might just be making someone cringe.

Could it be done well? Probably.
Is it, usually? No.
Can everyone even potentially experience it? No.

I can ignore links, so I don't mind those. However, music links are one of the little yellow flags that puts me on edge about continuing with a story. More often than not, I find the addition of music to be distracting when I'm reading. Songs and music work great in a TV show because TV is primarily an audio/visual medium. Written text is not, and trying to shoehorn music into a text medium almost never ends well.

Youtube embeds can go jump in a deep lake with concrete shoes.

824951

Autistically Artistic.

824951
I'm fine with looking up artwork to a fic after reading it, but in this case, it's a different experience, I'm not looking up artwork to supplement my reading experience, I'm looking up artwork because I had a good reading experience. and want to see the characters in other media.

The practice of using music or artwork to supplement a scene, usually feels like the author doesn't know which media that their story is in. Visual media, where music would be relevant, is not the same as literature.

The mood should be conveyed in the writing. I understand that many of us imagine scenes in the shower, exactly as they would play out in a movie, but we aren't writing a movie, or an anime, for that matter.

I am inspired by music to write certain scenes, but I try to write in a manner that conveys that same emotion. If I'm listening to Disturbed, Dimmu Borgir, or some classic metal, then I'm probably going to write an action-sequence. I never have, or never will give a rat's ass about an author's musical influences.

I don't like lyrics either. Cut it out.

3220676

I know some autistic writers, and I have no idea what this even means.

3220676 This thread is over a year old, what are you doing here!?

3220698

Chaos and despair.