To beep or not to beep? That is the question many creative directors and marketing strategists are trying to answer these days. First it was text, then graphics, and now sound. The rapid evolution of Web technology offers more dazzling site features by the minute. But depending on how each new option is applied, it could be a boon or a bomb. The inclusion of sound on a Web site is certainly no exception.

While the vast majority of Web sites employ highly effective visual and interface designs, the choice of whether or not to incorporate sound still poses vexing problems. When does sound enhance a user’s experience and when does it detract from it? Should a site incorporate streaming media or give people the option to download sounds? These are just two of the many issues facing Internet communication strategists when deciding how best to use sound.

It’s still the wild west of options out there, where no particular protocol has won the industry standard "shootout" yet. One thing seems clear, however. At some point in the not too distant future, many speculate that silent sites will get skipped over like a muted TV channel that’s suffering technical difficulties.

The mix of sight and sound

How much sound should a site use? "At this point in time, I generally believe that sound should be used sparingly," says David Balfe, managing director for UK-based Voicebank (www.voicebank.ie), a virtual warehouse of voices for hire. "No matter what system you use, audio takes time to load. Unwanted music and chat can be annoying, unless it is really relevant to what is going on visually."

If background audio is added properly, viewers lose their awareness of it while their attention is drawn to the visuals. But sound can also form and direct a user’s emotional mindset. Consider the image of a grizzly bear rearing up, mouth agape and teeth flashing. Add a mighty roar and the image is fearsome. Add a mighty belch and the image is hilarious. The same principle applies to music and interactive tones. Selecting the right sound is as important as selecting the right imagery. The sound must carry the intended tone of the site.

Tom Stevenson, director of online marketing and e-commerce for Bacardi Global Brands, says that the sound that is incorporated into a site must be a reflection of the brand. "In the case of martini .com (www.martini.com), it’s associated with a relaxed lifestyle, a moment of pause during the day. The music is intended to be reflective of that less serious moment or more introspective moment. It should reflect the relaxed part of the day."

Which sound delivery tool Is best?

With so many ways to deliver sound to viewers, how do you determine which one is most effective? "For me, the most effective is MP3, because it offers the best proportion between loading time and sound quality," says Matthias Wittner, a project manager for German audio content provider Musicube (www.musicube.de). "But this might change in the future, because 44.1kHz, 16-bit WAV is still the better sound. If we create music for high-impact Flash films, we prefer streaming audio in Flash because it’s the only way to synchronize audio and visual."

To answer the question for yourself of how best to deliver sound, it’s important to determine what the sound is ultimately going to do for the end user. If it’s ambient background noise for a still site, RealAudio, Liquid Audio and Windows Media Player deliver consistent, MP3-quality sound. But if sound is meant for offline play, WAV, AIFF or AU offers the finest sound quality.

While the effect of sound on the user is paramount, a site’s infrastructure can also become an important factor when choosing how to deliver audio. "We use Lotus Notes within the internal organization and we have a firewall that has problems with RealAudio," Bacardi’s Stevenson says. "Shockwave allows everyone within our organization to see the site. That’s important. People can only become evangelists of the site when they can see the site and fully experience it. We didn’t think there was a huge negative impact in that choice."

Fast forward

Over the next few years, as the use of DSL and cable modems grows, and 56K fades as a distant memory, MP3 files could become the norm for real-time streaming audio. "That would basically mean near-CD quality music instantly streaming to your computer via the Web. Wouldn’t that be nice?" asks Matt Friedman, the creator and owner of The Vintage Synth Explorer Web site (www.vin tagesynth.com).

Musicube’s Wittner looks even further into the future. "In the next year, voice-over will rise to the forefront and might replace written text in the next three years," he muses. "Also we will have a lot more of this looped music, but after a while people will understand that music has to breathe to unfold its beauty and power." P

Anistatia R. Miller and Jared M. Brown are the authors of What Logos Do and How They Do It (Rockport Publishers). They live in New York.