1. Bright Shadow

    Bright Shadow Member

    Joined:
    Feb 24, 2011
    Messages:
    94
    Likes Received:
    7

    Could an ebook come with a soundtrack?

    Discussion in 'Electronic Publishing' started by Bright Shadow, Oct 29, 2013.

    Not something I'm considering doing, just wondering:
    I have music and my ebooks on Kindle fire and I couldn't help but wonder if some time in the near future there will be deluxe editions of ebooks with soundtracks included that could be downloaded. It would be a nice little perk, with a track for each chapter. I wonder if anybody else has thought of this. Granted, probably only bestsellers would do it but still, it would be an awesome bonus...I could easily imagine some eery ambient music with a Lovecraft style novel.
     
  2. mammamaia

    mammamaia nit-picker-in-chief Contributor

    Joined:
    Nov 21, 2006
    Messages:
    19,150
    Likes Received:
    1,034
    Location:
    Coquille, Oregon
    an intriguing concept... don't know if i'd like to read to music, though. so if you can do it someday, be sure to make it optional...
     
  3. NigeTheHat

    NigeTheHat Contributor Contributor

    Joined:
    Nov 20, 2008
    Messages:
    1,594
    Likes Received:
    1,776
    Location:
    London
    Sure, why not?

    It's been done a couple of times before - I remember there was a book/album joint-release last year, where they were meant to make up one overall work, though I'm damned if I can remember the name. I think wolves were involved. Trying to find it turned up Monocyte, which is an indie graphic novel with accompanying soundtrack. Still hardly common, though, and a fun concept.
     
  4. Sylvia G.

    Sylvia G. New Member

    Joined:
    Nov 3, 2013
    Messages:
    20
    Likes Received:
    11
    This is an interesting idea. I have a blog, with optional music attached. I think it definitely adds a dimension to your work.
    The blog is designed so readers don't have the music forced on them, but can choose whether to play it or not. I decided on that option, because some websites I go on throw music at me and give me no choice, and that can be a bit off-putting sometimes.
     
  5. Brian Pinon

    Brian Pinon New Member

    Joined:
    Aug 22, 2013
    Messages:
    1
    Likes Received:
    0
    It is already possible. Most of the current formats could support something of this nature. However I'm of the opinion that many of the eBook enhancements really are distractions from the story (for fiction). Embedded media is more likely to take you out of the story, than to immerse you in it.
     
  6. JayG

    JayG Banned Contributor

    Joined:
    Sep 27, 2013
    Messages:
    640
    Likes Received:
    360
    Location:
    Philadelphia PA
    I can't see it working, because how fast the customer reads is unpredictable, so the music can't be eyed to the mood of the action, meaningfully. It might be playing chase music while the reader is still having breakfast with the protagonist.

    Remember, a chapter isn't a scene. It could be part of one or contain several. And since scenes have rising tension throughout it's impossible to key the music to the reading in the way a film can.
     
  7. tungsten

    tungsten New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 2, 2014
    Messages:
    1
    Likes Received:
    0
    I had pondered about that question for some time and then given up on it as I am writing to pre-existent music and would never be able to sort out the copyright issues (not to mention a price to cover the proceedings). From the technical point of view it is feasible. I do not know whether anything like that is available for Kindle, but at the "iBooks Store" you can get Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" for free as a so called "enhanced version" which includes "LibriVox" recordings of volunteers reading out the text for each chapter.
    As to the notion of chapters vs. scenes: A book might be edited to fit the needs of a soundtrack, like being cut to shorter scenes so that an ambient loop might fit a whole scene. That might even be a nice layout for an ebook + audiobook for language learners which instead of having heaped whole chapters on them could do much better with six or seven lines per track.
     
    Last edited: Jan 2, 2014
  8. TWErvin2

    TWErvin2 Contributor Contributor

    Joined:
    Nov 30, 2006
    Messages:
    3,374
    Likes Received:
    1,629
    Location:
    Ohio, USA
    I also believe that a download fee is charged by most ebook providers (Amazon, for example) and the larger the file, the larger the fee. It (inclusion of music) would cut into profits, or require a higher retail price. Also, obtaining the rights for music or having original compositions would be costly as well, again, increasing the necessary retail price for the book to be viable.
     
  9. TLK

    TLK Active Member

    Joined:
    Apr 2, 2013
    Messages:
    272
    Likes Received:
    36
    Good points by all so far.

    And, to add to the discussion, I'm not sure it would actually sell that well. Many people don't like reading whilst listening to music. Personally, I hate it.
     
  10. jannert

    jannert Retired Mod Supporter Contributor

    Joined:
    Mar 7, 2013
    Messages:
    17,674
    Likes Received:
    19,889
    Location:
    Scotland
    I find that a very intriguing idea indeed.

    I love to read to classical music, and have found even dull textbooks come to life with a 'soundtrack'. However, you'd need to be cautious, because not everybody is going to react to certain kinds of music the same way.

    And as @JayG says, to have it as an actual soundtrack, you'd have to be sure that everybody is going to be reading at the same pace. A movie is different because everybody IS watching at the same pace, so a soundtrack works.

    However, I do think this is an idea worth thinking about. Certainly the technology is already available to a certain extent. Might be a lot of fun! Certainly if your book is ABOUT music, or has characters in it who play music, etc, it might enhance the experience a lot to be able to hear what your characters are playing or listening to.
     
  11. janggeungulk

    janggeungulk New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 28, 2014
    Messages:
    1
    Likes Received:
    0
    I have buy all types of eBooks with Affordable eBook Writing Packages services. All eBooks are very cheap and their qualities are best.I am having lot of collection of that types of eBooks.
     
  12. SuperVenom

    SuperVenom Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 11, 2010
    Messages:
    475
    Likes Received:
    71
    Location:
    South Wales
    Music copywrite prob bang up the price to.
     

Share This Page

  1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
    Dismiss Notice