Television Shows review: Background music 143

Want to be an instant billionaire? Invent a remote switch that cuts out completely all 'so-called' background and foreground music from ALL TV programs and adverts. It is completely unnecessary for a huge band to blanket the sounds of war in battle scenes and all the speech in other scenes. Being mostly house-bound I now have to have the volume turned right down and try and lip read everything on TV. I am old enough to remember the silent films with the only background music being muted and coming from a piano.

No one is listening, time to stop watching . You would think the advertisers get it that they are loosing business and TV and radio get it. I guess they so smart that they don't watch their own shows. I stopped .

I am fascinated by the show, Ancient aliens, but have not been able to watch them through, because of the dreadful
irritating background swishing and loud banging drum noises and cymbals crashing when people are talking there is too much of it, very interesting shows ruined and destroyed by all the continuance of overbearing background sounds.

Stop the loud music on tv shows! You can’t hear anything they say.

I have just about given up on TV entertainment of any kind because of the background music, so loud you can't hear dialogue anyway. What makes the producers of television programs so ignorant of how annoying their loud drumming is when trying to listen to what the actors are saying. Television is not relaxing, just total frustration when trying to hear the dialogue you are blasted out by soundtracks. Don't get me started on advertisements. I use mute button immediately, so advertisers shooting themselves in the foot if they think anyone listens to ads. These people just don't get it.

Why do we need backing 'music' in tv shows ?
It is always boring monotonous and nothing to do with the program.
Who decides what ...music... is played ?
Masterchef...rubbish music boring, repetive need I say more !
Don't get me started on games shows !

I noticed this thread began in 2012, 6 years ago. So, what good does it do?

I AM WATCHING THE PLANETS ON THE SCIENCE CHANNEL AND THE MUSIC IS SO LOUD THAT I CANT UNDERSTAND THE NARATION, PLEASE CUT THE CRAP OUT.

We started to watch Dr Steven Greer`s latest video on Netflix called `Unacknowledged` we have waited a long time to view this documentary. When we watch anything whether a film or documentary we are people that like to listen to the story or facts. Unfortunately that was not to happen with`Unacknowledged`, from the very beginning we could not shake of the overriding music, your brain was trying to separate the dialogue from the music which after 15-minutes was to-much. My wife looked at me, we shook our heads and turned it off, I tried to complain to the producers but it seems as though no one is listening. Today`s TV and Film Producers must be a right bunch of imbeciles, they produce a good documentary film or TV show then they make it difficult for the public to hear what is being said . Its time for a big change.

OMG I am watching investigative discovery and it's the most annoying thing in the world. Music is over lapping the commentary of the show. you can't even hear what the hell they are saying. REALLY ? I am paying for this ?

Please, please stop the background loud music.We can not hear the people talking. I haven't found one person that llikes it. It is very, very disturbing..I hope that as you get older you will wake up to the fact that you can not hear as well.
Although many younger people can not hear the people talking either. It is absolutely so annoying. bevwyer2@roadrunner.com

Why is it necessary to play heavy metal music in between dialogue on some programs. Switch over or mute is my response, it is horrendous.

The background music just spoils every program, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE remove it, its not necessary whatsoever.
Chris Sampson, Worthing

I'm so happy to see so many others feel this way! And I think it's telling that there are zero dissenting comments here. No one would miss the music, but like ignorant, arrogant fools, they will continue to drown us in it. Until we finally get the message and stop watching.

We've contacted everyone we can regarding this in most every show. Drumming to the point we can't hear what's going on and gives the worst headaches. Their reply: "We have the soundtrack to make you feel a certain emotion as you watch". I replied we turn the show off, how does that help the channel/program? They replied "Artistic License to put as much sound/drumming/music as they want".

I agree 100% so ### drumming and loud music on everything. Before they add a little exiting music before something scary was going to happen, but today it's all the time and this made me look all documentary, tv shows on mute. This ### get you stressed and a pulse of 120 trying to relax and enjoy a show. Why don't the produsers look like 3 of this shows on tv to see themself, or do they se it before the crappy music is added.

I looking for a program to remove the music track, I will record and edit before looking from now on.

Mr.Norway

Maybe the only way to get the networks attention is to get them where is hurts, through their pocketbook! We all need to come together and file a class law suit against them for ignoring our complaints and causing us viewers so much stress when we try to watch their shows. Any thoughts on this?

There is so much un-needed noise on programs now, I can't even enjoy them any more. Did the producers start having hearing problems? It doesn't make me want to turn the show up, just OFF. Homicide Hunter is one of them. When it first aired, it was a good show. Now it's just noise. Too bad. I really enjoyed it. WHY the noise?

It is really irritating. Lots of time we turn off the TV because we can't hear the dialogue over the unnecessary music. That means those expensive ads are a total waste.
Another aggravation is actors who mumble. Many times they don't even open their mouths. Try enunciating...
If these aggravationsites keep up more and more peopen will stop watching tv .

Agree with all the comments on this site. So SO SO annoying! Blindspot (I think) is the most obvious one and most annoying. I completely stopped watching after two episodes. Quantico is not much better. I wonder who will take note of these complaints and do somethng about this.

I have a sensitivity to repetitive sound. And the noise ("music?) used in TV shows is not only annoying, but physically hurtful for me. I have given up nearly all TV shows. I cannot use CC because it goes too fast. Why do TV shows have to have the absolutely stupid sounds and so very loud. For me even making it quieter would not help. It does NOT help the shows. And it certainly does not entertain, only annoys.

Someone - PLEASE - provide information on whom to call or write regarding the offensive, loud, and very irritating background music that prohibits enjoyable TV watching. I refuse to watch anything but the news now and will NEVER, NEVER buy any products that are sponsoring these obnoxious background music programs. Do we need to write our congress representatives to look into this and force the FCC chairman into action? TV is truly a "wasteland" these days!

Stop making shows movies documentals anything that involves people talking... Stop putting back ground music
There is no need for annoying noise...
Stupid people make us listen to discusting noise... You go to the store the darn music is so loud you got the gas station the fuc... Is loud any where u go is loud music.. Slpwcially some commercials this is the reason why people are getting crazy...

I like to watch discovery on sky. But I have been getting rather fed up listening to background music over the top of the actors voices.
The music is just far to loud and very annoying

I stopped watching some of my favorite shows because, "please, please, please, cut off the awful loud music (noise) in the shows".

I agree with all of the above comments but apparently no one in the business (TV production) has been made aware of the situation, otherwise something would be done about it. Not sure of the need or purpose for music during dialogue. Our complaints hear go on deaf ears.

Anymore the background music is so loud you can't hear/understnd what the actors are saying and as a result you don't know what the program is about. It is so annoying I often shut the TV off.

Anymore the background music is so loud you can't hear/understnd what the actors are saying and as a result you don't know what the program is about. It is so annoying I often shut the TV off.

I stopped watching Discovery ID and other programs. The background (foreground) noise is unbearable. I'm considering dropping Direct TV. Why should I pay for that horrible background noise. Another way to get their attention is to write the advertisers. I believe this noise is deliberate. They know exactly what they are doing. I think it's phycological warfare. If not, we have the insane asylum calling the shots.

Feb 2016 . . . I've noticed that all the complaints are from 2013. Wish they were still coming here. I have tried for years to find a place to complain to . Just can't stand so very many of my favorite programs because of the loud background music. Sometimes I get so mad that I get actual tears running down my cheeks. Couldn't we sue them for causing such distress? Of Course We Could!

I'm so happy to read that others are feeling the same frustrations with the background music on TV both programs and advertising. It is hard enough for folks with hearing problems and then to be bombarded with all the extra background. WHAT is the purpose anyway?
PLEASE TAKE NOTE AND SOFTEN OR DO AWAY WITH THE MUSIC TOTALLY. THANK YOU

I agree 100%. We just tried to watch Dateline NBC and ended up screaming at one another due to frustration. T.V. producers are at fault here along with networks, and I believe that there are some sick music c.e.o.'s who want to gain attention by pushing this practice. It is totally AWFUL!

I am sick of trying to watch TV anymore because of the horrendous, annoying background music. It's included in movies, good TV shows and advertisements. If I want to listen to music, I will turn on my CD's or music channels. This music is so loud that the audio portions of the shows and movies is practically inaudible. LAY OFF THE LOUD BACKGROUND MUSIC PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE. Who does it benefit anyway?

Goodbye discovery channel >>Easier to shut off the show not dealing with the background music. Let the companies paying for commercials find out everyone is not watching!

I just bailed on NCIS - one of my favorite shows; but I can't continue straining to hear the most important dialog so I can follow the story. Seems like when the actors get to a serious part of the story they speak quietly and the music goes up to carry the drama. If the story is so lame that it needs the music to get your emotions going, the story's probably not worth listening to anyway. Time to watch a movie. I wonder when the sponsors are goint to pick up on the lost viewers.

I cannot hear a lot of words on especially CBS SHOWSbecause of the load background music. It is very frustrating.

I guess we are lucky because this only happens on ABC in our area in Northern Michigan, using just an antenna. This never used to be a problem but now on Galavant, Castle, Grimm Agents of Shield and commercials it is so annoying that we have to use the mute button all the time, as in the background there are bell sounds, drumming, like banging on metal and computer generated gargled mix all so loud an annoying that my wife and I just switch off ABC to CBS or NBC or simply put in a video to watch. I have contacted ABC and the response I got is they have not had a complaint on this problem. RIGHT! Many other people have said the same thing, so I copied as many complaint links I could find and emailed them to this person that said they never heard any complaints, and then I got an email back saying it was a local problem and I should contact them. So what I get out of reading everyone's complaint is ABC simply does not care and it is so much easier to pass the buck and not deal with it. What concerns me is that this never used to be a problem, I have a feeling when they switched from analog to HD ( we have HD Led tvs, now, which used to work just fine) this obnoxious background noise started, Castle is simply terrible and cannot watch anymore, and Agents of Shield, Galavant, Grimm and commercials all have this terrible background noise. WE now are forced to stay on NBC, CBS and Public channel, ABC has to know there is a problem but seems to me they do not care.

The following jpegs will help you establish a source of action. Especially with NASA TV!

Good luck in your endeavors!

Firstly, I agree with what has been said so far regarding excessive BACKGROUND MUSIC on TV programmes. It’s a ‘Cancer’ that defies
understanding! Music for music programmes….fine. But NOT on programmes that inform the viewer. ie speech and related information outputs.
A very good example which again defies logic of inserting BACKGROUND MUSIC is, of all TV companies, NASA TV. They produce information programmes for NASA itself BUT use BACKGROUND MUSIC on most of their videos! Why? Because they say that, in the words of the Executive Producer, Fred A. Brown, “ adds value to our productions”. What!
This is my reply to that statement! :-
This is a total joke and an outdated practice that needs to change and change quickly!
We ask, why oh why do we need BACKGROUND MUSIC in videos that contain speech anyway! It detracts [and it does] from the main theme of the video. In NASA’s case the programmes are full of scientific information.
The ‘value’ aspect of adding BACKGROUND MUSIC is irrelevant and the word ‘value’ means nothing in relation to substance. It’s just a word conjured up by people in the past who like to ‘pansy’ about like a child, to impress!
When we require facts in this fast moving world of ours the last thing we want is damn BACKGROUND MUSIC interrupting our concentration.
It’s a total misconception that music adds value to a programme, what ever the style may be. We want a clear & precise format so there is NO problems with understanding of what is going on.
Emails from NASA TV indicate that they will continue the practice! Something that we should address on FaceBook and get a positive reaction in favour of NO BACKGROUND MUSIC in speech and scientific video programmes!
It seems that once a 'made' programme enters the editing suite of the TV Company [and I refer to most around the world] it goes to the sound editing fairies to put on the BACKGROUND MUSIC. It would be so nice to BAN these people from the editing suite so we can watch, in peace, without having music 'but in'!….Wouldn't you?
Also, how would these so called editors like it if, while watching their own TV, music was played outside their window!
Further….
This is the information for people to get in touch with Fred A. Brown:-
Fred A. Brown
NASA Television Executive Producer,
NASA Office of Communications,
NASA HQ, Washington, DC
202/358-0713 (Office)
202/997-4891 (Mobile)
Email:fred.a.brown@nasa.gov