I recently had to track down a screenshot of a website from 2008 — Dircksny.com, a small agency where I landed my first real design job. I eventually found a live web archive of it on Wayback Machine. And the moment it loaded, I felt this sudden wave of nostalgia I wasn’t expecting.

At first, I thought it was the dated (but surprisingly charming) Flash animations that triggered it. But after sitting with the feeling, I realized it was the music. That background track — simple and looping — somehow captured the entire mood of that era in my life. And hearing it again, nearly 17 years later, pulled me right back into it.

Back then, it was common — almost expected — for a website to greet you with a soundtrack. Today, that experience is all but extinct. I tried tracking down modern examples of sites that still use background music, and it wasn’t easy. A few can be found buried in the “Best Music & Sound Websites” section on Awwwards.com, but these days, background audio feels more like a novelty — or even a taboo — than a standard design choice.

And for good reason — music on websites is widely seen as intrusive, especially in public spaces or on mobile devices. Plus, autoplay is blocked by most modern browsers. Audio must now be triggered manually, usually after a user action.

Accessibility is another concern. For users with sensory sensitivities, sudden audio can be distressing. It can interfere with screen readers and increase cognitive load, making content harder to process.

If there’s no obvious way to mute or pause audio, the experience becomes frustrating — especially if you’re in a quiet space or at work. Ultimately, surprise audio violates a core principle of accessible design — the user should remain in control.

However, there is a trade-off in our quest to eliminate the frustrations of intrusive audio. And that is the continued flattening of the web experiences into something purely pragmatic and transactional.

This critique isn’t new — many designers, myself included, have expressed concerns about the absence of soul in modern interfaces. The well-meaning push for maximum usability has resulted in a landscape dominated by sterile, hollow designs.

It wasn’t until the recent experience of stumbling upon my old agency website that I was reminded just how powerful music and audio can be in a digital environment. And when you think about it, sound is a fundamental ingredient in creating meaningful human experiences. Something we can use more of these days.

Consider movies, TV shows, commercials — even video games have background music and sound effects. It’s what makes those experiences feel immersive and memorable.

I remember in college we visited an agency in NYC that specialized in television commercials. They demonstrated just how important music is by showing us a spot they were working on for Michelin tires.

First, they played a version with no music. Then one with upbeat, happy music. And finally, one with dramatic music. Each version created a distinct emotional response — but the dramatic one resonated most with the story they were trying to tell. It was a simple, powerful lesson that stuck with me.

So how can we reintroduce the immersive, emotional power of audio on the web — without compromising user trust or accessibility?

The most common solution is to include a user-controlled toggle on screen, with audio off by default. Simple and elegant. However, this approach loses much of the intended impact — by the time the music plays, the user has already seen the design without it. It’s like hearing a film score after the scene is over — disjointed and far less engaging.

A more immersive option is to present an opt-in screen or modal before entering the experience. And for transparency sake, maybe asking, “Would you like to enter with music?”

Yes, it adds a step. A bit of friction. But not all friction is bad — especially when what follows is immersive, intentional, and thoughtfully designed. Not everyone will say yes, but those who do are making a conscious choice. And that choice adds meaning.

The site mindspace.oubey.com/metropolis captures the right idea. While it could benefit from a clearer heads-up that audio will play, it’s nonetheless a refreshing and memorable design in an era where most websites are starting to feel the same. I highly recommend checking it out.

Of course, this kind of approach isn’t right for every site. You wouldn’t want an e-commerce homepage or a university website leading with a soundtrack. But for certain projects — portfolios, art installations, branded microsites — it could work beautifully. It allows the designer to craft an environment rather than just a layout. To evoke a mood. To leave an impression.

What I felt when I revisited that old site wasn’t just nostalgia — it was presence. For a fleeting moment, I remembered not just what the internet looked like in 2008, but what it felt like. It had a pulse. It had atmosphere. And maybe, in certain corners of the web, that’s something worth revisiting — not universally, not carelessly, but with intention.

Because the best digital experiences don’t just function — they resonate.