Loud music
Encyclopedia
The term loud music is often used to refer to music
that is played at a volume
that disturbs others, such as neighbors or bystanders, who do not wish to hear the music, or that is otherwise viewed as a nuisance
to the public. It may include music that is sung live with one or more voice
s, played with instruments
, or broadcast with electronic media, such as radio, CD, or MP3 players.
Playing loud music that can be heard from outside of the property from where it is being played (such as a house
, apartment
, hotel room
, or motor vehicle
) is considered to be rude
by many people and societies. Among those opposed to the practice, it may result in the loss of respect
and possible legal action. But in certain contained settings, such as clubs
or concert
s, music is often played very loudly, though in these locations, it is only audible to those who wish to hear the music, and is therefore viewed as acceptable.
. The exact definition of what constitutes a loud music violation varies by location, either at a certain volume
(measured in decibel
s) or the distance from the source at which the music can be heard. The time of day is also often a factor in the law, with the restrictions in some places applying only to specified nighttime hours (e.g. 11 PM-7 AM). The amount of effort put forth by law enforcement members in dealing with loud music also varies by location.
The most common punishment for a conviction is a fine or some other small sanction. But on rare occasions, loud music may be grounds for imprisonment. In May 2008, a United Kingdom
woman was sentenced to 90 days in jail for violating a court order not to play music that disturbed her neighbors eleven times.
Police have also at times discovered other crimes, such as illegal drug usage, when investigating loud music complaints.
Many public transportation services have rules against the use of sound-producing devices without earphones, or even with earphones if the music can be heard by others. Since mass transit agencies are frequently government-operated and/or subsidized, these rules can be legally enforced, and violation may result in prosecution.
from rented property
.
Property owners at locations where patrons visit temporarily, such as hotel
s, campgrounds, or businesses, may order those who play loud music to leave the property.
Continual exposure to loud music can also lead to tinnitus
.
It is predicted that exposure to loud music will cause as many as 50 million Americans to suffer hearing loss by 2050.
. Participants included forty males aged between 18 and 25, who were unaware that they were subjects of a research. The study featured only those who ordered a glass of draft beer (25 cl. or 8 oz.). The lead researcher, Nicolas Gueguen, said that each year more than 70,000 people in France die from an increased level of alcohol consumption, which also leads to fatal car accidents.
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
that is played at a volume
Volume
Volume is the quantity of three-dimensional space enclosed by some closed boundary, for example, the space that a substance or shape occupies or contains....
that disturbs others, such as neighbors or bystanders, who do not wish to hear the music, or that is otherwise viewed as a nuisance
Nuisance
Nuisance is a common law tort. It means that which causes offence, annoyance, trouble or injury. A nuisance can be either public or private. A public nuisance was defined by English scholar Sir J. F...
to the public. It may include music that is sung live with one or more voice
Voice
Voice may refer to:* Human voice* Voice control or voice activation* Writer's voice* Voice acting* Voice vote* Voice message-In film:* Voice , a 2005 South Korean film* The Voice , a 2010 Turkish horror film directed by Ümit Ünal...
s, played with instruments
Musical instrument
A musical instrument is a device created or adapted for the purpose of making musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the...
, or broadcast with electronic media, such as radio, CD, or MP3 players.
Playing loud music that can be heard from outside of the property from where it is being played (such as a house
House
A house is a building or structure that has the ability to be occupied for dwelling by human beings or other creatures. The term house includes many kinds of different dwellings ranging from rudimentary huts of nomadic tribes to free standing individual structures...
, apartment
Apartment
An apartment or flat is a self-contained housing unit that occupies only part of a building...
, hotel room
Hotel Room
Hotel Room is a three episode 1993 HBO television series produced by David Lynch . Each drama takes place in the same New York City hotel room at different times .Barry Gifford wrote, and David Lynch directed, the first and third episodes; Jay McInerney wrote, and James Signorelli...
, or motor vehicle
Motor vehicle
A motor vehicle or road vehicle is a self-propelled wheeled vehicle that does not operate on rails, such as trains or trolleys. The vehicle propulsion is provided by an engine or motor, usually by an internal combustion engine, or an electric motor, or some combination of the two, such as hybrid...
) is considered to be rude
Rude
Rude has many meanings:Behavior*Rudeness, disrespect for and failure to behave within the context of a society or a group of people's social laws or etiquettePeople*François Rude , a French sculptor...
by many people and societies. Among those opposed to the practice, it may result in the loss of respect
Respect
Respect denotes both a positive feeling of esteem for a person or other entity , and also specific actions and conduct representative of that esteem. Respect can be a specific feeling of regard for the actual qualities of the one respected...
and possible legal action. But in certain contained settings, such as clubs
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
or concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
s, music is often played very loudly, though in these locations, it is only audible to those who wish to hear the music, and is therefore viewed as acceptable.
Criminal
Many jurisdictions have laws defining loud music as a criminal offense, typically a misdemeanorMisdemeanor
A misdemeanor is a "lesser" criminal act in many common law legal systems. Misdemeanors are generally punished much less severely than felonies, but theoretically more so than administrative infractions and regulatory offences...
. The exact definition of what constitutes a loud music violation varies by location, either at a certain volume
Loudness
Loudness is the quality of a sound that is primarily a psychological correlate of physical strength . More formally, it is defined as "that attribute of auditory sensation in terms of which sounds can be ordered on a scale extending from quiet to loud."Loudness, a subjective measure, is often...
(measured in decibel
Decibel
The decibel is a logarithmic unit that indicates the ratio of a physical quantity relative to a specified or implied reference level. A ratio in decibels is ten times the logarithm to base 10 of the ratio of two power quantities...
s) or the distance from the source at which the music can be heard. The time of day is also often a factor in the law, with the restrictions in some places applying only to specified nighttime hours (e.g. 11 PM-7 AM). The amount of effort put forth by law enforcement members in dealing with loud music also varies by location.
The most common punishment for a conviction is a fine or some other small sanction. But on rare occasions, loud music may be grounds for imprisonment. In May 2008, a United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
woman was sentenced to 90 days in jail for violating a court order not to play music that disturbed her neighbors eleven times.
Police have also at times discovered other crimes, such as illegal drug usage, when investigating loud music complaints.
Many public transportation services have rules against the use of sound-producing devices without earphones, or even with earphones if the music can be heard by others. Since mass transit agencies are frequently government-operated and/or subsidized, these rules can be legally enforced, and violation may result in prosecution.
Civil
In many settings, loud music is not tolerated by property owners, and may be grounds for certain civil actions, such as evictionEviction
How you doing???? Eviction is the removal of a tenant from rental property by the landlord. Depending on the laws of the jurisdiction, eviction may also be known as unlawful detainer, summary possession, summary dispossess, forcible detainer, ejectment, and repossession, among other terms...
from rented property
Renting
Renting is an agreement where a payment is made for the temporary use of a good, service or property owned by another. A gross lease is when the tenant pays a flat rental amount and the landlord pays for all property charges regularly incurred by the ownership from landowners...
.
Property owners at locations where patrons visit temporarily, such as hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
s, campgrounds, or businesses, may order those who play loud music to leave the property.
Health
Continual exposure to loud music may result in hearing loss. Depending on the decibel level, the amount of exposure prior to hearing damage varies. Music played at 90 decibels for an 8-hour period each day can cause damage, as can music played at 130 decibels for fewer than four minutes in a day. Music played at 140 decibels or higher is considered a "danger level." While minor damage caused by lower levels is reversible, major damage caused by extremely loud music may be permanent. The highest "safe" level is considered to be 85 decibels..Continual exposure to loud music can also lead to tinnitus
Tinnitus
Tinnitus |ringing]]") is the perception of sound within the human ear in the absence of corresponding external sound.Tinnitus is not a disease, but a symptom that can result from a wide range of underlying causes: abnormally loud sounds in the ear canal for even the briefest period , ear...
.
It is predicted that exposure to loud music will cause as many as 50 million Americans to suffer hearing loss by 2050.
Excessive drinking
A study conducted by French scientists showed that loud music leads to more alcohol consuption in less time. For three Saturday evenings researchers observed customers of two bars situated in a medium-sized city in the west of FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Participants included forty males aged between 18 and 25, who were unaware that they were subjects of a research. The study featured only those who ordered a glass of draft beer (25 cl. or 8 oz.). The lead researcher, Nicolas Gueguen, said that each year more than 70,000 people in France die from an increased level of alcohol consumption, which also leads to fatal car accidents.
See also
- EarplugEarplugAn earplug is a device that is meant to be inserted in the ear canal to protect the wearer's ears from loud noises or the intrusion of water, foreign bodies, dust or excessive wind.-Protection from water:...
- Earmuff
- SoundSoundSound is a mechanical wave that is an oscillation of pressure transmitted through a solid, liquid, or gas, composed of frequencies within the range of hearing and of a level sufficiently strong to be heard, or the sensation stimulated in organs of hearing by such vibrations.-Propagation of...
- SoundproofingSoundproofingSoundproofing is any means of reducing the sound pressure with respect to a specified sound source and receptor. There are several basic approaches to reducing sound: increasing the distance between source and receiver, using noise barriers to reflect or absorb the energy of the sound waves, using...
- Sound power level
- Hearing impairmentHearing impairment-Definition:Deafness is the inability for the ear to interpret certain or all frequencies of sound.-Environmental Situations:Deafness can be caused by environmental situations such as noise, trauma, or other ear defections...
- Noise induced hearing lossNoise induced hearing lossNoise-induced hearing loss is an increasingly prevalent disorder that results from exposure to high-intensity sound, especially over a long period of time.-Description:...
- Noise regulationNoise regulationNoise regulation includes statutes or guidelines relating to sound transmission established by national, state or provincial and municipal levels of government. After the watershed passage of the United States Noise Control Act of 1972, other local and state governments passed further regulations...
- TinnitusTinnitusTinnitus |ringing]]") is the perception of sound within the human ear in the absence of corresponding external sound.Tinnitus is not a disease, but a symptom that can result from a wide range of underlying causes: abnormally loud sounds in the ear canal for even the briefest period , ear...
- Loudest band in the worldLoudest band in the worldThe loudest band in the world is a subject of some dispute in musical circles. Many bands have claimed to be the loudest, measuring this in various ways including with decibel meters at concerts and by engineering analysis of the CDs on which their albums are published.-Parodies:The notion of...
- Music tortureMusic tortureMusic has been used in psychological operations. The term music torture is sometimes used by critics of the practice of playing loud music incessantly to prisoners or people besieged....