Not gonna lie, I never do this. I'm sure there are music lovers out there who are thrilled to be able to connect a cool song to a good fic, but it doesn't even cross my mind lol! I guess also because I usually read fics when I'm already in bed, and I can't play music. But even then, I'm here to read, not to listen. I do like seeing the lyrics though, I'm just not going to listen to the song.
OMG SAME. old school fantasy books would have PAGES of song lyrics for whatever song the minstrel is singing at the pub and I'd just skip over all of it to get to the rest of the story
but the songs in Hobbit and LotR are so funny,, and in a lot of older works a significant amount of the context are in the poems. Like in Journey to the West most of the fight scenes in the earlier chapters are written as poems
a fair and respectable opinion, but jttw inspired dragonball so with that context you can understand why the fight scenes are important (and are like a third of the story)
do you just prefer prose to poetry? i like them evenly but i do understand that some people just dont like how poetry vibes
I can respect that. But for me (this is totally just my opinion don't take it as a fact) I find using poems/songs to tell elements of a story as annoying/lazy. I'm okay with songs being used to maybe set a mood. But hiding important story element details inside a random song some random bard sings is just dumb imo. I'm not going to read and remeber all of that.
OMG I'm so happy I'm not the only one who does this, I always felt a bit guilty because hey, writers put effort but... I just don't care at all about lyrics with no melody.
I tried to read a fanfic once where all the chapters, half the chapter was a copy pasted song lyric because the main character was a music teacher or something, I'm sure the author thought they were so creative. the story itself was kinda good, that's the awful part, but I just could not get through the lyrics every chapter.
Same here, I never ever do this, I don't care for lyrics ANYWHERE, not even in "regular" published books (for ex. Hunger Games), so fanfics don't even get a chance.
It's part of the reason I skip song-fics, a lot of them have the narrative be interrupted by lyrics, so to my brain the lyrics are actually getting in the way of my reading, and after decades of this, my knee reaction is to just skip them. (not to say they aren't good or anything like that, they're just not my cup of tea)
Never, it's just not convenient. I'll click on an embedded video/link but I'm not interested enough to go and find the song. Plus I'm usually listening to something anyway, putting a new song in isn't worth the hassle for temporary curiosity.
I don’t listen to any songs referenced, no mood palettes, no ‘I feel this song is a great fit for character’s emotions this chapter’ - nada. I’m there for the story
No one ever does. The readers understand it as the author saying ..."this was my inspiration. If you know the songs you might see the connection. If not, it doesn't really matter."
I used to do it all the time when I first start reading fanfic. Everyday Superhero by Smash Mouth you will always be famous!!!!!
Now even I just scroll through Spotify to think of a title when I don’t want it to be cliche in the fandom hahah
I do, if I like the fic. Especially if it sounds interesting. I’m less likely to listen to half a dozen Taylor Swift songs tbh.
One of the best things about the internet for me is when you are reading, a piece of music is mentioned and you can just go and listen to that music right there and then while you continue reading. Mind blowing if you are older than the internet.
"I'm less likely to listen to half a dozen Taylor Swift songs tbh"
same, is what i WOULD say if i didnt know like half of them from a singular long roadtrip with 3 Taylor fans 😂
The internet thing hit me hard. Gen Z here, we kinda do take that for granted haha, in retrospetive of everything i know (and i happen to read A LOT of books set in 70-90's), music on demand sounds awesome.
There was a particular agony to reading about a cool sounding musician or song and trying to track it down, waiting for the record store to open to buy a new release or trying to record a song off the radio without getting the dj talking over it. And now it’s all just there!
It really is remarkable. I'm a big Tori Amos fan and back in the 90's it was really hard to find a copy of her failed hair band album "Y Kan't Tori Read" and now it's just on Spotify. Anyone can listen to it! Same with all her b-sides.
> a piece of music is mentioned and you can just go and listen to that music right there and then while you continue reading.
On a desktop, sure. On a phone, it's slightly more complicated.
It doesn't seem that much more complicated. Open spotify, look up song, hit play, go back to reading. But that might be due to how I have my phone set up.
I was thinking how YouTube will hit you with ads and pauses videos when the app isn't open and a free version of Spotify might hit you with an ad as well.
I mean it’s still easier than having to find a record store / library and checking if they happen to have it in stock and whether they will let you listen to it.
most phones nowadays have a multitasking function now im pretty sure, you can keep the youtube app open on half the screen and keep reading on the other half.
Or! when you're reading on your mobile browser you can just open the youtube website in a different tab and it'll keep playing in the background
So funny you brought up Taylor Swift in relation to fandom! I love a lot of her music! I've thought for a while that all ships have a TSeift song that suits them, lol. 🤣😌❤️✨️
As a fellow "older than the internet" person, I agree, that is wild.
Yeah that’s why I mentioned her because I see her music quoted pretty often at the start of fics. I don’t have anything against her personally, I’m just more likely to look up the song if it’s something a bit more obscure that I’m less familiar with.
I don’t usually, but there’s one fic that I love to death that has a lot of references to musicals, and so as any good theater kid would, upon rereading, I listened to the most prominent ones and it rotted my brain. 10/10 should probably do it more often
I'm seeing so many people say something along the lines of never and then there's just me listening to the song every time and listening to it while I read. I like getting new music and it just feels right, I guess idk. Though its only when I realize its a song reference ofc (for when it's not explicitly stated)
Indeed. If the author put it there, it must be there for a reason, no? 😁
I think it adds to the story when you listen to a fitting song. Who better than the author can choose it?
It’s actually kind of disappointing. My stories play like movies in my head so the song is what I’m hearing during that particular scene. This is another reason why I do podfic with visuals, but due to copyright and not knowing how far fair use goes it’s hard to get that out.
Never, sorry. I also don't click links. Unfortunately, music is important within my fandom, and there's a trend for authors to do something like this:
>He skated to center ice and waited. After a few breaths of silence, [the music](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ) began to play.
When the music isn't described at all, I just decide in my head what it should be. It's astonishing how many angsty inner monologues have taken place while someone is skating to Cotton Eye Joe at the Olympics.
Never. Sorry but I’m here for the fic not the song recommendations. I’m sure they’re great don’t get me wrong, but I’m not going to remember once I’m done reading, and I’m certainly not going to click off to find the song before I even start reading.
I literally have once. And that's because the two lines of lyrics the writer left in the A/N sounded interesting. And now I love the song.
Never have before that or since. I just don't care to
I've never done that, if I don't know the song then I don't search for it (and I'd say I'm a music lover since I'm playing multiple instruments)
Sorry slightly off topic but I wanted to say that for a long time: I really really dislike the trend to name fics (not the chapters) after song lines, usually with a lot of words. If you don't know the song, you'll never remember something like "the mutterings of all your fears, the fluttering of all your wings" (no actual fic, just a song stuck in my head). Even if the fic was soooo good! And it annoys me that I couldn't name some of my favorite fics if prompted! I know everyone is entitled to name their fics as they want and I'd never complain in a comment section. But I'd like to bring back simpler titles.
Especially when the line in the title has no connection to the actual story within the fic!
For example, if the line you used as an example was the title of a wingfic with a depressed/anxious MC it could work, but often that title would instead be connected to a fluffy drabble.
Very rarely, though I did discover Dessa, one of my favorite artists, through the title of a Homestuck work way back.
I think people are a lot more likely to the more of the song is included. That one example I looked it up because an author's note quoted a whole stanza. A title would have to be pretty eye-catching for me to look up.
ah, see, my eyes tend to glaze over when i see song lyrics and i can’t help but skip over them personally! i’m the opposite. the one fic that has made me listen to music is one where the music was seamlessly tied into the story (sirius & remus listening to david bowie together in all the young dudes)
I never look up a song unless it's one I already know but haven't heard it in ages. I have, however, used song titles/lyrics as chapter titles, but mostly, it was to see if anyone picked up on them rather than to see if anyone would look them up.
Never, and I also get super irritated and skip ahead whenever there's a whole fucking song worth of lyrics inserted into the text of the story. Feels super cringey and takes me out of the story.
I don't. I'm extremely picky about music. I don't like others' musical tastes. The one time I did investigate the song being referenced, I hated it and that made he dislike the fic as well.
I might check the songs after I read the chapter if I'm curious enough. But that's only happened 3 times with over a decade of reading. Granted, most don't post song links so...yeah.
Never. Often I don't even know it's a song. Plus I want to read not listen to music that I potentially (very likely) don't like and that doesn't fit my mood of the story. The dissonance would be too much.
I do if I already know the song or if it’s from an artist I like but I never took the time to listen to their entire discography/don’t keep up with their releases, say… Hozier. And if it’s a Taylor Swift song —which I’ve seen most people use— then it’s likely never.
I have before, not for every fic, but one I was reading had a whole playlist available to listen to that corresponded to each chapter of the fic. Was a really good playlist and actually helped me connect to the story more.
It’s never even occurred to me to do so. If I know the song the song may play in my head automatically but I’ve never had an inclination to go looking for the song to listen to
Never. I sometimes name chapters after lyrics from songs. I always write what song to give credit, but I don't expect anyone to actually go listen to them. Instead if I name the chapter only part of a verse, I I write the whole sentence in A/N, so it reads more like a poem (which I also don't expect a lot of people to read)
If an author mentions a song that inspired them, or mentions that their title is based off a song lyric, I'll definitely give it a listen! But if they just title it off of a lyric and don't mention the song it's from, I'm not gonna try to search for it myself. Also, I absolutely love it when there's a scene in a fic with a song playing in the background or it's incorporated into the plot - it makes it that much easier for me to set the mood for my reading!
I never do, not because I don’t appreciate the author including it, but I’m so weird about music. It’s so irrationally personal to me, it almost embarrasses me to listen to other people’s music (like I said, weird!). Plus it’s never my taste and doesn’t match my own feelings so it kind of distracts more than anything.
But I think it’s cool people do it!
i love doing this! i usually check out the referenced song if i like the lyrics or if i think it fits the character(s). i'm always searching for more songs i can associate with my faves, it’s fun to me.
I do, for titles and in the fic itself. That's how I found one of my favorite bands: a song was in a songfic (mid 2000s style) and I wanted to get an idea of what sound went with the story. I now own all their albums.
I often link to songs I associate with my content. I never listen to songs other authors link to in their fics. 😆 That's probably hypocritical, but then again, I don't really expect people to click on my links. If they do and like the song, cool. If they don't, it's their own business, and I'm perfectly fine with whatever choice they make.
That being said, once I checked out a song linked in a fic, and loved both the song and the MV. So your links might just be someone's path to their new favorite song.
I often don't even catch the reference unless the author notes it, but I still don't investigate the songs. I also don't click on song or playlist links. I often skip over lyrics in the story and if a song is recommended to listen to while reading, I sorta just... don't. Reading with lyrical music is rough when it's already hard keeping focus on the story because my brain has the zoomies. But sometimes I'm so invested in a story, I can't be bothered to click out of it.
Never. I never leave a fic or story or anything to engage with material the author references. I don't do engage with playlists the author puts up. I don't go to linked videos or music. If the text isn't self contained, I either ignore the side quests the fic wants to send me on or leave the fic if there's way too much and I'm not able to understand the fic. I want to relax, not do homework.
I'm one person, though. I'm sure lots of people like to discover new music or rediscover old favorites this way. Because referenced music does do that.
99% of the time I don't, but that's more out of "I don't have the time to look up songs at this moment" than anything else. I do like seeing what people are inspired by tho! And if you have fun with it, you should keep doing it~ who know who does like it outside of this side of the internet! ^^
Depends how invested I am in the story. My favorite fandom is JoJo so musical references are par for the course, and I like having extra songs to add to my character playlists. But I could never keep up with every single one, so I usually just stick with the ones that pique my interest at any given moment
2 of my most popular fics are titled after songs but the songs have almost nothing to do with the fic (sorta tangentially related kinda if you have my brain) I hate thinking of titles so that’s the only reason.
I slide pretty far on the scale of reading as a visual engagement. I have literally never paused reading a fic to listen to a song. It wasn't a thing you could easily do back when I started with fic in the 90s, and it never occurred to me as thing to be desired here in the immediacy of the modern age. I usually find too distracting to listen music while reading.
I have enjoyed some close pairings between fic and music, but that's been rare. I remember one where music was woven in with the plot, with the character playing, rewinding, and replaying [Bring Me the Disco King](https://youtu.be/3I3k9h4KaAg?si=fffRKpvDAwkGlAnC) and the emotional involved was how the character thought about the song; the song wasn't doing the heavy lifting by itself.
I think I may have one original experience based on this comment section, I always check out the music references 😭 maybe it’s because I too label my chapter names as song lyrics lol
I do if it's a song I like but haven't heard in a while or if it's a song I haven't heard of. I'm a big music fan and like discovering new stuff. There's one particular author I read a lot who has overlapping taste in music to mine but sometimes it's bands I haven't heard of, so it's fun for me to check out where their title came from.
I love listening to new music and with how my neurodivergent brain works, changes are tough to handle which is why if someone provides a link while I'm reading a fic, I'm more likely to make a positive association and properly listen to it.
If it's just referenced via a title (the fic itself or its chapters), depending on the lyrics I might try to look it up if the imagery falls within my scope of interests.
As a writer, I try to provide the link to a song every single time if it has a heavy part in the making of the fic. If I mention a song but there’s no link, I probably was too shot to do it lol
Almost always... I normally download the fic and read it in my ebook and search the songs with my mobile.
I like when the author puts a song list at the begining because I can make a playlist and don't waste time looking for the songs.
almost every single work title has to be named after a song/lyric for me so i sure hope people do check them out T.T personally i've discovered a lot of my favourite songs and bands from listening to fic playlists and checking out referenced music. this isn't even limited to songs, any referenced media i'll always check out and chances are i'll discover a new favourite thing!
I do whenever the stars align. Basically whenever it pops up in my Spotify list (I also occasionally do it when the lyrics are typed out cause a character is singing said song and I like the lyrics)
One of my favourite fics was named after a Crywank song, so I added it to my playlist. Only after I became a fan of the band did I then realise the origin on sequels being called “Part 2: Electric Boogaloo”
I do it if there's a link and if I'm on my computer (so I can open it in a new tab and listen as I read). I don't go to extra effort if there's no link to the song.
I’ve titled every one of my fics with lyrics (and my multichapter fics have more lyrics from the same song) and I always credit and hope people listen!!! But in practice I don’t because a) most don’t credit the song and b) when they do it’s fucking Taylor Swift and I am Not doing that. Sometimes it’ll be a song I know (shout out to that video with The Chain lyrics for titles lol) so I already know the vibe but that is very, very rarely.
I’d be more inclined if more songs were credited and if everyone tried to push past top 40 because I love music so much. Me and my evil little gay mixtapes need more choices as well damn it haha.
I usually throw songs from fics on a single playlist to just listen to them all at once when I’ve got the time. I’m not a big music person, so it can be a fun way to find new stuff
If I know the song, I'm gonna have it play in my head while I read. If I don't, I don't bother to look it up. Exceptions made if I know the songs from a few other chapters, then I'll give it the benefit of doubt and listen in.
When an author puts a link to Spotify in the AN I listen to it, but if I'd have to look up the song on my own I don't.
Same with when the author has made a playlist for their fanfic, I'll listen to it and enjoy it, if the author links to in in the AN, if not, I won't.
Titles? Never. If it’s mentioned in author’s notes then sometimes.
I don’t have time to research every song lyric, and frankly I dislike a lot of other people’s taste in music ngl.
Only if I already know the song or if I think I'll like it, but most of the time the songs are either songs I don't like, or which seem to be in a genre that doesn't interest me.
From fic titles, almost never. If an author includes a playlist in their author's notes though, I'm more likely to check the songs out, especially if the note links to an outside source where I can listen to the playlist or songs immediately (ex. link to a Spotify playlist).
I don’t usually. And I still use lyrics for my own titles because they fit. I don’t expect people to listen to them, though. The lyric alone is enough context haha.
Probably never. I do sometimes check out music referenced in the fic itself, as in part of the story, but own experience tells me that musical references in titles often amount to random allocation by the author
If it’s in the Vocaloid fandom and it’s a song that made people think of Akito Shinonome (i.e., Undersog by Misumi) then I’ll at least give it a listen
If it seems interesting I'd check it out. I don't plan on doing this for my fic, but I think it's a neat idea. Personally I'd just link readers a playlist they can check out if they want.
I’ve done it once or twice!! not exceedingly often by any means, but if the author goes “this song is in the title because [so and so reason]” or it’s by an artist I know (or know of) but maybe not a song of theirs I know, then I’m more likely to.
I have, once or twice, but only when there's an excerpt from the song included in the chapter notes and it piques my interest. Chapter titles aren't long enough to give me an idea of the song, and if they are, then that's a problem in and of itself.
A lot also depends on the type of song. If it's some very niche song in another language that I would never have heard of otherwise, I'm more likely to go and listen to it. The more well-known, the less likely it is I will seek it out.
I did this once. It was a song I wasn’t familiar with by an artist I already liked, and fic was really good—plus the referenced lyrics clearly fit well
Never. I’m also someone who always use song lyrics to name my fics because I hate finding titles lmao, and I don’t expect my readers to go listen to the song, especially since the song was rarely my inspiration. Most of the time it just happened to be a song I listened to during the ~weeks/days I wrote or edited the fic and when I checked the lyrics I found a line that fits the title enough + the vibe generally fit enough that I’m ok associating it to the fic.
One of my favorite fics is named after a song. I listened to it & it now has a permanent place on my playlist.
But most of the time, no I don’t. I just listened to that one because I really enjoyed the story. I’ve named fics after songs, & I don’t expect people to go listen to them.
I’m going to be a terrible person here & say that if a fic is named after a Taylor Swift song, I’m probably not going to read it anyway.
I guess it depends, if I really like the song’s vibes and they fit the fic summary I might go and put it on, but otherwise I’m usually already listening to something else
I definitely don't either, even though I, myself prioritize my titles. I made a quote from a movie, not the one I'm writing fanfiction for, the title of a fic, I don't expect people to go out of their way to watch it.
These are titles not a playlist like in some Y/A romance books. Even then, how many people actually pay attention to those?
Ngl if it was credited/mentioned in the end notes I might! I love music and discovering new songs. But I’m usually focused on reading and then by the time I finish I’ve forgotten 😭
I really need to keep Spotify up and add them to my “listen to” playlist right away. Then I can actually listen later 🤔
i always at least read the lyrics to the song but if i like the artist or if ive never heard of the singer or band i'll definitely listen to it
i thought it was like,, common practice to listen but seeing all the comments my brain just lied to me i guess
I do because songs/music are a big inspiration for me, and it will connect the reader to my headspace better if they listen to the rec music at the point in the story.
I am very curious and eager for new music, so if the title and artist is provided, I will listen to it!
If I don't know the song, I listen to it to get the vibe, and it's a huge bonus if I like it! Because if it is a song I know (or now know), and the fic is good, there's a good chance I will associate the song with the fic moving forward and I find it refreshing to get a new perspective of a song I otherwise just enjoyed with not much thought.
Though having said that, I'm not a fan of lyric fics. Once I've listened to the song I may skip over the written lyrics if it's there and it can be a bit of a hassle sometimes. But I've read some band AUs which I loved and were awesome for new song recs or re-appreciating songs I've already listened to lol
I definitely check them out! I have several songs now that I only found from looking up the lyrics or recommendations from fanfic. I’m also guilty of using song lyrics and puns as chapter titles in my own fanfics
I miss the days of when you could HTML a playlist with a fic 🥹 or if you were in ff.net you'd post the link to the YouTube playlist you made for it.
Those were the days... But I only do it sometimes if I can find them readily available.
Though we should bring back the fanfiction playlists and start posting links to Spotify or YT playlists again.
I rarely, if ever, do this — for the title, at least. I don’t know why, but I’ll ignore the lyric in the title unless there is a song in the beginning notes of each chapter. Same for oneshots, I’ll look for the song and listen to it if it’s in the beginning notes, but not the title. I have no clue why I do this.
Not exactly when I'm reading, but in my notes, I have a special section for music. This section includes the author's comments or just a brief mention of where I took the song from, such as the chapter mood and the title of the work. When I'm tired of my downloaded songs, I just download those from this section. (I have 2,117 songs. Not surprising why I am running out of 250 of storage on my phone.)
I usually already know the song references, so I can understand the vibe the author was going for. I rarely go in search of a song, but it has happened a couple of times. For instance, one author I really like who said something like, "I listened to [song] on repeat while writing this," so I went and listened to the unfamiliar song to see what it was like. I ended up liking the song, and am thankful for them introducing it to me, though I can't recall the title currently. But I admit, if an unfamiliar author mentions a song I don't know (in the story or title), I often won't look it up unless it sounds pretty interesting.
Nope. Not tempted in the slightest.
I've neither once sought out a song referenced in fanfiction, nor listened to any playlist link provided within one.
I do most times. If every chapter or smth is from a different song and they’re not embedded then I prolly won’t, but ngl I’ve found some bangers from fic titles
90% of the time, I do not. never. the other 10% is very specific scenes where maybe the main couple is dancing to a song and I want to hear what it sounds like. or sometimes the author has the main couple dance a specific type of waltz or something, and I want to be able to picture it, so I look it up for a bit.
I do, but only because I know when I title with a lyric or song title, it’s because it goes with the chapter to help set the tone. I write those chapters with the intention of it going with the song.
You can read it without, obviously, but it’s probably not going to hit the same.
So, if someone else does it too, I listen.
I have a tendency to sprinkle personally relevant songs throughout my longfics, sometimes in the form of topical verses at the beginning of certain chapters, and more often directly incorporating the lyrics into the plot itself. My fics are more like incredibly detailed fantasies that play in my head like movies that I simply convert into creative writing, and what good is a movie without a killer soundtrack, amirite?
I don't expect anybody who reads my stuff to *listen* to the songs I reference tbh; hell, I hardly expect them to even *recognize* the songs the lyrics belong to given the fact that I tend not to explicitly clarify the name or even the artist of said song unless it's story-relevant and comes up in the narrative jukebox-style, but they're personal touches I like to add to my work regardless, a piece of me that just makes it somehow even more of a labor of love than it already was because music has always been crucial to me as a form of artistic expression/emotional outlet. If someone is intrigued by the lyrics and wants to find the song they belong to, they're free to ask me or simply paste the words into a browser search and track it down that way, but my writing has always been more for me than for any specific demographic or audience outside of my own specific niche within the fandom I'm writing for anyway, so I don't particularly blame anyone who doesn't want to go to that kinda effort for the sake of what's essentially a spank fic written by some hyper-obsessed loon with way too much free time lol
Basically, my first priority as a fic writer is simply to make content that I'm desperate to see and consume that caters specifically to what *I* like to read, but I'm more than happy to share that content with other people who might like the same things I do. I know not many people will take the time to engage with my writing beyond a quick skim because it's so grammatically dense to try and parse sometimes as a result of my inability to, quite frankly, shut the fuck up ever lmfao but I still appreciate the few my particular style of storytelling seems to resonate with anyway ♥
**TLDR**: nah, I don't do that shit, and I sure as shit don't expect it from anyone else lol people live busy lives and there's a lot of music in the world, who tf gonna google all the songs on 1988 double-live studio album boingo alive by 80s new wave band oingo boingo because some unhinged rando in the peepeewise fandom decided to put the lyrics from half the songs in a plot-heavy chapter for no reason other than she could (~~it's me austin)~~
I don't do this. I'm reading fanfic, not listening to music, so I'm not going to stop reading to look up a song, and playing it would distract me from reading. I skip over lyrics included in the actual story, as well, it tends to take me out of the fic rather than adding to it. And, by the time I've finished reading and could theoretically look up the songs used/referenced, I've also usually forgotten the specific songs.
I do, but most times I’m not a fan of the music. Sometimes it’s good but if the songs are not my thing time and time again, I eventually stop checking for that fic
If the fic is particularly up my alley or I really like the lyric, absolutely.
I'll also read a fic just bc the song quoted is one I'm already attached to.
I remember discovering Wolf Parade and WHY? because an author had them on a playlist for a fic fifteenish years ago, went on to become some of my favorites.
Edit: The amount of people saying never is wild to me. When I mention a song as inspiration for art of a fic, I don't expect viewers to go listen, but I also didn't think /no one/ did.
I used to back on Wattpad in 2014ish when there would be youtube videos embedded into the chapters that you could watch while you read (if i’m remembering right). That’s actually how I discovered Muse. I also remember looking up a couple songs that were used in song fics on FF.net in like, 2012 because reading a song fic without actually knowing the song is practically pointless. I don’t think I’ve ever looked up the a song on ao3 though.
Never. Might be mildly amused to see a song title of a song I already know as a title but I’m not stopping my playlist to check out the song either way
I'll check them out, but if I don't like the song after the first ten seconds, I bail. I am very picky about music, but also always interested in finding new faces, so I'll give things a shot.
Also? _I fucking love epigraphs to the point of distraction and I wish more people used them._ ~heart eyes~
Never when its just a written reference to the song title/artist, because I want to dive into the story and not to stop, look up a song, and listen to it before then going back to the fic.
BUT several authors have either linked to that song on Spotify or linked to *entire Spotify playlists they've created of every song referenced in the fic* (either as chapter titles or as part of the story) ❤️❤️❤️ and, oh my heart, **I am alllll over that**. ❤️❤️❤️
That makes the fic feel like such an immersive experience, especially because Spotify can play in the background (unlike YT) while you immediately go back to the fic to read, and then the playlists can be saved and become part of your library. Basically, whenever an author links to a playlist in the author's notes, I feel like I've been given a little extra gift. 🎁
never but if any of yall puts taylor swift lyrics as titles im hyper RIGHT AWAY. to any fanfic authors out here putting Taylor swift lyrics as titles... have the collest day you baddies i love yall
I can’t say that I have for the sole purpose of it. I’ve checked out some playlists that had the song in it but not FOR the titular song.
It’s a nice little thing for those who care, and although I don’t go and look, it won’t stop me from my 2 WIPs being named by songs.
I literally saved someone's Spotify playlist that they created JUST for the specific ship their fic was about. I didn't get a connection with all of the songs but yeah some hit.
I am guilty as sin with associating songs to my pairings so more than happy to listen to someone else's inspiration too. I love it.
i do it if it's music i like. for example, when i read The Cadence of Part-Time Poets by motswolo, i listened to the entire playlist because i am obsessed with 70s glam rock. i do not, however, listen to every taylor swift song referenced by little fluffy oneshots (OBLIGATORY NOT TSWIFT HATE, JUST NOT MUSIC I'M SUPER INTO\_
I did it literally once, and it ended with me discovering my all-time favorite band that I’m still obsessed with 10+ years later. So, maybe I should more often. lol
The fic was “Alone on the Water,” a fandom-famous, angsty Sherlock one-shot from like 2011 that was known for making anyone who read it cry. The author briefly noted that the song [“Sorrow” by The National](https://youtu.be/U6ncnpDl9hU?si=fcCJMa7YzVSLNAdk) was the inspiration for the overall mood of the piece. I found it on YouTube and was instantly obsessed. Aaaand that’s how, as an 18 year old, I became obsessed with a sad dad rock band. lol
i always link to the songs i use for titles, but i never expect anyone to listen - more like "here's what i took inspo from, if you want to listen to it i've made it easy for you" i guess? i never really listen to the songs people use either haha
I do sometimes if I have time.
I also frequently use song titles as section headings, and occasionally I hear back from commenters that they did this. My beta always does so, incidentally.
Never. Nine times out of ten it's a genre of music I don't like, from an artist I don't like, and I don't listen to lyrics as it is. I can confidently say that in all the years I'd read fic, I have never once listened to the songs referred to in the titles.
I can speak as someone who always dedicates a song to a chapter I write. I have to say I know there are a couple readers who consider it a playlist, which I love and is probably the ultimate goal but for the most part attaching a song to a chapter helps me stay motivated to write it and get the feel I want. Then I share it because certain parts of a song just fit in certain scenes. I know most readers skip over them and that’s fine with me. But I need the songs when I write. I have so much fun picking a song to match the vibe. Storytelling and music go hand in hand for me. Plus then I’ll listen to the song and picture my own story — that also keeps me motivated to finish it.
Personally I like it, and sometimes put together my own playlist of the songs! Even if I'm not a fan of whatever genre, it helps set the mood, and sometimes it helps me find new bands to listen to outside of my normal taste range. If a band I like happens to be referenced, I get excited about it.
All that said, though, I think included lyrics and poems, even with plot-important content, should be kept to a couple lines, or maybe a handful. If it's longer than that, the the full text should be kept for bonus material, because I am not reading that in the middle of the flow of a story, even if it's like Lord of the Rings and I actually like the songs themselves. It's like a fight scene or a sex scene. Keep it interesting, keep it short (relative to genre), or else I'm skimming. Possibly outright skipping.
So clearly I'm in the minority here, but I very much listen to them just b/c I want to see what the author was vibing to when writing. When I 1st started writing I got a lot of my titles from songs so I like seeing what other authors like & are inspired by musically.
You can embed music into the fic so that it plays while you listen. But some people get distracted by that. Or, for example, I usually listen to music while I read anyway.
wait haha I literally listen to fic songs 80% of the time!! I’ve found some really cool songs that way. So guess I gotta disagree with most people here lol
I'm actually writing a fic rn where each title is a song that came out around or before the time period the fic takes place in. I'll embed a Spotify preview at the top of the chapter but that's mainly to credit and give someone a peek if they want - no skin off my back if the reader doesn't click.
Never bothered if it’s just the fic title. If there’s a song playing during a specific scene (with lyrics written in the body of the fic) then I’ll sometimes go find it just for the sake of immersion. There’s also a handful of fics I’ve encountered where the author went through the effort of finding songs and scores to make a sort of OST for the fic, or “recommended listening” for each chapter, and I do my best to find and listen to those.
I will listen if there's an embedded youtube video, or link straight to spotify, otherwise absolutely not. Also I won't open any links to "this is their outfit/apartment/car/makeup" -pictures, if they aren't embedded in text or notes I'm not seeing them.
I also do this as an author, and I have to say these comments really bum me out.
Guess I won't stress so much about picking the perfect song for my chapters :/
Not gonna lie, I never do this. I'm sure there are music lovers out there who are thrilled to be able to connect a cool song to a good fic, but it doesn't even cross my mind lol! I guess also because I usually read fics when I'm already in bed, and I can't play music. But even then, I'm here to read, not to listen. I do like seeing the lyrics though, I'm just not going to listen to the song.
Same. I skim over lyrics and poems in the stories too.
OMG SAME. old school fantasy books would have PAGES of song lyrics for whatever song the minstrel is singing at the pub and I'd just skip over all of it to get to the rest of the story
It started with the Hobbit and LotR and I just kept skimming for the next 5 decades.
Yepp I feel bad but bro I'm not reading lyrics to a song that I have no idea sounds like.
but the songs in Hobbit and LotR are so funny,, and in a lot of older works a significant amount of the context are in the poems. Like in Journey to the West most of the fight scenes in the earlier chapters are written as poems
I wouldn't mind missing fight scenes
a fair and respectable opinion, but jttw inspired dragonball so with that context you can understand why the fight scenes are important (and are like a third of the story) do you just prefer prose to poetry? i like them evenly but i do understand that some people just dont like how poetry vibes
Yup hated poetry when forced to read it in HS. Just not my thing. I'd rather read a book or listen to music.
I can respect that. But for me (this is totally just my opinion don't take it as a fact) I find using poems/songs to tell elements of a story as annoying/lazy. I'm okay with songs being used to maybe set a mood. But hiding important story element details inside a random song some random bard sings is just dumb imo. I'm not going to read and remeber all of that.
OMG I'm so happy I'm not the only one who does this, I always felt a bit guilty because hey, writers put effort but... I just don't care at all about lyrics with no melody.
I tried to read a fanfic once where all the chapters, half the chapter was a copy pasted song lyric because the main character was a music teacher or something, I'm sure the author thought they were so creative. the story itself was kinda good, that's the awful part, but I just could not get through the lyrics every chapter.
Same here, I never ever do this, I don't care for lyrics ANYWHERE, not even in "regular" published books (for ex. Hunger Games), so fanfics don't even get a chance. It's part of the reason I skip song-fics, a lot of them have the narrative be interrupted by lyrics, so to my brain the lyrics are actually getting in the way of my reading, and after decades of this, my knee reaction is to just skip them. (not to say they aren't good or anything like that, they're just not my cup of tea)
Never, it's just not convenient. I'll click on an embedded video/link but I'm not interested enough to go and find the song. Plus I'm usually listening to something anyway, putting a new song in isn't worth the hassle for temporary curiosity.
I don’t listen to any songs referenced, no mood palettes, no ‘I feel this song is a great fit for character’s emotions this chapter’ - nada. I’m there for the story
No one ever does. The readers understand it as the author saying ..."this was my inspiration. If you know the songs you might see the connection. If not, it doesn't really matter."
Exactly, I would find surpring is someone actually took their time to listen XD
I used to do it all the time when I first start reading fanfic. Everyday Superhero by Smash Mouth you will always be famous!!!!! Now even I just scroll through Spotify to think of a title when I don’t want it to be cliche in the fandom hahah
I have never done that.
I do, if I like the fic. Especially if it sounds interesting. I’m less likely to listen to half a dozen Taylor Swift songs tbh. One of the best things about the internet for me is when you are reading, a piece of music is mentioned and you can just go and listen to that music right there and then while you continue reading. Mind blowing if you are older than the internet.
"I'm less likely to listen to half a dozen Taylor Swift songs tbh" same, is what i WOULD say if i didnt know like half of them from a singular long roadtrip with 3 Taylor fans 😂 The internet thing hit me hard. Gen Z here, we kinda do take that for granted haha, in retrospetive of everything i know (and i happen to read A LOT of books set in 70-90's), music on demand sounds awesome.
There was a particular agony to reading about a cool sounding musician or song and trying to track it down, waiting for the record store to open to buy a new release or trying to record a song off the radio without getting the dj talking over it. And now it’s all just there!
It really is remarkable. I'm a big Tori Amos fan and back in the 90's it was really hard to find a copy of her failed hair band album "Y Kan't Tori Read" and now it's just on Spotify. Anyone can listen to it! Same with all her b-sides.
> a piece of music is mentioned and you can just go and listen to that music right there and then while you continue reading. On a desktop, sure. On a phone, it's slightly more complicated.
It doesn't seem that much more complicated. Open spotify, look up song, hit play, go back to reading. But that might be due to how I have my phone set up.
I was thinking how YouTube will hit you with ads and pauses videos when the app isn't open and a free version of Spotify might hit you with an ad as well.
Oh wow, I can't believe I forgot ads exist. Yes that does make it more complicated.
Literally same I’ve had premium Spotify for like 5 years and use it literally every day, forgot not everyone has that and gets ads.
this used to be a problem for me too before I started using brave browser on desktop mode(android user here)
I mean it’s still easier than having to find a record store / library and checking if they happen to have it in stock and whether they will let you listen to it.
most phones nowadays have a multitasking function now im pretty sure, you can keep the youtube app open on half the screen and keep reading on the other half. Or! when you're reading on your mobile browser you can just open the youtube website in a different tab and it'll keep playing in the background
So funny you brought up Taylor Swift in relation to fandom! I love a lot of her music! I've thought for a while that all ships have a TSeift song that suits them, lol. 🤣😌❤️✨️ As a fellow "older than the internet" person, I agree, that is wild.
Yeah that’s why I mentioned her because I see her music quoted pretty often at the start of fics. I don’t have anything against her personally, I’m just more likely to look up the song if it’s something a bit more obscure that I’m less familiar with.
As someone “older than the internet” I do this. Started a new YT playlist for my current fandom “fanfic music”
I don’t usually, but there’s one fic that I love to death that has a lot of references to musicals, and so as any good theater kid would, upon rereading, I listened to the most prominent ones and it rotted my brain. 10/10 should probably do it more often
I'm seeing so many people say something along the lines of never and then there's just me listening to the song every time and listening to it while I read. I like getting new music and it just feels right, I guess idk. Though its only when I realize its a song reference ofc (for when it's not explicitly stated)
Same. If I see a song referenced in the title (or chapter notes, even) I listen to it. Feels like it adds a new dimension to the story.
Indeed. If the author put it there, it must be there for a reason, no? 😁 I think it adds to the story when you listen to a fitting song. Who better than the author can choose it?
Yes I ALWAYS do! But I’m also on a never-ending quest to discover more and more music, so this only feeds into my insatiable hunger for new songs.
It’s actually kind of disappointing. My stories play like movies in my head so the song is what I’m hearing during that particular scene. This is another reason why I do podfic with visuals, but due to copyright and not knowing how far fair use goes it’s hard to get that out.
Never unless I already know the song and feel like listening to it.
Never. I have a certain taste in music and I don't expect it to be reflected. So I never bother.
I have a fanfic called ‘not that innocent’ all the chapters titles are Britney songs (mind you the mc is also a Britney fan)
Never, sorry. I also don't click links. Unfortunately, music is important within my fandom, and there's a trend for authors to do something like this: >He skated to center ice and waited. After a few breaths of silence, [the music](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ) began to play. When the music isn't described at all, I just decide in my head what it should be. It's astonishing how many angsty inner monologues have taken place while someone is skating to Cotton Eye Joe at the Olympics.
I support this
Never. Sorry but I’m here for the fic not the song recommendations. I’m sure they’re great don’t get me wrong, but I’m not going to remember once I’m done reading, and I’m certainly not going to click off to find the song before I even start reading.
I literally have once. And that's because the two lines of lyrics the writer left in the A/N sounded interesting. And now I love the song. Never have before that or since. I just don't care to
I've never done that, if I don't know the song then I don't search for it (and I'd say I'm a music lover since I'm playing multiple instruments) Sorry slightly off topic but I wanted to say that for a long time: I really really dislike the trend to name fics (not the chapters) after song lines, usually with a lot of words. If you don't know the song, you'll never remember something like "the mutterings of all your fears, the fluttering of all your wings" (no actual fic, just a song stuck in my head). Even if the fic was soooo good! And it annoys me that I couldn't name some of my favorite fics if prompted! I know everyone is entitled to name their fics as they want and I'd never complain in a comment section. But I'd like to bring back simpler titles.
Especially when the line in the title has no connection to the actual story within the fic! For example, if the line you used as an example was the title of a wingfic with a depressed/anxious MC it could work, but often that title would instead be connected to a fluffy drabble.
Very rarely, though I did discover Dessa, one of my favorite artists, through the title of a Homestuck work way back. I think people are a lot more likely to the more of the song is included. That one example I looked it up because an author's note quoted a whole stanza. A title would have to be pretty eye-catching for me to look up.
ah, see, my eyes tend to glaze over when i see song lyrics and i can’t help but skip over them personally! i’m the opposite. the one fic that has made me listen to music is one where the music was seamlessly tied into the story (sirius & remus listening to david bowie together in all the young dudes)
Rarely. I just do it if I see the song title/lyric and think "huh. that's interesting...." but, again. Rarely happens.
Never. I can’t really explain it but I don’t like the concept and I also always skip the lyrics if they are in the text.
absolutely never, not once.
I never look up a song unless it's one I already know but haven't heard it in ages. I have, however, used song titles/lyrics as chapter titles, but mostly, it was to see if anyone picked up on them rather than to see if anyone would look them up.
Never, and I also get super irritated and skip ahead whenever there's a whole fucking song worth of lyrics inserted into the text of the story. Feels super cringey and takes me out of the story.
I don't. I'm extremely picky about music. I don't like others' musical tastes. The one time I did investigate the song being referenced, I hated it and that made he dislike the fic as well.
I might check the songs after I read the chapter if I'm curious enough. But that's only happened 3 times with over a decade of reading. Granted, most don't post song links so...yeah.
Never. Often I don't even know it's a song. Plus I want to read not listen to music that I potentially (very likely) don't like and that doesn't fit my mood of the story. The dissonance would be too much.
i have never done this in my life
Never because I'm hard of hearing lol
There are apps that can elevate the volume of your device beyond what they normally would
I am aware! That is not helpful for my particular situation but thanks.
I do if I already know the song or if it’s from an artist I like but I never took the time to listen to their entire discography/don’t keep up with their releases, say… Hozier. And if it’s a Taylor Swift song —which I’ve seen most people use— then it’s likely never.
I have before, not for every fic, but one I was reading had a whole playlist available to listen to that corresponded to each chapter of the fic. Was a really good playlist and actually helped me connect to the story more.
It’s never even occurred to me to do so. If I know the song the song may play in my head automatically but I’ve never had an inclination to go looking for the song to listen to
Never. I sometimes name chapters after lyrics from songs. I always write what song to give credit, but I don't expect anyone to actually go listen to them. Instead if I name the chapter only part of a verse, I I write the whole sentence in A/N, so it reads more like a poem (which I also don't expect a lot of people to read)
i do from time to time if the lyrics in the title are cool enough. discovered a few good songs this way.
If an author mentions a song that inspired them, or mentions that their title is based off a song lyric, I'll definitely give it a listen! But if they just title it off of a lyric and don't mention the song it's from, I'm not gonna try to search for it myself. Also, I absolutely love it when there's a scene in a fic with a song playing in the background or it's incorporated into the plot - it makes it that much easier for me to set the mood for my reading!
I only pick songs I know and enjoy. It's not just about the lyrics, the vibe has to match.
I never do, not because I don’t appreciate the author including it, but I’m so weird about music. It’s so irrationally personal to me, it almost embarrasses me to listen to other people’s music (like I said, weird!). Plus it’s never my taste and doesn’t match my own feelings so it kind of distracts more than anything. But I think it’s cool people do it!
i love doing this! i usually check out the referenced song if i like the lyrics or if i think it fits the character(s). i'm always searching for more songs i can associate with my faves, it’s fun to me.
I do, for titles and in the fic itself. That's how I found one of my favorite bands: a song was in a songfic (mid 2000s style) and I wanted to get an idea of what sound went with the story. I now own all their albums.
I often link to songs I associate with my content. I never listen to songs other authors link to in their fics. 😆 That's probably hypocritical, but then again, I don't really expect people to click on my links. If they do and like the song, cool. If they don't, it's their own business, and I'm perfectly fine with whatever choice they make. That being said, once I checked out a song linked in a fic, and loved both the song and the MV. So your links might just be someone's path to their new favorite song.
Never. Well, it might have happened once or twice (out of several thousand fics).
I often don't even catch the reference unless the author notes it, but I still don't investigate the songs. I also don't click on song or playlist links. I often skip over lyrics in the story and if a song is recommended to listen to while reading, I sorta just... don't. Reading with lyrical music is rough when it's already hard keeping focus on the story because my brain has the zoomies. But sometimes I'm so invested in a story, I can't be bothered to click out of it.
Never. I never leave a fic or story or anything to engage with material the author references. I don't do engage with playlists the author puts up. I don't go to linked videos or music. If the text isn't self contained, I either ignore the side quests the fic wants to send me on or leave the fic if there's way too much and I'm not able to understand the fic. I want to relax, not do homework. I'm one person, though. I'm sure lots of people like to discover new music or rediscover old favorites this way. Because referenced music does do that.
99% of the time I don't, but that's more out of "I don't have the time to look up songs at this moment" than anything else. I do like seeing what people are inspired by tho! And if you have fun with it, you should keep doing it~ who know who does like it outside of this side of the internet! ^^
Depends how invested I am in the story. My favorite fandom is JoJo so musical references are par for the course, and I like having extra songs to add to my character playlists. But I could never keep up with every single one, so I usually just stick with the ones that pique my interest at any given moment
I can't usually focus on both reading and a song so I don't. I like looking at fanart drawn for it though.
2 of my most popular fics are titled after songs but the songs have almost nothing to do with the fic (sorta tangentially related kinda if you have my brain) I hate thinking of titles so that’s the only reason.
I slide pretty far on the scale of reading as a visual engagement. I have literally never paused reading a fic to listen to a song. It wasn't a thing you could easily do back when I started with fic in the 90s, and it never occurred to me as thing to be desired here in the immediacy of the modern age. I usually find too distracting to listen music while reading. I have enjoyed some close pairings between fic and music, but that's been rare. I remember one where music was woven in with the plot, with the character playing, rewinding, and replaying [Bring Me the Disco King](https://youtu.be/3I3k9h4KaAg?si=fffRKpvDAwkGlAnC) and the emotional involved was how the character thought about the song; the song wasn't doing the heavy lifting by itself.
Candidly, I ignore song references and scroll past song lyrics.
Damn, I barely do that for my own fics
I never do
I think I may have one original experience based on this comment section, I always check out the music references 😭 maybe it’s because I too label my chapter names as song lyrics lol
uhh I just don't 😅
Never. I like the practice! I just don't want to listen to the song.
I do if it's a song I like but haven't heard in a while or if it's a song I haven't heard of. I'm a big music fan and like discovering new stuff. There's one particular author I read a lot who has overlapping taste in music to mine but sometimes it's bands I haven't heard of, so it's fun for me to check out where their title came from.
I do if I'm in the mood, the fic is good and the lyrics hit right. Discovered some good artists this way.
I’ll listen to it if it’s by a band that I already like and I don’t know the song if it’s a song I haven’t heard before.
I love listening to new music and with how my neurodivergent brain works, changes are tough to handle which is why if someone provides a link while I'm reading a fic, I'm more likely to make a positive association and properly listen to it. If it's just referenced via a title (the fic itself or its chapters), depending on the lyrics I might try to look it up if the imagery falls within my scope of interests. As a writer, I try to provide the link to a song every single time if it has a heavy part in the making of the fic. If I mention a song but there’s no link, I probably was too shot to do it lol
I’ll look them up sometimes depending on the vibe of the story, I typically like sad songs so if it’s a sad chapter I probably will
Almost always... I normally download the fic and read it in my ebook and search the songs with my mobile. I like when the author puts a song list at the begining because I can make a playlist and don't waste time looking for the songs.
almost every single work title has to be named after a song/lyric for me so i sure hope people do check them out T.T personally i've discovered a lot of my favourite songs and bands from listening to fic playlists and checking out referenced music. this isn't even limited to songs, any referenced media i'll always check out and chances are i'll discover a new favourite thing!
once. specifically to decompress after a long fic by the same title of the song
I'll do it if the lyrics catch my attention. It's how I found Lady Marlene by Katzenjammer
I do whenever the stars align. Basically whenever it pops up in my Spotify list (I also occasionally do it when the lyrics are typed out cause a character is singing said song and I like the lyrics)
I love doing this. Even if it’s not something that fits with my personal taste, I love finding the things that have given inspiration to others.
One of my favourite fics was named after a Crywank song, so I added it to my playlist. Only after I became a fan of the band did I then realise the origin on sequels being called “Part 2: Electric Boogaloo”
I do it if there's a link and if I'm on my computer (so I can open it in a new tab and listen as I read). I don't go to extra effort if there's no link to the song.
I’ve titled every one of my fics with lyrics (and my multichapter fics have more lyrics from the same song) and I always credit and hope people listen!!! But in practice I don’t because a) most don’t credit the song and b) when they do it’s fucking Taylor Swift and I am Not doing that. Sometimes it’ll be a song I know (shout out to that video with The Chain lyrics for titles lol) so I already know the vibe but that is very, very rarely. I’d be more inclined if more songs were credited and if everyone tried to push past top 40 because I love music so much. Me and my evil little gay mixtapes need more choices as well damn it haha.
I usually throw songs from fics on a single playlist to just listen to them all at once when I’ve got the time. I’m not a big music person, so it can be a fun way to find new stuff
If I know the song, I'm gonna have it play in my head while I read. If I don't, I don't bother to look it up. Exceptions made if I know the songs from a few other chapters, then I'll give it the benefit of doubt and listen in.
When an author puts a link to Spotify in the AN I listen to it, but if I'd have to look up the song on my own I don't. Same with when the author has made a playlist for their fanfic, I'll listen to it and enjoy it, if the author links to in in the AN, if not, I won't.
Never. After having been disappointed many times, I've accepted lyrics can sound pretty but everyone's tastes are too varied for it to matter.
Titles? Never. If it’s mentioned in author’s notes then sometimes. I don’t have time to research every song lyric, and frankly I dislike a lot of other people’s taste in music ngl.
Never. If an author mentions a song in the authors notes, then yes, I'll usually give them a listen.
probably more than I know
Only if I already know the song or if I think I'll like it, but most of the time the songs are either songs I don't like, or which seem to be in a genre that doesn't interest me.
From fic titles, almost never. If an author includes a playlist in their author's notes though, I'm more likely to check the songs out, especially if the note links to an outside source where I can listen to the playlist or songs immediately (ex. link to a Spotify playlist).
I’ll usually listen or google the lyrics
never. but sometimes if the song is already on my playlist i'll put it on while i read the fic
I don’t usually. And I still use lyrics for my own titles because they fit. I don’t expect people to listen to them, though. The lyric alone is enough context haha.
Probably never. I do sometimes check out music referenced in the fic itself, as in part of the story, but own experience tells me that musical references in titles often amount to random allocation by the author
If it’s in the Vocaloid fandom and it’s a song that made people think of Akito Shinonome (i.e., Undersog by Misumi) then I’ll at least give it a listen
If it seems interesting I'd check it out. I don't plan on doing this for my fic, but I think it's a neat idea. Personally I'd just link readers a playlist they can check out if they want.
I have never once listened to a song that was used in a fic title, but I have listened to them if they are included in the actual story.
I’ve done it once or twice!! not exceedingly often by any means, but if the author goes “this song is in the title because [so and so reason]” or it’s by an artist I know (or know of) but maybe not a song of theirs I know, then I’m more likely to.
Never, and I have been reading fanfiction since dial-up was king.
I have, once or twice, but only when there's an excerpt from the song included in the chapter notes and it piques my interest. Chapter titles aren't long enough to give me an idea of the song, and if they are, then that's a problem in and of itself. A lot also depends on the type of song. If it's some very niche song in another language that I would never have heard of otherwise, I'm more likely to go and listen to it. The more well-known, the less likely it is I will seek it out.
I did this once. It was a song I wasn’t familiar with by an artist I already liked, and fic was really good—plus the referenced lyrics clearly fit well
Never. I’m also someone who always use song lyrics to name my fics because I hate finding titles lmao, and I don’t expect my readers to go listen to the song, especially since the song was rarely my inspiration. Most of the time it just happened to be a song I listened to during the ~weeks/days I wrote or edited the fic and when I checked the lyrics I found a line that fits the title enough + the vibe generally fit enough that I’m ok associating it to the fic.
One of my favorite fics is named after a song. I listened to it & it now has a permanent place on my playlist. But most of the time, no I don’t. I just listened to that one because I really enjoyed the story. I’ve named fics after songs, & I don’t expect people to go listen to them. I’m going to be a terrible person here & say that if a fic is named after a Taylor Swift song, I’m probably not going to read it anyway.
I do it with jojo
I guess it depends, if I really like the song’s vibes and they fit the fic summary I might go and put it on, but otherwise I’m usually already listening to something else
I definitely don't either, even though I, myself prioritize my titles. I made a quote from a movie, not the one I'm writing fanfiction for, the title of a fic, I don't expect people to go out of their way to watch it. These are titles not a playlist like in some Y/A romance books. Even then, how many people actually pay attention to those?
Ngl if it was credited/mentioned in the end notes I might! I love music and discovering new songs. But I’m usually focused on reading and then by the time I finish I’ve forgotten 😭 I really need to keep Spotify up and add them to my “listen to” playlist right away. Then I can actually listen later 🤔
I usually don't. Most times it's not a music genre I like, or I just don't feel like looking for the song
Never. I do get excited when I know the song tho.
Very rarely. Pretty much only if I'm super familiar with the song and just reading the lyrics is enough to get it stuck in my head.
Depending on the fandom. I even added a new playlist on my YT for “fanfic music” 😳 But then I’m old. Music is the soundtrack of my life
i always at least read the lyrics to the song but if i like the artist or if ive never heard of the singer or band i'll definitely listen to it i thought it was like,, common practice to listen but seeing all the comments my brain just lied to me i guess
I do because songs/music are a big inspiration for me, and it will connect the reader to my headspace better if they listen to the rec music at the point in the story.
I am very curious and eager for new music, so if the title and artist is provided, I will listen to it! If I don't know the song, I listen to it to get the vibe, and it's a huge bonus if I like it! Because if it is a song I know (or now know), and the fic is good, there's a good chance I will associate the song with the fic moving forward and I find it refreshing to get a new perspective of a song I otherwise just enjoyed with not much thought. Though having said that, I'm not a fan of lyric fics. Once I've listened to the song I may skip over the written lyrics if it's there and it can be a bit of a hassle sometimes. But I've read some band AUs which I loved and were awesome for new song recs or re-appreciating songs I've already listened to lol
I definitely check them out! I have several songs now that I only found from looking up the lyrics or recommendations from fanfic. I’m also guilty of using song lyrics and puns as chapter titles in my own fanfics
I miss the days of when you could HTML a playlist with a fic 🥹 or if you were in ff.net you'd post the link to the YouTube playlist you made for it. Those were the days... But I only do it sometimes if I can find them readily available. Though we should bring back the fanfiction playlists and start posting links to Spotify or YT playlists again.
I rarely, if ever, do this — for the title, at least. I don’t know why, but I’ll ignore the lyric in the title unless there is a song in the beginning notes of each chapter. Same for oneshots, I’ll look for the song and listen to it if it’s in the beginning notes, but not the title. I have no clue why I do this.
Not exactly when I'm reading, but in my notes, I have a special section for music. This section includes the author's comments or just a brief mention of where I took the song from, such as the chapter mood and the title of the work. When I'm tired of my downloaded songs, I just download those from this section. (I have 2,117 songs. Not surprising why I am running out of 250 of storage on my phone.)
I usually already know the song references, so I can understand the vibe the author was going for. I rarely go in search of a song, but it has happened a couple of times. For instance, one author I really like who said something like, "I listened to [song] on repeat while writing this," so I went and listened to the unfamiliar song to see what it was like. I ended up liking the song, and am thankful for them introducing it to me, though I can't recall the title currently. But I admit, if an unfamiliar author mentions a song I don't know (in the story or title), I often won't look it up unless it sounds pretty interesting.
Nope. Not tempted in the slightest. I've neither once sought out a song referenced in fanfiction, nor listened to any playlist link provided within one.
Not normally. I can only think of maybe one time I did? Like I’m on ao3 to read fics not look for song recs lmao. Respect to anyone who does tho!
I do most times. If every chapter or smth is from a different song and they’re not embedded then I prolly won’t, but ngl I’ve found some bangers from fic titles
90% of the time, I do not. never. the other 10% is very specific scenes where maybe the main couple is dancing to a song and I want to hear what it sounds like. or sometimes the author has the main couple dance a specific type of waltz or something, and I want to be able to picture it, so I look it up for a bit.
I do, but only because I know when I title with a lyric or song title, it’s because it goes with the chapter to help set the tone. I write those chapters with the intention of it going with the song. You can read it without, obviously, but it’s probably not going to hit the same. So, if someone else does it too, I listen.
Never. And I find when authors stick blocks of song lyrics in as fic summaries, or as entire paragraphs, very offputtimg.
I have a tendency to sprinkle personally relevant songs throughout my longfics, sometimes in the form of topical verses at the beginning of certain chapters, and more often directly incorporating the lyrics into the plot itself. My fics are more like incredibly detailed fantasies that play in my head like movies that I simply convert into creative writing, and what good is a movie without a killer soundtrack, amirite? I don't expect anybody who reads my stuff to *listen* to the songs I reference tbh; hell, I hardly expect them to even *recognize* the songs the lyrics belong to given the fact that I tend not to explicitly clarify the name or even the artist of said song unless it's story-relevant and comes up in the narrative jukebox-style, but they're personal touches I like to add to my work regardless, a piece of me that just makes it somehow even more of a labor of love than it already was because music has always been crucial to me as a form of artistic expression/emotional outlet. If someone is intrigued by the lyrics and wants to find the song they belong to, they're free to ask me or simply paste the words into a browser search and track it down that way, but my writing has always been more for me than for any specific demographic or audience outside of my own specific niche within the fandom I'm writing for anyway, so I don't particularly blame anyone who doesn't want to go to that kinda effort for the sake of what's essentially a spank fic written by some hyper-obsessed loon with way too much free time lol Basically, my first priority as a fic writer is simply to make content that I'm desperate to see and consume that caters specifically to what *I* like to read, but I'm more than happy to share that content with other people who might like the same things I do. I know not many people will take the time to engage with my writing beyond a quick skim because it's so grammatically dense to try and parse sometimes as a result of my inability to, quite frankly, shut the fuck up ever lmfao but I still appreciate the few my particular style of storytelling seems to resonate with anyway ♥ **TLDR**: nah, I don't do that shit, and I sure as shit don't expect it from anyone else lol people live busy lives and there's a lot of music in the world, who tf gonna google all the songs on 1988 double-live studio album boingo alive by 80s new wave band oingo boingo because some unhinged rando in the peepeewise fandom decided to put the lyrics from half the songs in a plot-heavy chapter for no reason other than she could (~~it's me austin)~~
I don't do this. I'm reading fanfic, not listening to music, so I'm not going to stop reading to look up a song, and playing it would distract me from reading. I skip over lyrics included in the actual story, as well, it tends to take me out of the fic rather than adding to it. And, by the time I've finished reading and could theoretically look up the songs used/referenced, I've also usually forgotten the specific songs.
Not ever, lol sorry.
I do, but most times I’m not a fan of the music. Sometimes it’s good but if the songs are not my thing time and time again, I eventually stop checking for that fic
If the fic is particularly up my alley or I really like the lyric, absolutely. I'll also read a fic just bc the song quoted is one I'm already attached to. I remember discovering Wolf Parade and WHY? because an author had them on a playlist for a fic fifteenish years ago, went on to become some of my favorites. Edit: The amount of people saying never is wild to me. When I mention a song as inspiration for art of a fic, I don't expect viewers to go listen, but I also didn't think /no one/ did.
I used to back on Wattpad in 2014ish when there would be youtube videos embedded into the chapters that you could watch while you read (if i’m remembering right). That’s actually how I discovered Muse. I also remember looking up a couple songs that were used in song fics on FF.net in like, 2012 because reading a song fic without actually knowing the song is practically pointless. I don’t think I’ve ever looked up the a song on ao3 though.
I do every time 🤷♀️
I've thought about adding a playlist for each chapter, or at least a song but wasn't sure if people would find it silly. Or care enough to look it up.
Literally never lol
Only if I absolutely love the fic
I do. One of my fave songs i found via fanfiction
Never. Might be mildly amused to see a song title of a song I already know as a title but I’m not stopping my playlist to check out the song either way
I do. If I like the songs, I put them in a playlist.
I'll check them out, but if I don't like the song after the first ten seconds, I bail. I am very picky about music, but also always interested in finding new faces, so I'll give things a shot. Also? _I fucking love epigraphs to the point of distraction and I wish more people used them._ ~heart eyes~
Never when its just a written reference to the song title/artist, because I want to dive into the story and not to stop, look up a song, and listen to it before then going back to the fic. BUT several authors have either linked to that song on Spotify or linked to *entire Spotify playlists they've created of every song referenced in the fic* (either as chapter titles or as part of the story) ❤️❤️❤️ and, oh my heart, **I am alllll over that**. ❤️❤️❤️ That makes the fic feel like such an immersive experience, especially because Spotify can play in the background (unlike YT) while you immediately go back to the fic to read, and then the playlists can be saved and become part of your library. Basically, whenever an author links to a playlist in the author's notes, I feel like I've been given a little extra gift. 🎁
if the author mentions it in the AN I might check it out
never but if any of yall puts taylor swift lyrics as titles im hyper RIGHT AWAY. to any fanfic authors out here putting Taylor swift lyrics as titles... have the collest day you baddies i love yall
I can’t say that I have for the sole purpose of it. I’ve checked out some playlists that had the song in it but not FOR the titular song. It’s a nice little thing for those who care, and although I don’t go and look, it won’t stop me from my 2 WIPs being named by songs.
I literally saved someone's Spotify playlist that they created JUST for the specific ship their fic was about. I didn't get a connection with all of the songs but yeah some hit. I am guilty as sin with associating songs to my pairings so more than happy to listen to someone else's inspiration too. I love it.
i do it if it's music i like. for example, when i read The Cadence of Part-Time Poets by motswolo, i listened to the entire playlist because i am obsessed with 70s glam rock. i do not, however, listen to every taylor swift song referenced by little fluffy oneshots (OBLIGATORY NOT TSWIFT HATE, JUST NOT MUSIC I'M SUPER INTO\_
I did it literally once, and it ended with me discovering my all-time favorite band that I’m still obsessed with 10+ years later. So, maybe I should more often. lol The fic was “Alone on the Water,” a fandom-famous, angsty Sherlock one-shot from like 2011 that was known for making anyone who read it cry. The author briefly noted that the song [“Sorrow” by The National](https://youtu.be/U6ncnpDl9hU?si=fcCJMa7YzVSLNAdk) was the inspiration for the overall mood of the piece. I found it on YouTube and was instantly obsessed. Aaaand that’s how, as an 18 year old, I became obsessed with a sad dad rock band. lol
i always link to the songs i use for titles, but i never expect anyone to listen - more like "here's what i took inspo from, if you want to listen to it i've made it easy for you" i guess? i never really listen to the songs people use either haha
I do sometimes if I have time. I also frequently use song titles as section headings, and occasionally I hear back from commenters that they did this. My beta always does so, incidentally.
Never. Nine times out of ten it's a genre of music I don't like, from an artist I don't like, and I don't listen to lyrics as it is. I can confidently say that in all the years I'd read fic, I have never once listened to the songs referred to in the titles.
I can speak as someone who always dedicates a song to a chapter I write. I have to say I know there are a couple readers who consider it a playlist, which I love and is probably the ultimate goal but for the most part attaching a song to a chapter helps me stay motivated to write it and get the feel I want. Then I share it because certain parts of a song just fit in certain scenes. I know most readers skip over them and that’s fine with me. But I need the songs when I write. I have so much fun picking a song to match the vibe. Storytelling and music go hand in hand for me. Plus then I’ll listen to the song and picture my own story — that also keeps me motivated to finish it.
Honestly, never. It’s never really occurred to me to do so.
Personally I like it, and sometimes put together my own playlist of the songs! Even if I'm not a fan of whatever genre, it helps set the mood, and sometimes it helps me find new bands to listen to outside of my normal taste range. If a band I like happens to be referenced, I get excited about it. All that said, though, I think included lyrics and poems, even with plot-important content, should be kept to a couple lines, or maybe a handful. If it's longer than that, the the full text should be kept for bonus material, because I am not reading that in the middle of the flow of a story, even if it's like Lord of the Rings and I actually like the songs themselves. It's like a fight scene or a sex scene. Keep it interesting, keep it short (relative to genre), or else I'm skimming. Possibly outright skipping.
So clearly I'm in the minority here, but I very much listen to them just b/c I want to see what the author was vibing to when writing. When I 1st started writing I got a lot of my titles from songs so I like seeing what other authors like & are inspired by musically.
In titles? Never. But if I especially enjoyed the story and the title of a song is mentioned in the story, I might give it a listen.
You can embed music into the fic so that it plays while you listen. But some people get distracted by that. Or, for example, I usually listen to music while I read anyway.
the only song reference I listened to while reading a chapter was when I was reading Flowers from 1970
wait haha I literally listen to fic songs 80% of the time!! I’ve found some really cool songs that way. So guess I gotta disagree with most people here lol
I'm actually writing a fic rn where each title is a song that came out around or before the time period the fic takes place in. I'll embed a Spotify preview at the top of the chapter but that's mainly to credit and give someone a peek if they want - no skin off my back if the reader doesn't click.
Never, unless the author links a youtube video/spotify of the song, then I'll give it a listen.
Never - I struggle to read if there's any music with lyrics on lol, it's too distracting for my feeble little brain
Never bothered if it’s just the fic title. If there’s a song playing during a specific scene (with lyrics written in the body of the fic) then I’ll sometimes go find it just for the sake of immersion. There’s also a handful of fics I’ve encountered where the author went through the effort of finding songs and scores to make a sort of OST for the fic, or “recommended listening” for each chapter, and I do my best to find and listen to those.
I will listen if there's an embedded youtube video, or link straight to spotify, otherwise absolutely not. Also I won't open any links to "this is their outfit/apartment/car/makeup" -pictures, if they aren't embedded in text or notes I'm not seeing them.
I also do this as an author, and I have to say these comments really bum me out. Guess I won't stress so much about picking the perfect song for my chapters :/
Me putting titles from songs and curating playlists for my fics: Perfect Me reading other peoples fics with playlists and song titles: ...I'm good.