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The modern way to add sound—a visible <audio> player:
HTML <bgsound> Tag
Overview
What You’ll Learn
By the end of this tutorial, you’ll understand legacy background sound markup and what to use instead in modern HTML.
Historical Syntax
How <bgsound> auto-played audio via a src attribute.
IE-Only Attributes
Understand loop, volume, and balance from old Internet Explorer.
Deprecated Status
Why <bgsound> is not part of HTML5 and is ignored today.
bgsound vs audio
Compare legacy auto-play with the modern <audio> element.
Modern Replacement
Use <audio> with controls, loop, and muted.
Legacy Maintenance
Recognize bgsound in old tutorials and migrate to HTML5 audio.
Fundamentals
What Was the <bgsound> Tag?
The <bgsound> element was a non-standard, IE-specific void tag that pointed to a sound file via src. The browser played it automatically in the background with no visible controls.
Deprecated — Use <audio> Instead
Do not use <bgsound> in new projects. Modern browsers ignore it. Use the HTML5 <audio> element with controls so users can play, pause, and mute.
In the 1990s and early 2000s, developers used <bgsound> for ambient music and sound effects. Today the same goals are met with <audio>, which supports user controls and cross-browser formats.
use-audio-instead.html
<audio src="/audio/count.mp3" controls loop muted>
Your browser does not support the audio element.
</audio>Foundation
📝 Syntax (Historical)
Legacy HTML placed <bgsound> in the document body with a src pointing to an audio file:
syntax.html
<bgsound src="soundfile.wav"><bgsound>is a void element—no closing tag or inner content.- Sound started automatically on page load with no built-in pause or mute UI.
- Supported mainly in Internet Explorer; modern browsers ignore the tag entirely.
Cheat Sheet
⚡ Quick Reference
| Attribute | Code Snippet | Notes |
|---|---|---|
src | <bgsound src="file.wav"> | URL to WAV, MIDI, or MP3 (IE only) |
loop | loop="infinite" | Repeat sound continuously (IE only) |
volume | volume="50" | 0–100 volume level (IE only) |
balance | balance="0" | Stereo balance -100 to 100 (IE only) |
Modern loop | <audio loop> | Boolean attribute on HTML5 audio |
Modern controls | <audio controls> | User-visible play/pause/mute UI |
Comparison
⚖️ <bgsound> vs <audio>
The HTML5 <audio> element replaced background sound with a cross-browser, user-controlled API:
| Feature | <bgsound> | <audio> |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Deprecated, IE-only | HTML5 standard, all modern browsers |
| User controls | None | controls attribute |
| Autoplay | Always on page load | autoplay + usually muted |
| Loop | loop="infinite" | Boolean loop attribute |
| Accessibility | No pause UI | Users can stop playback |
migration.html
<!-- Legacy (do not use) -->
<bgsound src="background_music.mp3" loop="infinite">
<!-- Modern replacement -->
<audio src="/audio/count.mp3" controls loop muted>
Your browser does not support the audio element.
</audio>Reference
🧰 Attributes (Historical)
Internet Explorer recognized these attributes on <bgsound>:
src RequiredURL of the sound file to play on page load.
src="/audio/count.mp3"loop IE onlySet to infinite to repeat the sound continuously.
loop="infinite"volume IE onlyVolume level from 0 to 100.
volume="50"balance IE onlyStereo balance from -100 (left) to 100 (right).
balance="0" attributes.html
<bgsound src="/audio/count.mp3" loop="infinite">All bgsound attributes are historical only. The entire element is deprecated and ignored by modern browsers.
Hands-On
Examples Gallery
Historical bgsound patterns plus the modern <audio> replacement. Legacy examples are for learning only—they will not play in modern browsers.
Legacy Background Sound
How <bgsound> looked in old HTML. For learning only—it will not play in modern browsers.
⚠️ This tag is ignored by all modern browsers.
legacy-bgsound.html
<bgsound src="/audio/count.mp3">📚 Common Use Cases (Historical)
In the 1990s and early 2000s, developers used <bgsound> for ambient music and sound effects. Today the same goals are met with <audio>.
Looping Background Music
IE supported loop="infinite" to repeat background music. The <audio> tag uses the boolean loop attribute instead.
loop-bgsound.html
<bgsound src="/audio/count.mp3" loop="infinite">Modern <audio> Replacement
This is what beginners should use today. The controls attribute gives users a play/pause button; add muted if you need autoplay.
audio-replacement.html
<audio src="/audio/count.mp3" controls autoplay loop muted>
Your browser does not support the audio element.
</audio>🧠 How <bgsound> Worked
1
Author added bgsound with src
Point src at a WAV, MIDI, or MP3 file in the page body.
Markup
2
IE played sound on load
Internet Explorer started playback automatically with no visible player.
IE only
3
HTML5 audio replaced it
The <audio> element brought cross-browser sound with user controls.
Evolution
=
Today: use <audio>
Learn bgsound for history. Build real projects with the <audio> tag.
Compatibility
Browser Support
<bgsound> was Internet Explorer only. Modern browsers never supported it and ignore the tag entirely.
Deprecated · Not in HTML5
Ignored by all modern browsers
Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and Opera never implemented <bgsound>. Only legacy Internet Explorer played background sound this way.
0% Modern support
Google Chrome Never supported · Ignored
Not supportedMozilla Firefox Never supported · Ignored
Not supportedApple Safari Never supported · Ignored
Not supportedMicrosoft Edge Never supported · Ignored
Not supportedInternet Explorer Legacy only · EOL
Legacy onlyOpera Never supported · Ignored
Not supportedWhy bgsound was replaced
No user controls, poor accessibility, and HTML5 audio made the tag obsolete.
No pause or mute UI Users could not stop auto-playing background music
A11yHTML5 <audio> Cross-browser sound with controls and multiple formats
Replacement<bgsound> tag 0% modern support
Bottom line: Do not use <bgsound> in new projects. Use the HTML5 <audio> element instead.
Wrap Up
Conclusion
The <bgsound> tag is a piece of web history—useful to recognize in old code, but not for new sites. Beginners should learn the <audio> tag for all webpage sound, always include controls, and respect modern autoplay policies with muted when needed.
Pro Tips
💡 Best Practices
✅ Do
- Use
<audio>for all sound in new projects - Always add
controlsso users can pause or mute - Include fallback text inside
<audio> - Learn
bgsoundonly to read legacy HTML
❌ Don’t
- Use
<bgsound>in any new HTML code - Autoplay loud music without user consent
- Expect bgsound to work outside old Internet Explorer
- Hide audio controls when users need to stop playback
Summary
Key Takeaways
Knowledge Unlocked
Six truths every developer should know about <bgsound>
Bookmark these before you ship — they’ll keep you on the modern HTML5 path.
6
Core concepts 01
Deprecated Tag
<bgsound> played background audio in old IE only—not part of HTML5.
02
Auto-Play Only
No visible controls—users could not pause or mute background music.
Behavior 03
Use <audio> Today
HTML5 <audio> with controls is the modern replacement.
04
Loop Attribute
loop="infinite" on bgsound became boolean loop on audio.
05
Modern Browsers Ignore It
Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and Opera never supported bgsound.
Compatibility 06
Autoplay Needs muted
Modern browsers require muted for autoplay policies.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
It embedded background sound that played automatically when a page loaded, mainly in Internet Explorer, with no visible player controls.
No. It is deprecated and not in the HTML5 spec. Modern browsers ignore it.
The HTML5
<audio> element. Use controls, and optionally autoplay, loop, and muted.Primarily Internet Explorer. Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge never natively supported it.
No. Learn it to understand old HTML, but always use
<audio> for real projects.Learn the Modern Way
Skip deprecated bgsound. Practice background audio with the HTML5 audio tag in the Try It editor.
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