On June 25th, Bing announced that it has added audio to its homepage.
Through the use of video footage of geese that are taking flight, Bing’s search blog shows how somebody can now turn on sound for the homepage with an audio icon that is located in the lower right corner of the screen inline with the video controls.
Here is an excerpt from the Bing Search Blog:
Over time, we’ve evolved the way we tell stories about our world. In 2011, we released our first HTML5 video homepage. The following year, we enabled users to dive deeper with an interactive panoramic homepage. Then our fans shared that they would love to hear rushing waterfalls, distinct animal calls, or waves lapping the shores of a faraway beach when they see these evocative images on Bing.
For the sake of those who may not want any audio coming from Bing, the audio option is turned off by default. Plus, the audio option won’t necessarily be available on every homepage. According to the announcement notes, if users are interested in checking out this new audio feature, they can look for the audio icon if sound has been included for the day.
Bing has asked through Bing Listens what sounds users would like to hear.