Instant Elevator Music

Whether you're copying, downloading, or opening them, big files mean long waits. Soothe your irritated nerves with Ben Stone's Instant Elevator Music. This small free/donationware program plays a pleasant tune in a loop while your PC does its thing.

By default, Instant Elevator Music starts playing when Windows or supported programs perform certain actions. It will play while Microsoft Office opens, for instance, or while you copy a file. If you have Firefox's "Show the download window while downloading a file" option selected in Firefox, IEM will play its gentle tones in a loop as you download, say, Corel Painter. You can also set IEM to play during boot time, to ignore certain programs, and so on.

The installed tune is KMAX's "Mario's Elevator." If you tire of this mild, synthesized tune, you can add your own MP3s to play instead. You can have the elevator music stay silent if you're already listening to music on iTunes, Winamp, or (with a component Instant Elevator Music prompts you to download if desired) Foobar2000.

Instant Elevator Music tracks the amount of time you spend "stuck in an elevator." Amusing as that is, it's also a good reminder of how much productivity you can squander drumming your fingers in irritation, waiting for Photoshop to open. The music ensures you don't simply forget you had a massive file downloading, but it also tells you when the task is complete. Instant Elevator Music frees you up to do something else at your desk while you wait, and that's an uplifting idea.

Note: This program is donationware. It is free to use, but the author accepts and encourages donations towards further development.

--Laura Blackwell