Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Playing music in flat

27 replies

Lucylusmum · 14/05/2016 21:38

When is it an acceptable time or should people just sit in headphones all day?
Is playing music from 1pm-3pm acceptable?

OP posts:
Mari50 · 14/05/2016 21:44

Depends how loud you want to be playing it. If you want very loud then no time is acceptable, if volume is reasonable (what is reasonable?) then 10am- 10pm. The kind of music you're playing may also be relevant- death metal isn't to everyone's taste, neither are little mix, and repeating tracks is a big no-no. It's tricky because how something sounds to the listener and how it sounds next door can be entirely different and a thumping bass line can drive people to distraction.

ijustwannadance · 14/05/2016 21:46

Depends on how loud? Type of music? If neighbours work odd shifts and sleep during the day?

In flats the bass can boom through walls and floors and can seem louder than being in your room.
If you like trance/house music you will always be VVVU

Original poster
Lucylusmum · 14/05/2016 22:51

neither of my neighbours work, above and below, im in the middle. I dont have base as was playing on my tv which goes up to 100 but i was playing on 25
downstairs started slamming doors and upstairs started copying the songs i was playing then slammed his door and went out. Very childish and pathetic.
I dont even usually play music but I did as was doing diy in the kitchen.
Both these neighbours make noise themselves with TV's or stomping or slamming doors or arguing, its not like they are completely silent.

OP posts:
Original poster
Lucylusmum · 14/05/2016 22:52

wasn't trance lol was hiphop/Rnb

OP posts:
AliceInUnderpants · 14/05/2016 22:55

If it was pissing off neighbours both up and downstairs, chances are it was too loud, especially if you were listening to it from another room whilst doing DIY

AnchorDownDeepBreath · 14/05/2016 22:59

Hmm... I have a flat and play music but the neighbours have never complained.

I have a TV that goes up to 100, and 25 would be deafening, but I'm guessing that's not the case for your TV so it's hard to judge! Maybe put music on then go down a level and see if you can hear it? Not now though!

GirlOverboard · 14/05/2016 23:03

If your neighbours can identify which song you're playing then it's too loud IMO. I live in a flat too and it's difficult to judge how loud the TV or music would sound to my neighbours, so I just try and keep them as quiet as possible (whatever the time of day). I listen to music with headphones 99% of the time, as I like my music quite loud. But yeah, if BOTH sets of neighbours are slamming their doors, then it definitely needs turning down.

FlibbertigibbetArmadillo · 14/05/2016 23:05

If you are playing it loud enough that not only does it bother upstairs and downstairs but they can identify the song, it is much too loud and YABU!

WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeG0es · 14/05/2016 23:08

If they can tell what you are playing then yes, it's too loud.

Spam88 · 15/05/2016 00:03

I disagree with a lot of the posts above actually.

I live in a flat. I never play music but my downstairs neighbours do. They seem particularly keen on a bit of R n B in the mornings before I get out of bed, sometimes it's like there's a DJ in my bedroom... A really shit DJ. There have been a couple of occasions where their music was so loud in the evenings that I've had to turn my TV up really loud just to be able to hear it. Their TV can also be very loud sometimes, it's a shame we don't have similar taste in TV programs actually because I could save money on a TV licence and just listen to theirs.

All that being said, as long as the noise is within reasonable hours I would never dream of complaining (or slamming doors). And equally on weekend I wouldn't complain about music that went on to the early hours. Even if you were blasting your music from 1-3pm then I don't think it's unreasonable... Assuming of course that there are no young babies or people working funny shifts who may have been trying to sleep that you're aware of.

Definitely agree with Mari50 about repeating songs though. I quite liked that Years & Years song until my neighbours played it about 10 times on repeat. I'm pretty sure that's what hell is like.

ijustwannadance · 15/05/2016 00:17

I once had a ground floor flat and the weirdo upstairs played "oo ah just a little bit" by Gina G on repeat for about 2 weeks in the evenings. Bloody torture.

Still makes me twitchy if I hear it now.

silverpenny · 15/05/2016 00:32

That Gina G song was one of our less shit Eurovision entries though!

PaulAnkaTheDog · 15/05/2016 00:43

If both neighbours can hear it it's too loud.

Original poster
Lucylusmum · 15/05/2016 01:02

so its acceptable for them to make noise but not me? That is my issue here really.

OP posts:
Original poster
Lucylusmum · 15/05/2016 01:04

looool ijustwannadance,
I had a neighbour before upstairs who used to play whitney houston I will always love you on repeat. My next door neighbour started to sing along to it loudly it was so funny. Upstairs turned it off after she heard him singing it badly ha

OP posts:
PaulAnkaTheDog · 15/05/2016 01:05

Well retaliate with music all you want but it ain't going to help the situation, is it?

Original poster
Lucylusmum · 15/05/2016 01:07

I am in the middle so it is obvious both of them will hear it. However I can hear downstairs TV everyday which is loud and he slams doors.
Upstairs stomps around and I know it sounds hard to believe but I am almost certain he follows me around. I have goggled it so i am not crazy and his video games and weed smoking.
i never complained about either of them which is why i am a bit shocked of the behaviour because I am playing music at 1pm

OP posts:
Original poster
Lucylusmum · 15/05/2016 01:08

Paul I wasn't playing it purposely, I was doing DIY in the kitchen

OP posts:
PaulAnkaTheDog · 15/05/2016 01:11

I get that but my point was they make noise that bugs you and you make noise that bugs them. Nothing you can really do, is there?

Original poster
Lucylusmum · 15/05/2016 01:38

Oh i see yes

OP posts:
teafortoads · 15/05/2016 09:55

I adore hearing the fishwife next door (terraced house, paper thin walls) warbling away to Adele. Hilarious!

NapQueen · 15/05/2016 09:57

If they can hear your music enough to know which song it is then yes it is too loud.

I've a Samsung TV (not sure what yours is), which goes to 100 on volume. For day to day TV it's on 8. 6 for kids TV. 10 for music (and even then only if I'm cleaning the house - generally I'd leave it on 8).

BrandNewAndImproved · 15/05/2016 09:59

I live in a flat but I have a loud speakers and Base in my car to get my loud music and sing along fix.

I do put the radio on the TV when I'm tidying up and my upstairs neighbour doesn't complain. But she's a noisy cow so doesn't have any ground to stand on to complain about any of my noise.

WeAllHaveWings · 15/05/2016 10:13

my tv which goes up to 100 but i was playing on 25

my TV goes up to 100 but we listen to it on 9 or 10. Which is reasonably loud as my hearing is crap.

Living in flats, if your TV is in your living room and you were playing it loud enough to hear in the kitchen while you are doing DIY you are playing it too loud. A radio/speaker in the kitchen at a lower sound level is much more considerate.

NaughtToThreeSadOnions · 15/05/2016 10:35

I have my TV on 25 and by no means the loudest in my block I mean I can still hear phone conversations from downstairs. (Would really rather not hear him at all just generally)
He has an obsession with singing the same 5 songs on his Karoke machine, repeatedly, his neighbour is often playing instruments. So maybe my block is just very tolerant.

Just for those going if you can hear your tv in the kitchen it's too loud. You do realise that in many flats the only thing that seperates the kitchen from the living room is a stud wall with a arch no door in it. I could hear my tv in my kitchen if it was on 3! Its right next to it!

But no you don't have to wear head phones all day but if upstairs can hear it well enough to make out the words and copy it then it's too loud!

It's impossible to be silent in flats their going to hear pretty much your every move as you here theirs. See you found it funny when the upstairs neighbour used to copy the others Whitney Houston but your offended that they were annoyed with yours and copied yours.

But I tend to say 9 am to 11, anything thing that would make a noise and be too loud.

Swipe left for the next trending thread