BTGuy: Almost everything in this topic is dependent upon Minhag because so many of these are new issues that never existed before, so it’s hard to have a set Halachah on it and many different people were Noheg many different ways. The point is to show our Aveilus on the Churban. Now, that doesn’t mean Assering everything we can think of and it doesn’t mean Mattering everything. It means you discuss with your Rav whatever would be best for you.
(I remember growing up not listening to any music at all during S’firah and the 3 weeks and I always thought it was an Issur Gamur. Then I remember being shocked when I saw the Nitei Gavriel, who is very far from a Meikil, bring down that the Minhag is to listen to slow songs, even with instruments. I had never even thought that such a Minhag could exist. But it was a great lesson for me in not assuming that what I had ever seen was the be-all end-all for Halachah.)