Music is the part of the on-hold experience callers hear most, yet it is often chosen in a hurry, or not chosen at all. The default beeps or a scratchy loop that came with the phone system say something about a business, and it is rarely what the owner intended. A little thought about your on-hold music goes a long way.
Think about who is calling
Start with your callers rather than your own taste. A law firm, a surf shop and a children's dental clinic each have very different audiences. The right track feels like a natural extension of walking into your premises. Ask yourself what your reception area, website or shopfront feels like, then look for music with the same personality.
- Professional services often suit gentle piano, light acoustic or soft orchestral styles.
- Retail and lifestyle brands can carry something brighter and more contemporary.
- Healthcare and wellbeing generally benefit from calm, unhurried music that helps an anxious caller relax.
- Trades and technical businesses can go upbeat and confident without being frantic.
Tempo matters more than genre
A fast, busy track can make waiting feel more stressful, while something very slow can make it drag. A moderate, steady tempo tends to work best for most businesses. Music with a clear melody but without dramatic changes in volume or intensity also helps, because sudden swells can startle someone holding a phone to their ear.
Phone lines change how music sounds
Telephone audio has a much narrower frequency range than a car stereo or headphones. Deep bass and very high detail are largely lost, and dense arrangements can turn to mush. Tracks that sound good on hold usually have a clear lead instrument in the middle range, such as piano, guitar or strings, and not too many layers competing with each other. This is one reason professionally prepared on-hold music is mixed specifically for the phone.
Avoid vocals under your messages
If your hold program combines music with spoken messages, instrumental music is the safer choice. Vocals compete with the voiceover and make your messages harder to understand. Keep songs with lyrics for other settings.
Licensing is not optional
It can be tempting to plug a phone into a radio or play a favourite album, but commercial recordings generally need the right licences to be played to the public, and that includes callers on hold. The simplest way to avoid the issue is to use production music that is cleared for on-hold use. A reputable on-hold provider will be able to explain what is covered so you are not left guessing.
Match music to your messages
When music and voice are produced together, the music can be balanced to sit underneath the voice and the transitions can be smooth. Callers hear a single, polished program rather than a voice that suddenly cuts across a song. It also lets you change the mood for different times of year, perhaps something lighter for summer and something warmer for the holiday season.
Listen like a caller
Before you settle on anything, ring your own number and put yourself on hold for a couple of minutes. Does the music feel right? Is it too loud or too quiet? Does it loop too quickly? Testing on a real phone, rather than computer speakers, gives you a true picture of what customers hear.
Get help choosing
Our team has a large library of on-hold music and can recommend tracks that suit your business and your callers. To hear some options or get a price for a complete on-hold program, contact Media Messages today.