Music on Hold for Business
Turn waiting time into useful time, with hold music and messages that sound like your business.
Indigo Unified Communications sets up music and messages on hold for business phone systems across Glasgow and Scotland. Callers on hold hear music, plus short messages about your services, opening hours or website. 8x8 offers hold music and marketing messages, 3CX lets each department have its own hold music, and Microsoft Teams Phone supports custom hold audio. We supply licence-free music, load and test your audio, and support it from Glasgow.
Why use messages on hold?
Silence on hold makes callers think they've been cut off, and many hang up. Music tells them they're still connected. Short messages make the wait useful: you can answer common questions, promote a service or point people to your website before they reach a person.
Good hold messages are short, specific and updated. A message about a Christmas offer in March tells callers nobody is paying attention.
What can you say on hold?
- Answers to common questions: opening hours, how to book, where to park, how to report a fault.
- Services callers may not know about. For example, a building firm that also does maintenance contracts.
- Self-service options: "You can also book online at…"
- Seasonal updates: holiday opening hours, event dates or weather closures.
- Reassurance: "Thanks for waiting, you're in the queue and we'll be with you shortly."
If callers wait in a queue, messages can also tell them their position or offer a callback. Call queues and wallboards →
How it works on 8x8, 3CX and Teams Phone
| Platform | Hold music and messages |
|---|---|
| 8x8 | Hold music and marketing messages on hold |
| 3CX | System-wide music on hold. Since 3CX V20 Update 10 (August 2026), each department can have its own hold music, from uploaded audio, a recording or a shared library |
| Microsoft Teams Phone | Microsoft's default hold music, which is free of royalties for your organisation, or your own uploaded audio assigned by policy to different users. Streaming from supported hold-music services is also possible |
Per-department hold audio is useful if you run several brands, sites or services on one system. Your sales line can promote offers while your support line gives fault-reporting tips.
Do you need a music licence for music on hold?
Often, yes. This is general guidance, not legal advice.
In the UK, playing commercially released music to callers on hold usually needs TheMusicLicence from PPL PRS, the joint licensing company for PPL and PRS for Music. That is PPL PRS's own guidance for any business using commercially released music on its telephone system. It doesn't publish prices for on-hold music, so it quotes on request.
You may not need it if you use music that isn't controlled by PPL or PRS, such as properly licensed royalty-free or production music, or if your music supplier's licence already covers you. PPL PRS advises asking your supplier for confirmation if you think your music isn't covered. Keep that confirmation on file.
Microsoft states that its default Teams hold music is free of royalties for your organisation, but if you upload your own, you're responsible for clearing the rights.
The simplest route is licence-free music. We supply licence-free hold music and arrange professional voice artist recordings for your messages.
What we set up
- Hold music and messages loaded on your platform and tested from an outside line
- Different audio per department, site or brand where your platform supports it
- Out-of-hours and holiday messages alongside your IVR and auto attendant →
- Licence-free hold music, and messages recorded by a professional voice artist
- A check that any music you supply is licensed or licence-free before it goes live
- Menu, greeting and hold message changes after go-live, included in your support
Who it suits
- Leisure and entertainment venues: promote events and point callers to online booking while they wait. Leisure and entertainment →
- Construction firms: mention the services callers may not know you offer. Construction →
- Charities: share helpful information or a donation line while supporters wait, and check whether your music licence position differs as a charity. Phone systems for charities →
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a licence for music on hold in the UK?
Usually, if you use commercially released music. PPL PRS says businesses using commercially released music on their phone system will usually need TheMusicLicence. If you use royalty-free or production music that PPL and PRS don't control, or your music supplier's licence covers you, you may not. Get written confirmation from your supplier.
Can we record our own on-hold messages?
Yes. You can record messages yourself, or we can arrange a professional voice artist, then load the audio on your phone system. 8x8, 3CX and Microsoft Teams Phone all support custom hold audio. Keep messages short, around 20 to 40 seconds each, and mix them with music so callers don't hear the same line repeatedly.
Can different departments have different hold music?
On 3CX, yes. Since V20 Update 10 in August 2026, each department can have its own hold music. On Microsoft Teams Phone, different hold audio can be assigned to different users by policy. Indigo Unified Communications sets this up so each team's callers hear the right messages.
Is Microsoft Teams hold music royalty-free?
Microsoft says the default hold music supplied with Teams is free of any royalties payable by your organisation. If you upload your own music or messages, you're responsible for clearing the rights, which for commercial music usually means TheMusicLicence from PPL PRS.
How often should we change our on-hold messages?
Review them at least every few months, and whenever opening hours, offers or services change. Out-of-date messages, such as a finished promotion or old opening hours, frustrate callers and create extra calls. A short seasonal update, for example holiday hours, keeps the line sounding current.
Book a free phone system review
We'll listen to what your callers hear today and suggest hold messages that answer their questions before they reach you. You'll get a written recommendation within 2 working days.