Our current experience with music has roots that go back as far as 25,000 years in history. Today, music is an integral part of our society. While musical tastes can vary widely, did you know that music has a psychological aspect? Research has shown that we listen to music to feel connected, create self-awareness, and regulate our mood. The latter is especially important when using hold music in business telephony. Music is one of the most powerful tools for evoking emotions.

The Importance of Choosing Hold Music

When a customer tries to contact a business or service, it’s not the most pleasant experience if no one answers on the other end. It’s slightly less annoying if they’re placed in a queue, but it’s still not the most enjoyable experience.

Hold music can help ease this frustration. From a psychological perspective, hold music gives the impression that the five-minute wait flew by and can positively affect the caller’s mood due to its familiarity or cheerful tone. However, this can go both ways—a song heard seven times while waiting can make the wait feel even longer and potentially frustrate the caller further.

Pitfalls of Hold Music

Hold music is a delicate matter. While it can positively influence the person trying to reach your business, many factors determine the caller’s experience. Here are some key points to consider when choosing or using hold music:

  • Hold music played too loudly sets the wrong tone and can be very annoying. Callers may lower their volume, which could lead to issues when the call is answered.
  • Hold music played too softly keeps the caller on the line but can also cause irritation.
  • Default hold music often feels generic and lacks identity, which doesn’t benefit the caller’s perception of your business.
  • Because music strongly influences emotions, negative experiences with the same hold music at another business can unconsciously lead to negative associations with your business.
  • Choosing a popular pop tune might seem like a good idea, but remember that tastes differ, and not everyone is a fan of the same artist or song.
  • Hold music should aim to ease the wait and calm the caller. Choose music that achieves this goal. A hard rock song or a track with pumping beats might have the opposite effect.
  • If you only play hold music, the caller has no idea how many people are ahead of them in the queue or whether their call will be answered. Adding a countdown or a recorded message indicating that their call will be answered soon can be helpful. The choice of voice profile for these messages also significantly impacts the caller’s mood.

It’s clear that hold music is an important part of your business telephony and warrants careful consideration. Think about what music suits your business, what music you want for your queue and customers, and how you can use it to enhance your brand.

Downloading and Using Hold Music

Considering the pitfalls mentioned above, there are many options for downloading and using royalty-free music for your VoIP system.

On the internet, you can find both paid and completely free royalty-free music. Depending on the website, this music can be used for commercial purposes without limits or with a license tied to usage volume.

Using free music might seem like the best solution since it doesn’t incur extra costs, but keep in mind that “free” doesn’t always mean the same thing. Free music files can come with five possible licenses under the Creative Commons (CC) umbrella. Always read the license carefully to avoid unpleasant surprises. Here are the five licenses:

  • CC0 License: Unlimited. Publish, share, modify without restrictions. This is the broadest license with no additional conditions.
  • CC BY License: Attribution. Unlimited license as long as you credit the author.
  • CC BY-SA License: Attribution-Share-Alike. Derivative works can only be distributed under the same license.
  • CC BY-ND License: Attribution-No-Derivatives. Derivative works and remixes are not allowed.
  • CC BY-NC License: Attribution-Non-Commercial. Cannot be used for commercial purposes.

Of these five licenses, only the first is truly usable for a business. Crediting the author in hold music is not practical and could even be perceived as disruptive.

Here’s a brief selection of websites where you can find royalty-free music:

YouTube Audio Library

With a Google account, you can access YouTube’s audio library. It offers a large collection of sound effects and music. The royalty-free background music spans many genres, and you can search by genre, mood, instrument, and length. Be sure to check whether the creator requires attribution.

Newgrounds.com

Like YouTube, Newgrounds has been around for a long time. It also offers royalty-free music, often created by musicians looking to promote their work (and gain recognition). If you’re looking for electronic music, Newgrounds is worth checking out. Note that you’ll need to credit the creator here.

Internet/Audio Archive

Did you know the internet has its own archive? On Internet Archive, specifically Audio Archive, you’ll find a large collection of royalty-free music. Most of it is background music, and you won’t find well-known names here.

Audiojungle

Audiojungle features a collection of 22 different genres and music packs (sets of music with a similar theme) for download. The advantage of Audiojungle is that you can preview the music before deciding to use it.

Electrobel.nl

Still haven’t found the genre you’re looking for? Electrobel.nl offers underground electronic music, including ambient, breakbeat, goa, house, and drum’n’bass. This music is distributed under the Creative Commons license, allowing you to listen and download freely.

Free Music Archive

If you want to explore another archive, the Free Music Archive is worth a look.

The organization behind this website collaborates with various artists and radio stations to offer free music in many genres. Like Electrobel.nl, this site uses the Creative Commons license. Again, check whether the creator requires credit.

Your Queue at Belfabriek

Belfabriek customers have access to an extensive library of free and royalty-free hold music via their app or web portal. You can choose exclusive and original hold music that isn’t already used by many competitors. With this offering, you don’t have to worry about licensing, as Belfabriek has already handled it for you. You can also opt to hire professional voice actors for various periodic messages during the wait. This way, you’ll have not only the most modern phone system but also the most professional queue management approach with Belfabriek.