It seems pretty self-explanatory: on-hold messages are messages that play “on hold” over your telephone system. These professionally produced recordings are also an integral part of your company’s marketing strategy. By providing timely, relevant information about your business, an on-hold messaging program reinforces current marketing campaigns and builds brand recognition. This in turn increases call retention by improving the caller experience. To top it all off, it also increases sales by targeting key demographics.
Where this creates an extra snag with music on hold is that the loudest part of a song doesn’t typically come in until the final chorus or reprise. This means that if you just listen to the first 10 seconds to check that your new hold music is working, then chances are you’ll be blissfully unaware that three minutes into holding (just as customers are beginning to feel irritated anyway), you start playing a sound like fingernails on a blackboard to them.

Thank you for calling BusinessCo. Unfortunately, all our Business Representatives are currently attending to other enquiries. Your call is important to us, so please leave your name, phone number and a short message and we will return your call by the end of the business day. Thank you.
Someone is late for the conference call, so the music starts. "Well, I've been sitting here all day," the song begins, sort of croony, with a vaguely country affect — the kind of opening that leads you to expect there is, somewhere, an ex-lover who probably isn't coming back. A certain variety of pining. But then, a few bars in, a turn: "Yes I'm waiting on this conference call, all alone. And I'm on hold, yes I'm on hold... I hope it's not all day, ey!"