Corporate cost-cutting and new technology have resulted in the advent of automated systems that can make the on-hold experience even more frustrating. It can feel near-impossible to get a human on the phone these days, which a national survey conducted by Consumer Reports found to be Americans' second-greatest annoyance, after hidden fees but beating out inaccurate weather reports and dog poop. Green observes that often people call as a last resort, because something on the website wasn't clear, perhaps, and they really need an answer quickly. So callers are captive listeners, a state often associated with the gridlock of waiting, whether in line at a Starbucks, in a dentist's chair, or in the proverbial elevator making its slow way up.
For example, if you have the same people calling multiple times a week and being put on hold for long periods of time, it might be useful to update your messaging more frequently so they are getting value out of the time they are spending on hold. The more specific and targeted your voice messages are, the more impactful and successful they’ll be as a marketing tool.

VoIP, or Voice Over IP, is becoming a very popular alternative to traditional phone lines. This type of service operates over the internet, allowing businesses to make calls without paying for a regular phone service. If you use VoIP, that is no reason to forego on hold messaging. In fact, many services are now VoIP compatible. This makes your low-cost phone option that much better, because you can still enjoy the same useful marketing service.
“Did you know?...as well as providing top quality on hold messages, Media Music Now has a library of around 4000 hand-selected quality tracks of royalty free music; can provide custom written music from a choice of composers; offers professional voice-overs and a whole range of audio editing services including podcast and audio book production”