Messages on Hold: What They Are and How to Use Them for Your Business

Updated

Messages on hold are custom audio recordings that play to callers while they wait in a phone queue. They usually combine a spoken script (promotions, hours, website prompts, FAQs) with a music bed, and they're loaded into your phone system so callers hear them instead of silence or a plain ring. If your business puts callers on hold for more than a few seconds, messages on hold turn that dead time into a chance to inform and sell.

How Messages on Hold Work

When a caller reaches your phone system and no one is free to answer, the system places them in a queue. Instead of silence or a repeated tone, it plays an audio file on a loop until an agent picks up.

The basic chain looks like this:

  1. Caller enters the queue — the phone system (PBX, VoIP platform, or hosted service) detects that no line is available.
  2. The system plays the hold audio — a file or playlist is triggered automatically.
  3. The audio loops — callers hear the messages repeat, often with music between spoken segments, until the call connects.

The key point: the messages are just an audio source your phone system plays. That means almost any business phone system can use them, as long as you can upload or point to an audio file.

Messages on Hold vs. On-Hold Music

These two terms get used interchangeably, but they do different jobs.

On-hold music Messages on hold
Content Instrumental music only Spoken script, usually over a music bed
Purpose Fill silence, reduce perceived wait time Inform, promote, and answer common questions
Effort to create Pick a licensed track Write a script, record a voiceover, mix with music
Best for Any queue, minimal setup Businesses with something to say or sell

Most setups use both: music as the base layer, with spoken messages layered on top at intervals. The music keeps the call from feeling empty; the messages do the work.

What to Put in Your Messages

A typical rotation mixes a few short segments so callers hear variety instead of the same line repeated. Common content types:

  • Promotions and offers — seasonal deals, new products, limited-time discounts.
  • Hours and location — holiday schedules, updated opening times, directions.
  • Website and app prompts — "Book online at…" or "Track your order at…" to deflect routine calls.
  • FAQs — answers to the questions your team fields most, so callers can self-serve.
  • Reassurance — "Your call is important; an agent will be with you shortly."

Keep each segment short. Callers are waiting, not listening to a podcast, so a message that runs too long works against you.

The Basic Setup Path

Whether you build it yourself or work with a provider, the steps are the same:

  1. Write the script. Decide what each message says and keep segments brief.
  2. Record the voiceover. Either hire a professional voice or record it yourself.
  3. Add a music bed. Layer licensed music underneath the spoken audio.
  4. Mix and export. Produce a finished audio file in a format your phone system accepts.
  5. Load it into your phone system. Upload the file or point your system to it, then set it as the hold audio source.
  6. Test it. Call your own number, get placed on hold, and confirm the audio plays and loops correctly.

Key Decisions Before You Start

Professional voice vs. DIY recording. A professional voiceover sounds polished and consistent, which matters if your brand depends on a certain impression. DIY recording is faster and cheaper but can sound uneven, and background noise is hard to hide. Choose professional if the messages represent your brand to customers at scale; choose DIY if you're testing the concept or updating very frequently.

How often to update. Messages go stale. Promotions end, hours change, and a hold message advertising last month's sale signals that no one is paying attention. Plan a refresh cadence — monthly or quarterly for most businesses, or whenever an offer or schedule changes.

One message or a rotation? A single looping message gets repetitive fast. A small rotation of three to five segments keeps callers engaged and lets you cover more ground without any one message dragging on.

When Messages on Hold Are Worth It

They pay off when callers regularly wait more than a few seconds and you have something useful to say — an offer, a self-service option, or an answer that saves your team time. They're less useful if hold times are near zero or if you have nothing to communicate beyond music.

If you're unsure, start with one or two simple messages: your website and one promotion. Test it, listen to it as a caller would, and expand from there.