What Are Custom On Hold Messages and How Are They Made?

Updated 2026-09-22

Custom on hold messages are scripted, professionally voiced recordings that play for callers while they wait on the phone. Unlike generic recordings or music-only hold time, they are written specifically for your business, recorded with a voice that matches your brand, mixed with licensed background music, and delivered as an audio file you load into your phone system. The goal is to turn dead air into a few minutes of useful, on-brand communication.

Custom Messages vs. Generic Recordings vs. Music Only

The three options are often lumped together, but they do different jobs.

Option	What the caller hears	Effort required	Typical use
Music only	Continuous instrumental or licensed tracks	Minimal — pick a station or playlist	Simple call queues where you just want to avoid silence
Generic recording	A stock voice saying "Please hold" or "Your call is important to us"	Low — often built into the phone system	Basic courtesy messaging with no business-specific content
Custom on hold messages	Your greeting, promotions, hours, website, and other details, voiced and mixed with music	Moderate — scriptwriting, recording, and periodic updates	Businesses that want hold time to inform, cross-sell, or reduce repeat questions

The practical difference is content ownership. A generic recording says nothing about your business. A custom message can mention your appointment booking page, a seasonal promotion, or the fact that your team is answering another call — all in your own tone of voice.

What Usually Goes Into a Custom On Hold Message

Most productions rotate through a small set of message segments rather than looping one long recording. Common content elements include:

Greeting and reassurance — Thanking the caller, confirming they've reached the right place, and letting them know someone will be with them.
Hours and location — Especially useful for callers who reached you after hours or are deciding whether to visit.
Promotions and offers — A current special, a new service, or a limited-time discount.
Website and self-service mentions — Pointing callers to online booking, order tracking, or a FAQ page so they can skip the wait.
Seasonal or event notices — Holiday hours, weather-related delays, or a temporary change in service.
Frequently asked questions — Short answers to the questions your team handles most, which can reduce call time.

A typical production might include four to eight short segments that play in rotation, so a caller on hold for several minutes hears variety instead of the same sentence twice.

How the Production Process Typically Works

While every provider differs, the standard workflow for custom on hold messages usually follows these steps.

1. Discovery and scripting

You share details about your business: what you do, who calls you, what you want callers to know, and any promotions or hours you want mentioned. A scriptwriter turns that into short, spoken-word copy. Good hold scripts are written for the ear, not the page — short sentences, no jargon, and a clear point per segment.

2. Script review and approval

You review the draft and request changes. This is the stage to check facts: phone numbers, URLs, dates, prices, and legal or compliance language. Once approved, the script is locked for recording.

3. Voiceover recording

A professional voice talent records the approved script. You may be able to choose a voice style — warm and conversational, formal and corporate, or energetic — and sometimes a specific accent or language. Many providers also offer multilingual versions.

4. Music selection and mixing

Licensed background music is mixed under the voice at a level that keeps speech clear. Music licensing matters here: using commercial tracks without a license can create legal exposure, so providers typically supply music cleared for business phone use.

5. Delivery in your phone system's format

The finished audio is delivered as a file in the format your phone system accepts. Common formats include WAV and MP3, and some systems require specific settings such as 8 kHz mono, 16-bit, u-law, or A-law encoding. If you are unsure, your phone system vendor or IT contact can confirm the required format.

6. Loading and testing

You or your phone administrator uploads the file to the auto-attendant, hold queue, or voicemail system. Then call your own number from an outside line and listen through the entire rotation to confirm volume, clarity, and correct sequencing.

How Updates and Rotation Work

Hold messages go stale. A promotion that ended, a phone number that changed, or holiday hours that no longer apply all create confusion for callers. Most businesses update their messages on a schedule tied to their marketing calendar — quarterly, seasonally, or whenever something material changes.

Updates usually mean re-recording only the affected segments rather than the whole production. If your provider keeps your script and voice talent on file, a single changed segment can be re-recorded and re-mixed without redoing everything. When you plan a production, ask two questions up front:

How are updates priced and scheduled?
How quickly can a time-sensitive change (a closure, a price change) go live?

Technical Setup: What You Actually Need

Custom on hold messages work with most business phone systems, including:

Traditional PBX systems — Messages are often loaded via a management interface or an audio input.
Hosted VoIP and cloud phone systems — Usually uploaded through a web portal as an audio file.
Auto-attendants and IVR menus — The same recordings can often be reused for greetings and menu prompts.

You do not need special hardware in most cases. What you do need is access to the system's audio management interface, the correct file format, and someone who can test the result from an outside line. If your phone system is managed by a vendor, they can usually load the file for you.

Practical Benefits, Stated Carefully

Custom on hold messages are a communication channel you already own — callers are on the line and paying attention. Businesses use them to:

Answer common questions before the caller reaches a person
Direct callers to self-service options like online booking or order tracking
Keep callers informed about hours, locations, and current offers
Present a consistent, professional brand experience during the wait

What they are not is a guaranteed revenue driver. Whether they help depends on your call volume, how relevant the content is, and how well it is produced. Treat them as a low-cost way to make hold time useful rather than as a performance channel with predictable returns.

A Simple Template for Your First Script

If you are drafting your own segments before working with a producer, this structure covers the essentials:

Segment 1 — Greeting: "Thanks for calling [Business Name]. All of our representatives are currently helping other callers, and we'll be with you as soon as possible."

Segment 2 — Self-service: "Did you know you can [book an appointment / track your order / view our menu] at [website]? That's often the fastest way to get what you need."

Segment 3 — Hours and location: "Our hours are [days and times]. We're located at [address], with parking available [detail]."

Segment 4 — Promotion: "This month, we're offering [specific offer]. Just mention it when you speak with our team."

Segment 5 — Closing reassurance: "Thanks for your patience. We appreciate your call and look forward to helping you."

Keep each segment under about 20 seconds, and aim for a total rotation of two to four minutes.

Choosing a Provider

When comparing options, look at what is included rather than just the headline service: scriptwriting, number of voice options, music licensing, file format support, update turnaround, and how revisions are handled. Ask for a sample in your industry, and confirm that the music is licensed for business phone use. If pricing is not published, request a quote that spells out the initial production and any ongoing update costs, so you can compare total cost rather than a single fee.