Why You Need Licensed Music for Your Hold Line

Guitar player on stage

So you’ve heard…in order to keep callers happy, you need to play music when you put them on hold. You’re thinking I’ll just use that snappy piece I downloaded last week…or maybe your new phone system already comes with music (sort of).

Hold the phone! There’s stuff you need to know. Number 1, the music requires a license. And number 2, it actually has to entertain the caller, not irritate the stuffing out of them.

Hold music is considered a performance

Playing music on your telephone’s hold system (whether it be on-hold productions, music from a CD or downloaded from the internet, etc., or even a radio) is considered commercial use.  In other words, it’s not the same as personal use. By federal copyright law, businesses are required to pay annual performance and royalty fees.  These fees go to the talent as well as to the writers, composers, and musicians who created the music that plays on their hold system.  To make this easier, there is an organization called “SOCAN” that takes care of this for you…or even better, a subscription to On-Hold Marketing Inc. where personal service makes it all a snap.

music licensing

Performance fees are set by the Copyright Board of Canada and collected by SOCAN.  Music-on-hold is subject to tariff # 15 and 16.  For rates, visit www.socan.ca. You could pay a hefty penalty if you are caught not having the music licensing when you play copyrighted music. Our company must comply with these laws. On-Hold Marketing has its own licensed music; we pay our writers, composers, and musicians their royalties directly. Rest at ease with service from On-Hold Marketing, all applicable royalty and performance fees for all sites documented are included.

On-Hold Marketing offers licensed music

There’s also an added bonus…playing our licensed music and On-Hold message instead of a radio will ensure you are advertising your own company and not a competitor.  Imagine if a potential customer is on hold at your company and hears your competitors’ ad playing on the radio.  That would not be productive use of hold time for your company.

Give us a call today at 888-466-4653 and let us help your company avoid music licensing worries. You can also have a listen to our muisc samples at www.onhold.on.ca/samples/#music.

Music is not math. It’s science. You keep mixing the stuff up until it blows up on you, or it becomes this incredible potion.” – Bruno Mars

Add some life to your phone system

We can help you add some professionalism to your auto-attendant system or better market your special offers to callers who are waiting on-hold.

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or call 1-888-466-4653