Music On Hold News

Shopping Music On Hold System? 2 More Tips

If you’re looking into getting a music on hold system to help callers endure on-hold time, you’re not alone. Every day I speak with owners of small businesses, technicians, marketers and office personnel who are looking for advice. In our previous post we mentioned 5 Tips.

As promised, here are more considerations that will help you make a smart hold messaging purchase.

Request A Custom Demo. Typically, message on hold providers will play an audio sample of messages on hold they’ve produced for other businesses. That’s fine, but it doesn’t really show you what they’ll do for you. Will you get the same voiceover/announcer, script quality, production quality, etc. as the sample? The only way to know for sure is to discuss your business with a music on hold producer. Let them take a couple of days to write up a short script–about your business. Listen to the voiceover for your actual production. Listen to how the music works with the voice. You don’t need to be completely satisfied, as the script can be modified, the music can be changed, etc., but the demo should tell you if the producer “gets” your business. Also, consider how the production process was handled. Were deadlines met? Did the script speak to the caller, or was it all fluff and corporate-speak? Don’t let the script writer get away with using a boring template.

Is The Music Licensed? I’m assuming you haven’t been staying up at night studying copyright law, and I’m  not a lawyer either, but I have learned about the proper way to use music in my business. Please review my report, Understanding Music On Hold Copyright. Since the telephone is a wired communications device regulated by the Federal Communications Commission, any use of music on hold is considered a re-broadcast. Check your telephone equipment manual. Chances are, it includes a warning against use of unlicensed music. Here’s the point: not all music and message on hold providers cover the performance license you need. If the music on hold provider cannot explain how you’re covered, be suspicious. Please visit a page on our site called How To use Music On Hold Legally for more information.

REVIEW:

1. Contract or No Contract? You may not be served well by a contract or pay-as-you-go program.
2. What Is A Message? Be sure you understand the difference between a “message” and a “paragraph”.  Terms can be tricky.
3. Get To Know Your Phone System. If you already have music on hold, find out how the audio gets into your phones. If you don’t have any audio on hold now, learn the make and model of the phones or phone system.
4. How Often Will You Change Your Message? Ask about discounts for multiple messages; don’t buy more messages that you realistically will use.
5. Beware of Unnecessary  Installation and Setup Fees. You may be able to install yourself and save.

BMI: Check Providers For Proper Music On Hold Licensing

Just because you use a vendor for music on hold/messaging on hold does not guarantee that your music licensing is covered. Here’s a clip from the BMI website:

Q: Does The Price Of The Music-On-Hold System We Purchased Include Performance Licensing Fees?

A: Some providers of customized music-on-hold programming may include music licensing fees in their price. Others offering this service may be creating liabilities for uninformed clients because they utilize unlicensed music for on-hold productions. If you are uncertain, ask your service whether or not they do include the music licensing fees in their price and to put this in writing.

Easy On Hold provides proper music performance rights with every purchase. Through an agreement with a major studio music firm, Easy On Hold pays all rights to allow its clients to use their productions royalty free.

Different kinds of royalties–beware.
When you see “royalty free” something or other, remember that there are different types of royalties or residuals, such as mechanical right versus performance rights. Whose job is it to understand these liabilities? Yours.