The Music On Hold Feature allows a Group or Company Administrator to set up and maintain an audio source that can be broadcast to held callers in various scenarios. For example, Call Park and Call Hold etc.
You can use the Music On Hold feature to broadcast music, (or any other specific audio message, such as advertising, to callers who are put on hold using the Call Hold and Call Park features.
Music On Hold is a Site feature that allows the Group or Company Administrator to set up an audio media source that can be broadcast to held callers in various scenarios.
The Music On Hold feature is made up of two components:
The following services can be enabled to use the Music On Hold feature:
When no Music On Hold media file is specified or if Music On Hold is turned off for one of these features, the held or parked caller hears silence.
Function - Call Hold and Call Park
The Call Hold and Call Park features use the audio source specified through the group Music On Hold feature page on the Business Portal. The page also allows for selectively activating and deactivating Music On Hold for either Call Hold or Call Park.
The music source can be the IC-Talk 3 system-provided audio file, or a custom audio file selected by the Group or Company Administrator and uploaded to the system.
The music file uploaded by the Group or Company Administrator must be µ- law .wav files that are:
Each Call Centre can define and use its own custom Music Source. As for Call Hold and Call Park, the Music Source for each Call Centre can be the IC-Talk 3 default system source, or a custom Music Source uploaded by the Group or Company Administrator.
The same format requirements apply for the Call Centre Music On Hold:-
Configuration – Call Hold and/or Call Park
You can use the Music On Hold Configuration page to enable or disable the feature and to specify the source for the music.
You can choose to enable or disable the feature for calls that are put on Hold using the Call Hold and/or Call Park features. You can specify whether you want to use the music that the IC-Talk 3 service provides by default or to upload a custom Waveform Audio, (WAV), file that contains your own music or message.
The Group or Company Administrator can activate and deactivate the Music On Hold feature through the Business Portal Site Feature Settings page under ‘Music On Hold’.
Please note, the playing of music in a public environment requires the purchase of performance licenses if the music is registered with either or both of the Public Performance Licence (PPL) or Performing Rights Society Licence (PRS) bodies. Music on Hold is considered to be a public environment because the music is being used to entertain callers. BT use and supply copyright free music which is not registered with either body, or therefore the purchase of licenses from PRS or PPL is not required. Should you choose to play your own music then it is your responsibility to contact both licensing organisations and establish if licenses apply and the annual cost to play their music on hold.
The file you select must be a CCITT-compliant, µ-Law-encoded, 8-bit WAV file with mono sound, a maximum sample rate of 8 kHz, and a maximum file size of 5Mb.
Configuration – Call Centre
To select the Music On Hold source for a Call Centre the Group or Company Administrator can choose either the System or Custom Music On Hold through the Business Portal Site Feature Settings page under ‘Call Centre – Announcements’. If a Custom source is selected the file can be uploaded here.
To enable or disable Music on Hold for a Call Centre please refer to the Call Centre configuration documentation.
The length of the audio file for the On Hold Message is limited to 11 minutes and its maximum size when uploaded through the Business Portal is 5 Mb.
Article ID: 312
Created: Mon, Feb 15, 2021
Last Updated: Mon, Feb 15, 2021
Author: Darren M
Online URL: https://kb2.ic.uk/article.php?id=312