Can you put hold music on Android phone?
What is Hold Music?
Hold music, also known as music on hold, is background music that plays while a caller is waiting on hold during a phone call. The purpose of hold music is twofold:
- To entertain callers so the wait feels shorter and they remain engaged
- For brand building, allowing companies to reinforce their brand image and values through carefully selected songs
Typically, hold music consists of non-offensive popular songs that are upbeat and relatively unobtrusive. It provides a distraction for callers while they wait to speak to a live agent or representative. This helps prevent impatience or frustration that dead air silence can cause when on hold for extended periods of time. The music gives callers assurance that they are still connected and have not been forgotten about or hung up on accidentally.
In summary, hold music aims to enhance the customer experience during phone waits by entertaining callers and representing a company’s brand personality. It transforms on hold time from an annoyance into a pleasant, branded sonic experience.
Benefits of Custom Hold Music
Custom hold music provides several key benefits for businesses using it. One major benefit is improving your brand image. As this source points out, custom hold music allows you to showcase your brand’s originality and separate your identity from competitors. Callers get a taste of your brand personality through the music selection.
Additionally, custom hold music entertains callers while they wait on hold. Rather than boring default hold music, your brand can provide an engaging experience. This makes the time pass quicker for callers. As explained in this article, professional custom hold music improves the call experience.
Lastly, custom hold music reduces abandoned calls. Callers are less likely to hang up out of frustration if they are listening to interesting music that represents your brand. Keeping callers on the line longer leads to fewer missed opportunities. Your custom music makes the wait more pleasant.
How to Add Hold Music on Android
One way to add hold music on your Android phone is by using a music app that has this capability built-in. The most popular option is the Google Voice app, which allows you to upload an MP3 file from your device and set it as your on-hold music for incoming calls. Here are the basic steps:
1. Open the Google Voice app and go to Settings > Calls.
2. Tap “On hold music” and select “Add on-hold music.”
3. Choose an MP3 file from your device storage to upload.
4. Google Voice will now play this music file whenever you put someone on hold during a call made through the app.
Keep in mind that this feature may not be supported on all Android devices. Your specific phone model needs to have the capability to play audio in the background while on a call. Newer Android versions generally include this, but older phones may not. Before uploading your custom music, check if your device’s native Phone app has an “On hold music” option in its settings.
Overall, the Google Voice approach provides an easy way to add personalized hold music on most modern Android smartphones. Just make sure your device supports background audio first.
Best Apps for Hold Music on Android
There are several great apps Android users can download to create custom hold music or access licensed music catalogs:
Google Play Music – As Google’s official music app, Google Play Music allows you to upload up to 50,000 of your own songs for free and listen to them as hold music. Key features include ad-free listening, ability to download songs for offline playback, and access to curated playlists and radio stations (Source).
Spotify – Spotify has a huge library of over 70 million licensed songs that can be streamed as hold music. The free version has ads while the paid version is ad-free. You can also create and share playlists. A useful feature for hold music is the ability to download songs for offline listening (Source).
Pandora – Pandora lets you create customized radio stations based on your favorite artists or songs. The free version has ads while Pandora Plus and Pandora Premium are ad-free. Downloaded songs can be used as hold music when offline (Source).
Amazon Music – Amazon Music subscribers can use any song in the catalog as hold music. Features include unlimited skips, downloads for offline listening, hands-free listening, and access to podcasts.
Creating Custom Hold Music
If you want your on-hold music to be completely unique, you may want to hire a musician or composer to create a custom track. This allows you to have music that reflects your brand identity and tailored exactly to your preferences.
When hiring someone to create custom hold music, look for musicians who specialize in background music, ambient tracks, or soundscapes. Provide examples of the mood, tempo, instruments, and style you’re looking for. Expect to pay anywhere from $100 to $1,000 or more, depending on the length and complexity of the commissioned track.
Another option is licensing stock music that fits your needs. Sites like PremiumBeat and Pond5 offer a wide selection of on-hold music that can be licensed for commercial use. Make sure to choose instrumental tracks or songs without lyrics. Expect to pay between $10 and $50 or more per track.
With stock music, you won’t get a completely bespoke song but you can find high quality, professionally produced tracks at lower costs. Search for music by mood, genre, instruments, tempo, and file length to find customizable options to use as your custom on-hold music.
Hold Music Best Practices
When selecting and designing your on-hold music, it’s important to follow some best practices. According to The Complete Guide to the Best Hold Music for Your Business on onsip.com, there are a few key recommendations:
Keep it short and simple – Pick instrumental music with few layers that works well at low quality. Opt for simple melodies under 60 seconds in length to avoid repetition.
Update it regularly – Refresh your library with new selections seasonally or at least every few months to keep it sounding fresh.
Match brand identity – Choose an audio style complementing your business’ voice, image, and values. Music can reflect and enhance your branding.
Legal Considerations
It is illegal to play copyrighted music, or even radio, as hold or waiting music without the proper license (Source). Using copyrighted music without permission opens businesses to lawsuits and heavy fines. According to the Copyright Act, statutory damages for willful copyright infringement can reach $150,000 per infringed work.
When selecting custom on-hold music, it is essential to use only royalty-free music that you have the rights to play publicly. Royalty-free refers to music licensed upfront for commercial use without any future royalty payments. However, the term royalty-free does not mean the music is free from copyrights and licensing requirements (Source).
Businesses should purchase custom hold music from reputable providers that supply royalty-free songs cleared for public performance. Providers should also confirm licensing terms in writing. Additionally, hold music must meet accessibility standards under the Americans with Disabilities Act to serve all customers equitably. This includes reasonable volume levels and intervals of silence between songs.
Troubleshooting Hold Music
If you’re having issues getting your custom hold music to play properly on your Android phone, there are some common troubleshooting tips you can try:
One of the most common issues is the music simply not playing or cutting in and out. Some things to check include:
- Ensure the volume on your phone’s media player or hold music app is turned up sufficiently
- Check for any software updates for your hold music app and install if available
- Reboot your phone to refresh the media player / audio system
- Try reinstalling the hold music app
- Check your phone’s sound and notification settings to confirm nothing is limiting
media playback
If you’ve confirmed nothing is wrong with your hold music app or file, there may be issues with your phone system filtering out the audio. You can try encoding the music at a higher bitrate to prevent this.
Lastly, experiment with different audio formats for your hold music like MP3, WAV, OGG, or FLAC to see if one works more reliably than others on your Android device.
Alternatives to Hold Music
While hold music is a common choice for keeping callers entertained, it comes with some negative implications. Many customers find it repetitive, annoying, or even damaging to a brand’s image. There are some useful alternatives worth considering that avoid these downsides. According to SOS, some preferred options include:
On-hold messaging: Replace music with useful recordings that provide updates, estimations for wait-times, or promotions. These messages help set expectations and make the experience less tedious.
Allowing callers to save their spot: Introduce systems enabling customers to hang up and receive a call back when an agent is available so they don’t have to endure hold times.
Both of these options can limit frustrations, convey better service and care, and ultimately leave customers happier with your brand. They present simple yet effective alternatives if you decide typical hold music isn’t the right choice or is hurting more than helping.
Key Takeaways
Adding custom hold music to your Android phone allows you to entertain callers while they are waiting on hold. The most popular methods are using hold music apps available on the Google Play Store or creating your own audio files to use as hold music.
When selecting or creating hold music, aim for light instrumental background music that won’t distract or annoy callers. Always make sure you have the rights to use any music legally. Test that the hold music volume, quality and length are optimized for your purposes.
If you run into any technical problems setting up Android hold music, first check your app permissions, audio settings and file formats. As an alternative to hold music, consider using periodic hold messages to update callers on estimated waiting times.
The key is finding the right balance between keeping your callers engaged and not frustrating them further. With the right hold music and messaging, you can deliver an improved experience.
