Having music play on your phone can be risky

Music they say has “the power to soothe the savage beast”. So surely a little On Hold Music playing over your business telephone would be ideal to placate an impatient caller!

On the surface it seems reasonable. But problems arise when the laws on copyright have to be obeyed. Any breach of those laws and you might be meeting the “Savage Beast” at the local courthouse.

In order to have music playing at any commercial enterprise the proprietor must pay annual licence fees to the collection agencies representing the copyright holders of that music. In other words the authors, musicians and publishers that own the music.

In Australia the fees are levied by APRA AMCOS who represent the musicians and PPCA who act on behalf of the publishers, usually record companies.

What if you have nothing on except the radio?

You might argue that the On Hold Music playing on your business telephone is coming from a commercial radio station plugged into your phone system. To the legal eagles that is just as bad as having the radio blaring out through your shop or showroom or your office.

The rules apply to all sources of music whether it’s a streaming service, compact disc, mobile phone, or any analogue or digital storage device.

Simply put, if you want On Hold Music playing to callers while they are waiting for you to answer the phone, you have to pay the licence fees OR you have to use Royalty Free Music!

Royalty Free Music is available from Media Group

Media Group, the business audio specialists have the most extensive libraries of Royalty Free Music. The Media Group music catalogues are supplied exempt of the annual fees payable to the collection agencies representing the authors, musicians and publishers.

The people involved in the production of Royalty Free Music have already been fully compensated for their creations. So when you choose an onhold package of music and messages from Media Group, the On Hold Music playing to callers waiting on the phone attracts no further fees.

Choose tracks from the music genres that appeal to your customers

You probably already have a fair idea of the type of music your customers prefer. When you have selected an onhold package from Media Group you will also get to audition the tracks to include in your On Hold Music.

The libraries cover all music genres from Pop and Rock to Folk, Country, and Classical tracks.

You can hear some samples from the various collections at the Media Group website. Have a listen and then have Media Group write, record and produce an onhold package of messages and music that will be right for you.

Head to www.mediagroup.com.au