Using Your mp3 Player for Music On Hold Playback? We Don't Recommend It

Using Your Nano is a no-no, when it comes to music on hold.

I spoke with my friend Doug today. You know Doug, the insurance guy. His office has tried radio on hold, tape players, CD players and iPods. None seemed to work very well, and at the end of the day his office still is without music on hold and wasted time and effort with sub-pro solutions. In this post, I'd like to focus on the pitfalls of using consumer grade mp3 player, such as the iPod Nano, for your hold music source.

Using a consumer-grade mp3 player as a source for your on-hold music may appear to be a cost-effective and simple solution. But here's what you can expect:

Not Enough Audio Oomph for On-Hold Playback
Personal mp3 players were designed with low amplification output (60 milowatts) to conserve battery power. You don't detect the low output, however, because your headphones are high-efficiency and make the audio sound great in your ears.

Your phone hold system, however, may require more amplification than your headphones do. And since the only place to get an audio feed out of your mp3 player is through the headphone jack, the audio signal often doesn't give your hold system what it needs for proper volume in your phones. (Note: we have found some iPod users who disagree, and find just enough volume to pull it off...)

Battery Trouble
Anyone who's owned an iPod Shuffle for a year or so can tell you: those little internal batteries don't last long, and replacing them costs about as much as the player itself.

You can run your personal mp3 player from an AC outlet using a USB converter (which adds cost) but there's no way around battery trouble. And if you ever have a power failure with your mp3 player plugged into an outlet, it won't turn itself back on when the power resumes. Your on-hold could be off for weeks before you notice. Yes, you can get by for a little while, but you'll need to weigh the costs vs. benefits of avoiding a professional solution.

Monitor Speaker
With a commercial grade player, the external speaker and board controls allow you to quickly check your on-hold message to make sure everything's a-okay, and test it easily, too, when you load the message. With an iPod, you have to call your phone system and get placed on hold. That's a hassle.


I recommend...
A professional music on hold player meant for 24/7 on-hold playback. It has the proper amplification, A/C power and controls for ideal operability and excellent audio results.

We are a dealer for both the Nel-Tech and Pro-Digital USB players. Each comes with an excellent warranty of at least 3 years. Each includes memory drive, a built-in external monitor speaker, a built-in amplifier for extra oomph, and the unit runs on standard AC power.

If dependability, quality and your time are important to you, make the smart choice and choose the right player for the right job.

This post contributed by Tim Brown, who has more 30 years experience in radio, recording and live sound. He can be reached at: tim@easyonhold.com.