Media On Hold is a lot more complex than many people first think.
Recording voice and blending with music takes certain tools and skills - adjusting the volume to provide consistent sound, avoid clipping or other distortions - you want to provide reasonable volume - but not too loud - there are a lot of adjustments to make!
Standard audio format is RIFF (little-endian) data, WAVE audio, Microsoft PCM, 16 bit, mono 8000 Hz
This is a high-resolution wav file which is sampled at the same rate as standard uncompressed audio.
That said, there are many people with the ability to make excellent recordings - this is great for voice prompts in many cases, as the person who is needed to adjust for seasonal greetings, or specials may be readily available (of course sometimes they are too busy).
Suggestions to improve your own recordings
There are a few simple things you can do to ensure you make your recordings the best they can be - try to keep these tips in mind when you work on your own recordings:
- Ensure you have an environment free from noise - you might have to work after hours to avoid ringing phones and co-workers
- Consider asking a friend or a person who does NOT normally answer the phone to do your prompts. Having the same person who normally answers the phone can confuse your callers.
- Don't rush - and always play back what you recorded - you don't want to have an unintended background noise in your message.
- Get someone else to listen - fresh ears will give you better feedback.
- Try not to make them too long. People are impatient - if it's too long they will be pressing 0 before you are done.
- Practice. You know what your company is called and what they do - but without practice, it will seem like a tongue twister.
If you have some patience and review what you record you will make the best impression possible!
Licensing
Adding music does complicate things. While it is very unlikely someone would ask you for a royalty when you sing a birthday song to your family or friends, it is very likely that someone will contact a business using music that they do not own or have not licensed. If you use music; whether for background in your office or store, or as a part of your Media On Hold there are agencies representing the copyright holders or in some cases music not otherwise represented (like SOCAN).
Adding music to your message means that you must have the right to do so. If you will self produce a declaration form must be completed prior to uploading or using any recordings including music. Please contact us for more information.