Ongoing History Daily: The fascinating world of on-hold music

We’ve all been put on hold when trying to reach a business or office. Almost 100% of the time, we hear on-hold music. There are strong psychological reasons why we’re subjected to this music.

First, it’s better than silence. Playing music reduces our perception of how long we’re waiting. It distracts us, so we stop obsessing about how many seconds or minutes go by. The music tends to be smooth without any beats. And it’s meant to be bland so that it doesn’t trigger any emotions except maybe relaxation, paving the way for (it’s hoped) a polite and peaceful interaction.

However, on-hold music may be an endangered thing with the rise of AI chatbots that engage callers immediately. Then again, we have things like the City of Mississauga, Ontario’s 311 line. Its on-hold music comes from local emerging musicians. If you call that number, you have a chance to discover some new music.