'Hold'music ...

[andy-hughes]

When you ring most help Lines these days, you get put on 'hold', and they play the most AWEFUL music into your ear until you can lose the will to live!

My question is - where does it come from?

Did someone say - 'Let's make music with anything remotely approaching soul, substance, excitement, highs and lows, and any meanigful content whatsoever sucked out of it ...'

or is there actually a market for this pap out side 'hold' tape loops?

Where do companies get it from?

Just curious ...

[saxy_jag]

Someone I used to know made a good living out of writing hold music and other such pap. Some companies do buy tapes. Others subscribe to services.

I sometimes have to speak to publishers in my job. I remember one children's publisher (I think it was Walker Books), instead of playing the usual muzac, had a recording of someone telling a story which, on that occasion, was 'Toad of Toad Hall'. I almost didn't want them to answer.

[VHG]

I guess the generic term is "lift music".

And recording "bland" music is big business as it is used in all sorts of places.

Trouble is if you put music on with any substance you are likely to upset as many people as you please.

So, for example, if a company put on Tina Tuner (screeching her head off), or opera, or Country and Western or Rap I would problably hang up.

But another person may love Tina Turner or Rap.

So by keeping the music bland you are less likely to upset people.

[Prudie]

It's not always random bland stuff, I regularly ring a company that plays the Beatles (usually Hey Jude)

[tiggerblue10]

The musac played when I ring my GP surgery is awful.

Anyone remember this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcCHRW8G9yY

[tiggerblue10]

Lol Pixi, it does kind of stay with you. I've been humming it all flippin day! :o(