On Hold Marketing & Communications

What On Hold Marketing & Communications does

On Hold Marketing & Communications, Inc. is a privately held, founder-operated B2B services company founded in 1994 by Jim Mathis that delivers telephone on-hold messaging, voice prompt recordings, streaming business music, voicemail recordings, and scent marketing to small businesses through Fortune 100 enterprises across more than 100 industries in 55+ countries. Its core product bundle, marketed as the "Voice of Your Business," centers on customized on-hold programs delivered via proprietary hardware (Hybrid Model, USB-driven units, the PBM Cube store-and-forward player) and integrations with major telephony/IVR platforms including 8x8, RingCentral, Avaya, Cisco, Genesys, Nuance and Google Voice, supported by a multilingual voice talent network spanning 35+ languages. The company is organized around three wholly-owned divisions — Voicemail Recordings, Scent by On Hold, and Persona Business Music — and runs a primarily consultative, sales-led go-to-market with regional U.S. phone coverage, an online voice/music self-selection tool, and ten specialized industry landing pages. Revenue is generated through month-to-month subscription plans ($39.95–$74/month), a $395 one-time recording product, streaming music subscriptions that bundle BMI/ASCAP/SESAC licensing, voice prompt professional services, and hardware sales for scent delivery — explicitly positioned as no long-term contracts with month-to-month agreements. The firm is headquartered in Cary, North Carolina with founding roots in Valley Stream, Long Island, and is led by President Jim Mathis alongside VP of Client Development Sheila Fitzgerald.

Name

On Hold Marketing & Communications

Legal name

On Hold Marketing & Communications, Inc.

Website

https://onholdmktg.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

On Hold Marketing & Communications is a private B2B services firm that provides telephone on-hold messaging, voice prompt recordings, streaming business music, voicemail greetings, and scent marketing to SMBs and enterprises across 100+ industries in 55+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Cary

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Telephone On Hold Marketing Subscription: Monthly subscription plans with different tiers based on number of new recordings per year. Includes scriptwriting, voice talent selection, licensed music, and equipment (for monthly plans).
2. Recording Only (One-Time): One-time recording production without ongoing subscription, priced at $395.
3. Voice Prompt Recording Services: Professional voice prompt recordings for businesses in various formats (mp3, wav, vox, gsm) and languages. Most small and medium projects completed within 48 hours.
4. Persona Business Music Streaming: Streaming music services with curated playlists and blended playlists. Covers BMI, ASCAP, and SESAC public performance royalties in monthly fee.
5. Scent by On Hold: Scent marketing programs with equipment solutions and signature scent options including organic oils.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

On Hold Marketing & Communications produces customized telephone on-hold marketing messages, professional voice prompt recordings for IVR/PBX/VoIP systems, streamed in-business background music, and scent marketing programs. Services include scriptwriting, voice talent casting, licensed music, recording equipment, and turnkey delivery across 100+ industries, delivered on month-to-month agreements.

Product overview

On Hold Marketing & Communications offers a unified suite of experiential marketing products centered on the 'Voice of Your Business' concept. The core offerings include Telephone On Hold Marketing (custom messaging with scriptwriting, voice talent, and licensed music), Voice Prompt Recordings (professional recordings for IVR, PBX, and VoIP systems in multiple languages), Persona Business Music (streaming background music with global licensing and day-timing features), and Scent by On Hold (cold fusion scent technology with organic oils). Additionally, VoicemailRecordings.com provides professional voicemail greetings. All services are delivered with no long-term contracts, month-to-month agreements, and support for over 55 countries in multiple languages.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Persona Business Music: Streaming background music and overhead music services for businesses with curated playlists and brand-aligned music programming
• Scent by On Hold
• Voicemail Recordings

Products and services

• Telephone On Hold Marketing

Quantifiable outcome

• Callers stay on hold up to 4 minutes with marketing messages vs 40 seconds with silence
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers32 records

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration14 records

Feature5 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Mood Media: Mood Media (formerly Muzak) is the dominant player in in-store background music, messaging on hold, and scent marketing for global retail and hospitality brands. It directly overlaps On Hold Marketing's Persona Business Music, on-hold messaging, and Scent by On Hold offerings, but at much larger scale.
• PlayNetwork: PlayNetwork designs custom music, messaging, and brand-experience programs for global retail, hospitality, and dining chains. It is a direct competitor to On Hold Marketing's on-hold messaging and Persona Business Music subscription offerings.
• ScentAir: ScentAir is the largest dedicated scent-marketing solutions provider, selling scent diffusion hardware and signature scent programs to retail, hospitality, and healthcare customers. It competes head-to-head with On Hold Marketing's Scent by On Hold division.
• GM Voices: GM Voices is a professional voice-over talent and IVR recording studio specializing in voice prompts for PBX, VoIP, and IVR systems across many languages. It directly competes with On Hold Marketing's Voice Prompt Recordings service.
• Soundtrack Your Brand: Soundtrack Your Brand (backed by Spotify) provides licensed background music streaming for businesses via subscription, including dayparting and playlist tools. It is a direct competitor to On Hold Marketing's Persona Business Music offering.
• Cloud Cover Music: Cloud Cover Music offers fully licensed background music streaming for businesses on a subscription basis, with curated stations and dayparting. It competes with On Hold Marketing's Persona Business Music product on price and channel.
• Imagesound: Imagesound provides bespoke, fully licensed background music and brand-audio experiences for hospitality, retail, and fitness brands worldwide. It overlaps directly with On Hold Marketing's Persona Business Music and on-hold messaging services.
• Rockbot: Rockbot enables businesses to stream licensed music, take customer song requests, and run jukebox-style experiences in venues. It is an adjacent competitor to Persona Business Music in the in-venue audio space.
• Music Concierge: Music Concierge curates bespoke, brand-aligned background music and soundscapes for hotels, spas, restaurants, and retail globally. It competes most directly with On Hold Marketing's Persona Business Music service in the hospitality and spa verticals.

Broad incumbents

• SiriusXM for Business: SiriusXM for Business offers a broad portfolio of licensed music channels and audio entertainment programming for commercial venues. It competes in the business music streaming space as a much larger, well-capitalized incumbent.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xlinkedin.com/company/on-hold-marketing-&-communications?trk=nav_account_sub_nav_company_admin
• Facebookfacebook.com/onholdmktg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/on-hold-marketing-&-communications?trk=nav_account_sub_nav_company_admin

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about On Hold Marketing & Communications