Please Hold Canada

What Please Hold Canada does

Please Hold Canada is a privately-held Canadian audio branding and on-hold marketing provider headquartered in Sarnia, Ontario, founded in 1985. The company delivers professionally produced Message On Hold programs, commercial background music, voice greetings, scriptwriting, video production, digital signage, web audio, and in-store radio (Storecasting) to Canadian businesses across multiple verticals including dental, automotive, florist, restaurant/hospitality, and general multi-location enterprise customers. Its platform integrates with a broad array of VoIP and PBX systems (Avaya, Genesys, Cisco, Mitel, 3CX, RingCentral, Asterisk, FreePBX, BroadSoft, FreeSwitch, Bell Total Connect, Cogeco, among others), enabling centralized management of audio content across single or multi-location deployments. A proprietary mobile application called Music Zeppelin (available on iOS and Android) allows real-time remote content management, scheduling, and Music Choice channel streaming.

The business operates on a subscription-based recurring revenue model with annual billing, supplemented by project-based fees for custom production services (scriptwriting, voice recording, video production) and managed content services for multi-location deployments. Go-to-market is sales-led, combining direct enterprise account management, phone-based inside sales (800.465.3003), and a dealer/vendor reseller network for broader distribution across Canada. The company self-describes as Canada's largest Message On Hold provider and a pioneer in the industry. All music licensing and royalty remittance is handled in-house, providing regulatory compliance under Canadian copyright law as a core element of the value proposition. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed.

Technology infrastructure is built around a cloud-based audio content management and delivery platform with state-of-the-art in-house recording studios staffed by experienced engineers. The Music Choice partnership provides access to over 100 commercial-free digital audio channels. The platform supports Legacy, Hybrid, and Hosted PBX environments and provides location-level content audit and review capabilities. With 51-100 employees, Please Hold Canada operates exclusively in the Canadian market with no disclosed international expansion or external funding.

Name

Please Hold Canada

Legal name

Please Hold Canada

Website

https://pleasehold.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Please Hold Canada is a privately-held Canadian provider of Message On Hold, background music, voice greetings, and audio branding services. The Sarnia-based company serves multi-location businesses across dental, automotive, retail, and hospitality verticals with a cloud-based content management platform integrated with major VoIP systems.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Audio Marketing & On-Hold Messaging Services

NAICS

Sound Recording Studios (512240), Other Sound Recording Industries (512290), Other Sound Recording Industries (51229)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAIAEAL

Radio Content Production & Studios (On-air Production, Imaging, Jingles)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Music & Audio (Recording, Publishing, Streaming)/Radio & Audio Broadcasting (Terrestrial, Satellite, Digital Radio)

SECONDARYBPAMAJAC

Music & Audio Streaming Platforms

Business & Public Services/Web, Mobile & Digital Platforms/Media Streaming, Publishing & Content Platforms

SECONDARYMPAHAEAL

Audio Mastering & Deliverables (Loudness/Compliance, Printmasters, Stems)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Media Technology & Services (Post-Production, VFX, Animation, Streaming Infrastructure)/Audio Post-Production (Sound Design, Mixing, ADR)

Keywords

• Message on hold
• Audio branding services
• Background music systems
• On hold marketing
• In-store radio

Headquarters

HQ city

Sarnia

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Subscription-Based On-Hold and Overhead Marketing Services: Recurring subscription services for Message On Hold and Overhead Marketing (Storecasting) content delivery, management, and licensing. Includes ongoing content updates, royalty fee remittance, and platform access via Music Zeppelin app.
2. Professional Production Services: Custom audio production including scriptwriting, professional voice recording, video production (Video On Demand), and digital signage content creation. One-time or project-based production fees.
3. Managed Content Services: Ongoing content management, updates, and deployment services for multi-location businesses. Includes centralized control, content scheduling, and compliance with music licensing laws.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Please Hold Canada produces and delivers professional audio marketing content—primarily Message On Hold programs, background music, voice greetings, in-store radio (storecasting), and scriptwriting—for Canadian businesses through state-of-the-art recording studios and a cloud-based content management platform integrated with major VoIP/PBX phone systems. Its proprietary Music Zeppelin mobile app and web-based CMS enable real-time, centralized audio content control across single and multi-location deployments, with all-inclusive music licensing and royalty compliance.

Product overview

Please Hold Canada offers a comprehensive suite of professional audio and marketing solutions built around its core Message On Hold service. The platform integrates multiple products: the flagship Message On Hold program works alongside Voice Greetings and Scriptwriting services to deliver professional telephone audio branding. Background Music and the Broadcast House provide overhead commercial music services, while Storecasting (In-Store Radio) extends this to multi-location retail environments. The Video Production & Digital Signage and Video On Demand offerings add visual complement to the audio services. The Music Zeppelin mobile app provides centralized content management across all locations, enabling real-time audio control. The ecosystem is designed to manage audio and video content from studio creation through deployment to ongoing management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Message On Hold Professionally produced audio branded Message On Hold programs with customized messaging and music delivered through a customer's telephone system to reduce hang-ups and educate callers.
• Background Music Commercial background music service delivering curated Music Choice channels to businesses for overhead music applications in a maintenance-free format.
• Voice Greetings Professional voice recording services for IVR systems, Auto Attendants, and phone system prompts designed to create polished first impressions on incoming calls.
• Scriptwriting Professional copywriting service producing custom on-hold messaging scripts tailored to each business's brand voice and marketing objectives.
• Video Production & Digital Signage Video On Demand and digital signage production services creating customized video content for email signatures, sales presentations, trade shows, websites, and digital signage displays.
• Web Audio Professionally recorded audio content for websites that enhances online user experience and brand presence through audio elements.
• In-Store Radio (Storecasting) Storecasting service delivering integrated audio advertisements, promotional messages, and curated background music directly to in-store customers, scalable for single or multi-site retail environments with centralized control.
• Music Zeppelin App Mobile application for iOS and Android that enables businesses to manage audio content, stream Music Choice channels, control on-hold marketing productions, schedule content by time or demographics, and edit audio in real-time from any location.
• Broadcast House Digital music and commercial service for overhead audio that delivers customized audio ads, announcements, and messages through a business's internal paging system, with targeted overhead marketing and curated background music.

Quantifiable outcome

• 65% of businesses report that music in the workplace makes employees more productive
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration18 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Music ChoicecoreTechnology or IntegrationMusic Choice provides over 100 digital audio channels to Please Hold Canada for background music and overhead marketing applications. This partnership enables Please Hold Canada to offer commercial-free, fully licensed music programming to their customers across various devices and business applications.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Rockbot: Cloud-based in-store music, messaging, and digital signage platform for multi-location businesses. Directly comparable to Please Hold's Storecasting and Broadcast House offerings, with a more software-led delivery model.
• Jamendo Licensing: Royalty-free music licensing platform serving business and creator use cases, including background music and in-store audio. Comparable to Please Hold's licensed music delivery, though more self-serve and creator-focused.

Direct peers

• Cloud Cover Music: Subscription-based commercial background music service for businesses, delivered as a SaaS platform with licensed music. Closely comparable to Please Hold's Background Music and Broadcast House products.
• Easy On Hold: US-based provider of on-hold messaging, phone audio production, and IVR voice prompts. Direct competitor in the Message On Hold and Voice Greetings categories, with similar subscription/professional services revenue model.
• Soundtrack Your Brand: Cloud-based background music streaming platform for businesses, offering licensed catalogs and centralized content management. Closely comparable to Please Hold's Music Choice-powered Background Music and Music Zeppelin delivery model.
• OnHold.com: Provider of on-hold messaging, music on hold, and telephony audio branding services. Overlaps directly with Please Hold's Message On Hold, Voice Greetings, and scriptwriting offerings.
• Premier Voice: Provider of professional voice recordings for phone systems, IVR, and on-hold messaging. Overlaps with Please Hold's Voice Greetings and professional studio services.

Broad incumbents

• Mood Media: Global leader in in-store media, background music, and audio-visual solutions for retail and hospitality. Directly comparable to Please Hold Canada's Broadcast House and In-Store Radio offerings, though at much larger scale and with broader geographic reach.
• SiriusXM for Business: Commercial music service delivering satellite-licensed background music channels to businesses across North America. Competes with Please Hold's Music Choice-powered Background Music at larger scale and broader channel lineup.

Others

• Telstra/Avaya On-Hold Partners: Telecom carriers and PBX vendors (e.g., Avaya, Mitel, Genesys partner networks) that bundle or recommend on-hold audio partners. Relevant ecosystem peers for Please Hold's channel/reseller go-to-market strategy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights1 record

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Please Hold Canada