What Onhold Studio does

Onhold Studio is a UK-based professional audio production studio founded in 2009 and headquartered in Birkenhead, Merseyside. The company produces studio-quality voice and audio content for business communications, with a core product set centred on on-hold messages, on-hold music (including seasonal royalty-free collections), IVR/call menu recordings, welcome greetings, out-of-hours messages, in-store audio, and professional voiceover services. A network of over 20 award-winning British English voice talents is the central production asset, with in-house mixing and editing, fast turnaround (within 2 working days), and multi-language capability (15+ languages) supporting the work. Adjacent offerings include the OHS Connect mobile telephony platform, VoIP solutions through telecoms partners, animated explainer and promotional video production, website development, print design, social media management, and ISDN/PSTN switch-off migration services targeting the January 2027 UK analogue deadline.

The business operates primarily through direct sales via its website (quote and free-demo CTAs), supported by phone and email channels, a Reseller Programme for white-label distribution, and telecoms partner relationships. Revenue is generated mostly through one-time custom audio production engagements, supplemented by managed-service subscriptions from £20/month for periodic music and content updates, royalty-free music licensing, hardware resale (VoIP), and ancillary professional services such as web and video production. Pricing is largely quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The customer base is predominantly UK-based SMBs across hospitality, automotive, healthcare, financial services, and retail, with select enterprise relationships including Hobbycraft (15-year client scaled across 124 branches), NHS, BMW, Toyota, Marks & Spencer, NatWest, and Holiday Inn.

Onhold Studio is privately held as Onhold Studio Connect Ltd (UK Companies House No. 6179889), independently owned with no disclosed external investors, subsidiaries, or M&A activity. The company has accumulated over 549 productions since inception and operates as a small specialist studio with a long tail of project-based work and a modest recurring revenue base.

Name

Onhold Studio

Legal name

Onhold Studio Connect Ltd

Website

https://onholdstudio.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Onhold Studio is a UK-based audio production studio that creates on-hold messaging, IVR voice prompts, professional voiceovers, in-store audio, and telephony solutions for UK businesses, anchored by a network of 20+ award-winning British English voice talents.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Audio Production Services

NAICS

Sound Recording Studios (51224), Other Sound Recording Industries (512290)

SIC

Radiotelephone Communications (4812)

akta.pro primary industry

Audio Production & Podcasting (BPAFAIAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Remote Recording & Online Session Services (MPAIAHAL)

Keywords

• On hold messaging
• IVR voice recording
• Audio branding
• Voiceover services
• Telephony solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Birkenhead

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Custom Audio Production Services: One-time professional services for creating custom voice recordings including on-hold messages, IVR/auto-attendant menus, welcome greetings, out-of-hours messages, and video voiceovers. Customers request quotes based on their specific requirements.
2. Managed Services / Periodic Updates: Ongoing monthly managed services for periodic music updates and content refreshes, starting from £20 per month. Includes regular website updates and audio message updates for clients.
3. Royalty-Free Music Licensing: Sale of royalty-free music tracks from their library for use in various commercial applications. Customers pay once and receive rights to use the music without ongoing licensing fees.
4. Phone Solutions & VoIP Services: Provision of VoIP phones and telecommunications solutions through telecoms partners, providing hardware and service packages for business telephony needs.
5. Website Development Services: Website design and development services as part of comprehensive digital marketing solutions, evidenced by client case studies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Onhold Studio is a UK-based professional audio production company that creates custom voice recordings and audio content for business telephone systems, including on-hold messages, IVR menus, welcome greetings, out-of-hours announcements, and royalty-free music. They also provide VoIP phone solutions, video production, website development, and managed services for ongoing audio and digital marketing needs.

Product overview

Onhold Studio is a professional audio production company offering a comprehensive suite of voice and audio services primarily focused on business telephone communications. The core product portfolio centres on On Hold Messages, On Hold Music, Call Menu Options/IVR, Welcome Greetings, and Professional Voice Talent. These are supplemented by solutions including the Mobile Connect Platform (OHS Connect) for call routing, VoIP phone systems, and a Customer Support Centre for managed call handling. The company also provides bundled Phone Audio Packages for consistent brand audio, an In-Store Audio service for retail environments, and a Reseller Programme for partners. Additional services include website development, animated explainer videos, promotional video production, social media management, print design, and managed services offering monthly updates. The company positions itself as providing both one-off productions and ongoing managed service relationships, with fast turnaround times (within 2 working days) and in-house mixing and editing capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• On Hold Messages

Quantifiable outcome

• Fast turnaround within 2 working days
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers27 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Telecoms Partners (Unnamed)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUnnamed telecommunications partners who provide VoIP phone hardware and services. Onhold Studio acts as a distributor/reseller, offering these solutions alongside their audio services to provide comprehensive telephony packages to business customers.
• ANS GroupminorOthersANS Group provides website hosting services for Onhold Studio's online presence. This is a technology infrastructure partnership supporting the company's digital operations.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• ElevenLabs: AI voice synthesis platform offering high-quality synthetic speech for telephony, IVR, and audio content — the primary disruptive threat to human-voice on-hold and IVR studios.
• Voices.com: Global online marketplace for voiceover talent that competes for the voice talent portion of Onhold Studio's work and increasingly for end-to-end IVR and on-hold jobs.

Direct peers

• Holdcom: US-based on-hold messaging and telephony audio production company with a similar mix of IVR, on-hold, and voice talent services serving SMBs and enterprises. Most direct functional comparable to Onhold Studio outside the UK.
• Message On Hold: US specialist in on-hold messaging, music, and IVR voice prompts with script-to-production workflow comparable to Onhold Studio's core offering.
• On Hold Marketing: Provider of on-hold messaging, music on hold, and IVR production services targeting SMB and mid-market telephony customers, with a similar one-off plus managed service revenue model.
• Eloquent Studios: UK voiceover and audio production studio with on-hold and IVR services for business telephony customers, overlapping strongly with Onhold Studio's voice talent and IVR products.
• Pronexus: UK-based IVR and voice prompt recording specialist directly competing with Onhold Studio in the British English telephony audio segment.
• Audio Inc: North American audio branding and on-hold messaging agency producing custom voice, music, and IVR content for enterprise clients — a direct functional peer.
• Tel-Search / The On Hold Company: Specialist provider of on-hold messages, music, and IVR audio for business phone systems, with a comparable SMB-telephony customer profile.

Regional players

• Reepol: UK-based on-hold messaging and telephone marketing audio provider with overlapping IVR and on-hold services, serving a similar UK SMB and mid-market segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/onholdstudio
• Facebookfacebook.com/onhold

Compliance2 records

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 Onhold Studio