Telephone Hold Music
  • StephenMatthew
    Posts: 112
    This is absurdly obscure seeming to me…

    Our telephone system “hold music” it turns out is of a less than clear copyright / licensing status, we thought it was included in a license we pay, but that is now unclear, and we want to cancel that subscription in any case. We somehow thought it was under CCLI but it seems it might be under CCS (and why is every parish left to muddle through these issues with no guidance, support, or training?).

    So I was tasked with finding us replacement music. It seems to me this is somewhere in the spectrum of “performance” or “broadcast” as far as licensing goes. My first thought was record our school kids reciting a rosary or something, but I have a feeling that may not be well received. I am sure someone somewhere has some recorded chant or organ music that is under a free license even for performance or broadcast… but telephone is notably “low fi” for sound quality.

    Any suggestions?

    Thanks!
  • cmbearer
    Posts: 75
    My preference when on hold is silence.
    Thanked by 2CHGiffen LauraKaz
  • StephenMatthew
    Posts: 112
    The reason silence is not preferred is too many people think the call has dropped or something has malfunctioned, and then hang up and call back again. Although I would generally prefer silence to what I get in most cases myself.

    I wonder if the monks at Meinrad would be open to licensing one of their old chant recordings for a nominal fee… I have some contacts there.
    Thanked by 2tomjaw LauraKaz
  • davido
    Posts: 958
    How is this not something your phone carrier can provide?
  • francis
    Posts: 10,848
    i have hours of these
    bb3Demo.mp3
    1M
    Thanked by 2StephenMatthew CharlesW
  • StephenMatthew
    Posts: 112
    davido - I suspect they can provide some sort of generic elevator music, but apparently we want something explicitly churchy in some fashion.

    francis - That is neat. Is that a synthesized harpsichord?
  • tandrews
    Posts: 175
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiUzDb3lF18
    Thanked by 1StephenMatthew
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,220
    Our audio archive site https://recordings.musicasacra.com has a lot of sound from Masses and Vespers at CMAA events; that is, from the Sacred Music Colloquium or from our Fall or Winter workshops, and you're welcome to use the mp3 files from those liturgies. Because these are educational workshops, there are sometimes imperfections in the singing or the sound environment, so you may want to weed out any recordings that include an occasional noise from a baby in the congregation.

    A few events' pages on the site are on-line instructional events, and they don't have much performance audio to offer, so skip the recordings of on-line events.
    Thanked by 2StephenMatthew CHGiffen
  • cmb
    Posts: 88
    How about recording some public domain hymns (either with choir, or just on the organ)?
    Thanked by 1StephenMatthew
  • francis
    Posts: 10,848
    ach... Here!

    http://www.myopus.com/preview/holdOn.mp4

    @StephenMatthew

    Yes... I have tons of Bach.
    Thanked by 1StephenMatthew
  • noel jones, aagonoel jones, aago
    Posts: 6,611
    https://www.catholicdevotionalhymns.com

    Ask Peter Meggison for permission, there are some wonderful choices there - Jesus, My Lord, My God, My All is just one of the highlights. You will hear some familiar friends from here performing.

    These are all public domain hymns and Peter is known to grant permission for his recordings.
    Thanked by 2oldhymns StephenMatthew
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