Microsoft Teams continues to innovate and improve the user experience with the introduction of a new music streaming feature. This feature is now generally available thanks to collaboration between Microsoft and Easy On Holda streaming music service provider.
What is Music on Hold?
Music on hold is a feature that allows users to listen to music when they are put on hold during a call, in a queue or on a public network call. This can enhance the calling experience by providing a pleasant background sound while the caller waits.
How does Music on Hold Streaming work?
With the new music-on-hold streaming feature, administrators can now configure Microsoft Teams to stream music via an external service, such as Easy On Hold. After configuring the service, Easy On Hold provides a URL that can be integrated into Teams’ call policy to broadcast the music.
Customize Music on Hold
In addition to the default music provided by Microsoft, organizations can also upload their own audio files for call waiting. This allows for greater personalization and can help reinforce your company’s brand image.
⚠️ Please note that all necessary permissions and rights must be obtained to use these audio files. ⚠️
Below is an example of the command you’ll need to run to configure the Easy On Hold service. Then all you have to do is assign this music-on-hold strategy to your users.
New-CsTeamsCallHoldPolicy -Identity "StreamingMusicPolicy" -Description "EasyOnHold Stream Policy” -StreamingSourceUrl "https://teams-streaming.domain.com/xxxxxxxx..." -StreamingSourceAuthType "AzureAD"
Easy On Hold and Microsoft Teams
Easy On Hold is a Microsoft partner providing an on-hold music streaming service. To use this service, you must have a subscription with Easy On Hold. Once the subscription is set up, Easy On Hold provides a URL that can be integrated into your Teams call policy to broadcast the music.
Costs associated with Easy On Hold
The costs associated with the Easy On Hold service may vary according to the specific needs of each organization and the subscriptions available. You can also take advantage of a 14-day free trial. However, I recommend that you consult their website directly or contact their customer service department for precise pricing information. In the meantime, here’s what I found on their website:
Conclusion
The new music-on-hold streaming feature in Microsoft Teams, in collaboration with Easy On Hold, offers an enhanced user experience and greater personalization for on-hold calls. Whether you choose to use Microsoft’s default music, upload your own music or use Easy On Hold’s streaming service, this feature is a great addition to the Microsoft Teams suite of communication tools.
