If you can stream audio and your favorite shows with a simple command, why not your messages-on-hold? IAP is making the process just that easy with a super-efficient IAPRemote Digital Player option. You no longer need to wait for stuff in your mailbox. And you don’t have to deal with cumbersome downloads anymore, either. You don’t even have to be on location! IAPRemote operates flawlessly and end-users don’t have to lift a finger.

The IAPRemote machine itself features a small footprint with simple connectivity using a LAN connection and our web portal. Its multi-functional versatility delivers flexible scheduling of timely messages…ideal for special promotions, events, and holiday recordings. IAP can make that time-specific audio start and stop exactly when you want.

Hybrid capabilities all come in one network connected device with IAPRemote. You can stream audio or play from a USB flash drive. Remote-load MOH files can even be stored for future use.

That’s just the start when it comes to convenient playlist management. You can control volume/mute and channel selection directly from your desktop or smart device. And in case of power interruption, IAPRemote’s failsafe features boot audio back into play mode quickly and automatically, diagnosing internal health conditions along the way for seamless, trouble-free service.

As always, IAP goes the extra mile to make the MOH audio production process a breeze. Scripting can be built from scratch for your approval prior to recording. You can choose from a fine selection of several acclaimed voice artists. You also have a practically unlimited selection of music tracks in multiple genres, licensed specifically for your use. All completed with industry-leading turnaround time!

Once the final mix is finished, the immediate benefit of the IAPRemote Digital Player becomes obvious with immediate delivery. No waiting on media in the mail and no manual operation required at the user end!

IAPRemote also comes with a 2-year manufacturer’s warranty for added peace-of-mind. A representative will be glad to answer questions about audio formats and configurations. Other streaming devices are also available that can deliver overhead music and messages to your operation with similar ease and command capability to the premier IAPRemote unit.

Ready for a busy holiday season? Now that autumn is well underway, this is the time to change the channel on your Messages-on-Hold (MOH) and Overhead Music (OHM). The right combination of messaging and seasonal music is a great way to soothe on-hold callers, especially if wait times increase for the holidays. And overhead in-store promotions with some holly-jolly tuneage always gets shoppers in a happier mood!

It is important to place your order for holiday recordings as soon as possible. That way, you’ll be closer to the front of the line as our studio processes requests!

On-Hold Marketing, Messages, & Music

Music and Messages-on-Hold for the holidays can be tremendously diverse. For retailers, on-hold ads help cross-promote other forms of advertising with timely, limited-time offers. For manufacturers and business-to-business MOH productions, the emphasis may shift more to temporary changes in hours and shipping procedures.

Still others opt for more standard generic greetings…a basic “Happy Holidays and all the best for the New Year.” With familiar instrumental versions of non-secular holiday favorites playing in the background, callers often appreciate the thought and, perhaps, a break from more typical messages heard the rest of the year by repeat callers.

You can accomplish a lot with a Holiday MOH production, generic or custom.

* Calm anxious callers during peak phone traffic hours with music conveying the spirit of the season.

* Promote special sales and holiday bargains. Messages-on-Hold can be created for play in specific time frames to maximize effectiveness with a captive audience.

* Announce short-term changes in procedures, hours, scheduling, and shipping. Callers have already reached out and expressed interest in you. Be sure to communicate effectively.

* Show your appreciation. Building and maintaining relationships with customers has been challenging the last two years, to say the least. Educational facilities have had similar challenges with student enrollment and medical offices are trying to keep up with staffing difficulties and unrelenting demand. Hearing expressions of gratitude while holding can only help!

Not sure what to say on-hold as you prepare for the remainder of 2022 and the first quarter of 2023? IAP writers can help develop a script to reflect your approach. Of course, the holiday season is traditionally a time for changing MOH audio, so demand is definitely higher. Let’s get the creative process started now…the sooner your MOH script is confirmed, the faster your voice tracks and mixed production are ready to play for your callers.

Overhead Music

Creating the proper mood and festive atmosphere is where Overhead Music and Messages play a key role. If you already subscribe to IAP’s OHM, now’s a perfect time to change the audio and reflect the season. If you’re not a subscriber, now is a great time to ask for a quote! Our current promotion until the end of 2022 waives the first 6 months of fees. You will be pleasantly surprised at the cost-effectiveness.

Spread the cheer. The merrier the shopping environment, the merrier the shopper! Waiting rooms and campuses can also transform their in-person experiences.

Here are the most in-demand channels for in-store systems this time of year.

*Christmas Carols…Classic Carols and Hymns of the Christmas Season.

*Christmas Peace…Instrumental Christmas and Holiday Favorites, calming and relaxing.

*Christmas Swing…Throughout the Holidays, Swing is King!

*Festive Instrumentals…Instrumental background music geared for the Holidays.

*Holiday Hits…Holiday Hits of the Modern Era.

Want to pass along timely information and/or promotions with periodic announcements as part of your OHM? Just ask and IAP will be glad to weave custom writing and holiday greetings into your overhead music and messaging.

Order SOON…the clock is ticking!

IAP takes great pride in speedy turnaround. But the days and hours of 2022 are disappearing quickly! Request your MOH and/or OHM audio now to make sure you get as much “play” as possible for the Holiday Season!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Domestically and globally, doing business more effectively in a diverse market can take a multilingual approach. VOIP connectivity can link continents by pressing a simple extension and communicating professionally makes a huge difference in multiple areas – including sales, customer service, B-to-B marketing, and audio recordings for phone systems.

IAP can help. Our recording capabilities extend to a wide variety of languages for all kinds of different applications. Of course, Messages-on-Hold (MOH) productions are a specialty. Additionally, our multilingual voice options are popular choices for radio commercials, promotional videos, and e-learning modules. Overhead Messaging for in-person customers and guests, too.

Besides on-hold announcements, voicing is also available for other aspects of phone systems. Automated attendant greetings? Check. IVR trees? No problem. Extension listings and voice mailbox greetings? IAP can help across the board in a variety of languages.

Languages and Translation

Which languages, exactly, do we offer? You have multiple French and Spanish gender options. Chinese, Japanese, German, and Italian are covered, too. Specialties include Brazilian, Brazilian-Portuguese, and French-Canadian. Australian and British takes on English copy are also ideal for niche markets and broader appeal both domestically and abroad. You can preview specific languages and voices by name at www.ilaudio.com under International Voices in our Voice Actor Selections.

And please note that IAP has access to many more voices and languages than just those posted on our website. If you don’t see a preferred language specified online, please ask because there’s a good chance we can still help!

Seasoned voices deliver with professional appeal and distinction. But even the best voices fall short if the translation from English isn’t 100% accurate. Bear in mind that many online and in-house translation services can be erroneous in enough places that the overall message gets lost in delivery. IAP uses professional translators to help ensure your copy is voiced flawlessly and accurately.

Making Audio More Relatable

Using professional voiceovers and narration is important for several reasons. Impeccable voicing can sell, inform, soothe, and empathize. Promotions are brighter, instructions clearer, and concise messaging is more easily absorbed. This applies to any language and IAP fills that need down to every detail.

Superior quality audio productions for non-English messages-on-hold, radio commercials, videos, e-learning, overhead messages, and phone system recordings are quite reasonably priced. You just might be surprised! IAP turnaround is also a major advantage. Just let us know how we can help with different languages, voicing, and translation. We’ll be glad to give you a competitive quote.

While the term “e-learning” has been in existence since 1999, the popularity of online training programs has accelerated tremendously in recent years…a trend only magnified through the pandemic. Hybrid models and on-site staffing shortages continue to emphasize the need for stronger e-learning training programs. And providing clear instruction is key to creating consistently successful results.

 

That need for clear instruction is why professional narration is so essential in the production phase of e-learning programs, and IAP helps make it happen. As more and more companies look to produce e-learning modules of their own, our professional voicing and narration services for video applications are in increasingly high demand!

 

Why is it so important to have a professional narrator? Just like classroom learning, the more engaging the instruction, the more material is absorbed and digested. Amateurish and monotonous voices tend to easily lose an audience’s attention span, and when that audience is watching via computer or multimedia tools, getting them back is not so easy.

 

According to the experts at www.elearninglearning.com, there are three components to a successful e-learning course: high quality content, polished design, and easy navigability. But they also point out that “even high-quality eLearning courses are going to fall short of expectations if the learner isn’t fully engaged and motivated to learn.”

 

That’s where the right voice enters the equation. A professional narrator delivers instructional material in a clear, concise fashion…friendly, soothing, and easy-on-the-ears yet authoritatively commanding in a way that keeps learner and trainee attention sharply focused. IAP’s voice artists are quite skilled in this type of delivery, and that’s why our e-learning soundtracks are in such high demand.

 

Making e-learning and online training videos as comprehensive as possible requires a skilled voiceover. Another advantage with IAP’s capabilities? There’s a whole world out there and we’re not confined to just the English language. We specialize in recording a variety of languages, and we can provide accurate translation too. This is important because, sometimes, in-house translation and online translation services are not 100% accurate. And that can be tough to comprehend for puzzled listeners. If you’d like to preview voices and languages available for e-learning productions, please click www.ilaudio.com.

 

Illinois Audio Productions has worked with a number of e-learning companies across the country over the years, producing programs for a range of industries. We’re also pleased to work with companies directly on their voice narration for video e-learning projects. In-house productions are trending upward and we’re always glad to lend a hand…and voice.

 

A well-established provider of top-quality audio productions, IAP rates are reasonable and competitive. Turnaround is also quick – especially helpful when critical e-learning rollouts need to be implemented ASAP. Make us your partner in audio production with professional e-learning narration and we’ll be glad to give you a quote.

Messages-on-Hold (MOH) is as vital to your business as ever…and that should be a consideration when selecting the right phones or phone system. Illinois Audio Productions (IAP) can  easily configure the audio, but there are a few things you should know about the compatibility between phone systems and MOH play back options.

Compatibility Match-Up Dilemmas…and Solutions

The biggest transition in telephonic technology has been the inception of Voice Over Internet Protocol or VoIP as well as cloud-based phone systems. However, clients using external MOH players may quickly discover those units don’t match their new system. Some VoIP and Cloud systems are compatible. But more often than not, On-Hold productions need to be provided in uploaded audio files. It’s a solution IAP can make even easier and more convenient.

It should be noted than most telephony formats required by these systems are much lower quality than those that utilize an external MOH player.

Potential issues with MOH player compatibility are important for smaller businesses to consider BEFORE buying two to four-line phones at big box stores. Very few of these phones are on-hold compatible. Right now, only TWO models carry Messages-on-Hold capability that are not true PBX systems. Consult with IAP prior to buying a big box system OR upgrading to VoIP/Cloud phone systems. That way, your MOH transition stays as seamless as possible!

The Differences to Expect in MOH Playback  

Traditionally, Messages-on-Hold playing through an external unit have been in some loop form. Whether loaded digitally from tape, CD, USB stick, MP3, wav file, or remotely, the replay concept is basically a four to six-minute loop format.

Be aware that some VoIP/Cloud-based systems limit recording length. With Avaya IP Office, MOH productions need to be wrapped into 90 seconds or less. However, there are still possibilities for a workaround with IAP external players and Avaya IP Office.

Xfinity/Comcast systems allow two minutes of MOH audio. But playback through these systems is “sequenced,” meaning the entire production starts from the beginning with each call. That’s less desirable than looped audio from our external player which placed holding callers into the “loop” giving every individual message equal playtime. “Sequenced” Messages-on-Hold can give callers a heavy dose of the audio’s beginning and significantly less of the entire production toward the end.

These “sequenced” type messages get stale for callers quickly, especially repeat callers hearing the same limited portion. IAP has a solution. If you have a VoIP system with a short MOH recording time or a sequenced system that starts over constantly, consider changing messages more frequently to keep them effective, timely, and fresh.

IAP is always glad to help…and that goes especially if you’re still deciding on a phone system upgrade!

 

You did it! You got customers through the door. Now what? Creating the right ambiance with mood music helps shape a more comfortable shopping environment and pleasant customer experience. Doing it the right way with Overhead Music from IAP takes your establishment’s ambience to a whole new level—and that can add revenue at the point-of-sale. Strategically placed promotions between songs at specific times of day, ensures awareness of your products and offerings to an audience already in your place of business.

The Right Overhead Background Music

Choosing the right background music can seem like a daunting task. After all, you can’t please everybody’s musical preferences. IAP overhead music makes it significantly easier to play a variety of licensed business background music with simple programming. Think of it as your operation’s own personalized radio station.

There’s a plethora of waiting room music options for doctors, dentists, retail stores, medical specialists, and professionals of all sorts. Whether serving as pleasing mood music or as part of a branding and sales effort, there are selections of more than 70 channels…rotating literally thousands of music tracks so customers (and staff) are never bored by repetition.

Adding Effective Messaging to your Overhead Music System

The benefits of professional messaging interspersed in your “business radio” are virtually limitless. It’s the combination of overhead music AND messages that drives up sales. There’s a certain art to the creative process, developing cross-promotional upsells that are succinct and grab attention without hitting too hard.

That’s the ticket to increased revenue at the point-of-sale. The combination of Overhead Music and Messages for an audience already in your store is a direct appeal that yields immediate results. Business background music elevates the mood, and every so often a short, professional message pops up, informing customers about in-store promos, seasonal offerings, or added services they previously didn’t know about.

The Equipment

Wondering about playback units for background music? IAP’s unit can stream overhead music and messages simultaneously. On-board memory keeps the overhead music system playing, even if internet connection is lost. The affordable, small unit is also smart, sensing when the stream can resume without manual resetting.  A QR code on each player allows for quick and easy channel changes and volume adjustments.

Scriptwriting for Overhead Messages

When adding messages to overhead background music, what should they say? Professional IAP scriptwriters can pinpoint the finer details for audio announcements, making your personalized radio station a money-maker. As for the studio and scriptwriters that create those messages? IAP works with you—helping you pinpoint the focus of messages, making suggestions about what to include, and how long messages should be. Then our experienced copywriters craft messages for your approval.

Cool Features

Mood music in the store and waiting room music in professional settings have taken great strides in both quality and diversity over the years. IAP’s overhead machines go way beyond. Different genres of music can be scheduled for certain days…even times of day. Matching messages with business background music is also this easy (especially when the holidays roll around).

Call or email us about the voice, music, and equipment needed for your set up. We’re always here to help and can offer a no obligation quote.

Many businesses have made safety adjustments to stay productive in times of COVID. Now that vaccinations are ramping up and warmer temperatures are ahead, even more changes are likely as protocols evolve and day-to-day operations are tweaked for safe measures.

 

One significant aspect of daily transactions began early in the pandemic. Suddenly phone traffic started booming. Fewer in-person transactions, more ordering by phone for curbside pickup. Of course, higher volume phone traffic translated to longer hold times…ample, ideal opportunities to give loyal customers clear guidance in the way one takes orders, books appointments, and imparts valuable information to make transactions safer and more seamless.

 

What should YOUR callers know?

 

Consider the changes in
-businesses
-medical offices
-campus settings

-salons, to name just a few

Informing
-customers
-vendors
-patients
-students
-faculty
-the public at-large
about these changes in your facility can be a challenge.
Further modifications are inevitable in the months ahead and disseminating vital information in advance is key.

 

Certainly, social media and an active online presence help considerably. In addition to increased phone traffic, more daily functions are happening online than ever before. Not just in sales, either. Medical tele-health sessions and ZOOM/remote learning have made their mark.

 

A solid Messages-On-Hold production also delivers a powerful, direct impact. MOH speaks directly to a familiar audience in a huge cross-section of America. Here are just a few examples.

 

MOH can

 

-Help doctors, dentists, and veterinarians explain new screening procedures prior to entering the building.

 

-Keep restaurants cooking and serving by telling customers contact-free ways to still enjoy a meal with curbside pickup.

 

-Assist Auto Dealership Sales, Parts, and Service with each Department’s own unique safety protocols.   

 

-Clarify do’s and don’ts for reopening retail showrooms, gyms, stylists, nail salons, small businesses, and larger centers of shopping.

 

-Give school administrators a hand with the dissemination of information about shifts to classroom, hybrid, and remote learning as well as testing and scheduling.

 

These are just a few real-life examples to show how hold-time can be utilized most effectively: by communicating critical details to an interested, qualified audience. In these rapidly changing times, people have questions. On-Hold Messaging from IAP gets the point across in clear, concise fashion with pleasant, licensed music and stellar professional voice artists.

 

Flexibility and Fast Turnaround to Roll with the Changes

 

Another excellent value with IAP Messages-On-Hold is the flexibility to change audio productions with exceptional turnaround time. This has been a real boost for medical facilities offering COVID vaccinations. With scheduling based on supply and availability, phone systems have been flooded with eager callers. MOH has provided valuable assistance by informing holding callers with extremely up-to-date messages and what steps to take next. Our studio is delivering timely new audio quickly and reliably.

 

Interactive Voice Response (IVR), Automation, and Overhead Messages

 

Effective communication goes beyond updated websites, social media, and even MOH. Medical professionals, businesspeople, and educational institutions have also been using their phone systems with revised efficiency.

 

Automating IVR greetings helps ease the burden on staff and routing customers in a way that gives them control of transactions without physical contact is a win-win. Giving clear audio instructions is where professional IAP recording can help connect the dots for incoming calls.

 

Last but not least, let’s not forget Overhead Messaging and Announcements. Welcome customers back into your facility or business with informative overhead messages that tell about:

-new products

-ongoing safety protocols

-monthly specials

-how nice it is to see them again

 

Guidance and information from above commands attention!

 

 

You can utilize all these channels to effectively communicate what is happening at your business. Contact IAP today and we’ll work with you to circulate these important messages that can keep your business running smoothly.

Just about everybody has a cell phone nowadays. In fact, some households don’t even have landlines. As a business owner who wants to utilize on hold marketing, it’s good to know what your callers waiting on hold can hear the best. Noise cancellation technology in cell phones effects the way we hear music on hold as opposed to messages on hold. The messages with a human voice mixed over music come through much more clearly …and should be something to consider with your own on hold marketing.

 

Thanks to significantly stronger technology and networks, “call drop” complaints have largely disappeared over the years. Remember the popular question, “Can you hear me now?” But there is still one drawback inherent in current cell phone noise cancellation technology…It cancels what it “thinks” is noise…and that noise is usually anything that’s not a human voice. Thus, one of the problems with only having music on hold.

 

Telephone music on its own can be a struggle to hear via cell phone because that technology is geared to mute anything NOT perceived as voice. That’s potentially troublesome for businesses relying solely on hold music without custom, professional voiceovers.

 

The best way to minimize interruptions can be achieved simply by adding a voice. If your hold music is flying solo, even the greatest tracks can be subject to dropouts and wavering ins and outs. A professional voice announcing a more personalized custom message helps keep the cell phone connection strong…and you can bet callers will get more from their time on hold because of it.

 

If you are utilizing messages on hold but have long musical intervals between each custom message, you might want to consider shorter intervals for your next production. 30-second music intervals were once common. Today, hold times are generally shorter and noise cancellation more common. So, keeping hold music intervals to 10 seconds helps ensure custom messages are expressed clearly.

 

Pleasant hold music can sound fantastic…and still be subject to annoying interference when heard on cell phones. Switching to a more comprehensive on hold marketing program complete with scripting and voicing offers a truly effective alternative. IAP studios ensure ALL callers are having a pleasant hold experience with clear messages describing your products, offers, specials, hours, and more. Utilize your phone system to promote your business and you won’t have to worry about the solitary music wavering in and out any longer.