Both are in Admin → Settings → Settings → Call Flows, in the Advanced view.
| Tool | What callers hear |
|---|---|
| Announcements | A recorded message, such as your hours or a holiday closure, before they're sent onward or the call ends |
| Hold music | Your own music or messages while they wait in a call queue |
Announcements
An announcement is "A number that plays a recorded message, then routes the caller onward (or hangs up)". Common uses:
- After hours: "Our office is closed. We're open 8:30 to 5:30, Monday to Friday. Please leave a message." Then send callers to voicemail.
- Holidays: a closure message on your holiday route.
- Service alerts: "We're aware of the outage in the north county area and expect service back by 4pm." Then send callers to your support team.
Create an announcement
Start
Select + New announcement.
Number and name
Enter a Number of 2 to 6 digits, such as 900, and a Name, such as After hours.
Choose what happens next
In After playing →, choose where callers go afterwards, such as a voicemail extension or a ring group. Leave it blank to end the call after the message.
Create and apply
Create the announcement, then select Apply Configuration.
| Error | Fix |
|---|---|
| "Announcement number must be 2-6 digits" | Use 2 to 6 digits. |
| "… is already an extension/ring group/IVR/queue/announcement" | Choose an unused number. |
| A routing loop message | After playing → leads back to the announcement. Choose another destination. |
Add the audio
Each announcement shows ✓ audio set or no audio yet.
- ✨ AI / upload audio: type the message and choose an AI voice, or upload a recording of up to 15 MB. Add optional background music, then select Use this audio.
- From a phone: dial
*82followed by the announcement's number, such as*82900, and record your message.
Send callers to an announcement
Use the announcement as a destination in business hours, holidays, a ring group's no-answer destination, a time condition or a queue's overflow.
Hold music
Hold music plays to callers waiting in call queues, and to calls an operator parks on the Switchboard. The panel is titled Music on hold: "Upload hold music for callers waiting in queues. The active set plays for this workspace; if it's empty, the system default is used."
Your music is organized in sets. One set is active at a time, which lets you prepare, for example, a holiday set and switch to it in one click.
Create a set
Enter a New set name, such as Standard, and select Add set. Your first set becomes active automatically.
Upload tracks
Select + Upload track and choose an audio file. A set can hold up to 20 tracks.
Check it's ready
The active set shows a status: ok when it's ready to play, pending while it's being prepared, failed if something went wrong, or empty. If it says failed, select Re-sync.
Switch sets
Select Make active on another set to play it instead. Use Remove to delete a track, and Delete set to delete a whole set.
Track requirements:
- Formats: MP3, WAV, OGG, M4A, AAC or FLAC.
- Size: up to 20 MB per track.
- Tracks: up to 20 per set.
| Error | Fix |
|---|---|
| "Unsupported audio type…" | Convert the file to MP3 or WAV. |
| "Track too large (… MB > 20 MB)." | Shorten the track or export it at a lower quality. |
| "Max 20 tracks per set." | Remove a track, or create another set. |
| "Empty upload." | Choose the file again. |
If uploading isn't available and a message says hold music storage needs setting up, contact intSignal.
Choose hold music per queue
Each queue's Hold music option can use Company hold music, your active set, or the System default. See Call queues.
Use music you're licensed to play
Commercial recordings usually need a license to be played to callers. Use royalty-free music, or music you've licensed for on-hold use.
Good hold music
Use calm instrumental music, and include short spoken messages in your tracks, such as your website or a thank-you for waiting, so callers know they haven't been forgotten.