Digital Player Options for Telephone On-Hold Advertising

Confused by all of the different types of Digital Players for on-hold messaging these days? I’ll try to make it clearer.

Types – The first generation of digital players used a cassette-loading system. While cassette players are a thing of the past, the ubiquity of these digital players still make them an option, especially in the refurbished market. About 5 years ago, CD loading players came out, and these are still very prominent. The latest technology, however, uses a USB drive. The recording is e-mailed to the client as an mp3 file, which is then copied onto the USB drive and inserted into the player. Other digital players use proprietary media such as cartridges or memory cards, which means if you ever cancel your service and switch to another company, you’ll be stuck with a format that no one else can accomodate.

So which one do I recommend? There’s nothing wrong with getting a refurbished tape-loading system for the real frugal person – but you’ll get much better longevity and value with either a CD-loadable or USB system. With technology changing so rapidly, a USB-based system seems better and shouldn’t cost more than a CD loading system.

Pricing Plans – some on-hold companies sell the equipment outright, some lease it out, and other include it as part of the on-hold package. What’s important here is to compare apples to apples. Leasing may seem affordable – but how much are you really paying for the unit? Most often it’s three or four times the cost of buying it upfront, making leasing the least attractive option.

Many on-hold companies provide you with a digital player as part of the package. Is the charge for the player lumped onto a hefty start-up fee or monthly fee? You may be paying for it even if it’s not marketed that way. In addition, in almost all cases, when the player is included, you don’t own it, which means that if you ever cancel your service, you’ll have to return it to the company. Not an ideal situation. I’d recommend buying the unit outright. This way, the unit is yours and you’re not paying more than it’s worth in monthly leasing costs.

Warranties – Some players come with a 1-year warranty, many of the industry leaders offer a 3-year warranty, and only one that I know of offers a 5-year warranty.

At Watt Media, we use Nel-Tech Labs’ Messager USB player. This unit uses a USB drive, making it easy to use and the most technologically advanced system. It also comes with an industry-high 5-year warranty. We offer the unit on a purchase basis, eliminating leasing or monthly payment plans for the hardware. Our clients seem to prefer this to other options out there. The units are excellent and I can’t remember the last time one malfunctioned or failed, making maintenance for us a breeze, which means more happy clients.