ARCHIVED: Change what others hear on hold in Skype for Business for Windows

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Note:

Office telephone service for faculty and staff at Indiana University has transitioned from Skype for Business to Teams Calls.

You can set the Skype for Business client for Windows to use custom on-hold music rather than Microsoft's default music.

At Indiana University, you can replace the Microsoft default with the IU Orchestra playing "Bohemian Rhapsody". If you want others to hear silence instead of music when you put a call on hold (for example, if you use hold during conference calls), you can use a silent sound file for your on-hold music. (Microsoft does not allow you to deselect the option to play music on hold directly.) Download either of these two sound files from IUware (noting where the file is saved), and then follow the instructions below.

Important:

You can only use music that is not copyrighted, unless you or the University are the copyright owner. Most popular music cannot be used, as it would make you and the University liable for copyright infringement. (You may legally use either of the sound files on IUware.)

Note:

Custom on-hold music will only work if you are using the Skype for Business client with a USB headset or the Polycom CX300/Plantronics P540 USB phones; it does not work if you're using the Polycom CX600 IP phone.

Before setting up your custom on-hold music, you must have a Windows Media file with the extension .wma. To convert .mp3 or .wav files to .wma, see Where to edit a sound file at IU.

To use your .wma file as your custom on-hold music:

In Skype for Business, click the Options (gear) icon.
In the left pane of the "Options" dialog box, click Ringtones and Sounds.
If the logged-in account is enabled for Enterprise Voice, the last option should be Play music on hold. Click Browse, and then navigate to the .wma file you'd like to play for people you put on hold. Click OK.

If you wish to restore the Microsoft default music at any point, you can find the file at C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office15\MEDIA\DefaultHold.

To learn how to perform common tasks in Skype for Business, see Skype for Business help & learning.