# Set up a Custom Music on Hold Playlist

Music on hold (MoH) is the audio a caller hears once you place them on hold, letting them know the call is still connected. Cloud Voice ships with a default playlist of built-in tracks, but you can also create your own. There are two kinds of custom playlist to choose from:

- **Local audio**: a set of audio files you upload to the system. The tracks play in turn whenever someone is on hold.
- **Streaming music**: a single URL that points to a live audio feed. Callers hear whatever that source is broadcasting.

Follow the section below that matches the playlist type you want.

## Set up a local audio playlist

### Audio file requirements

Every file you upload has to meet these specifications:

| Item | Requirement |
| --- | --- |
| File format | `.wav`, `.mp3`, or `.gsm`, encoded as one of: PCM 8kHz 16-bit 128kbps; A-law (G.711) 8kHz 8-bit 64kbps; u-law (G.711) 8kHz 8-bit 64kbps |
| File size | Up to 8 MB |

:::tip
If a file doesn't match the format requirements, re-encode it first. See [Convert Audio Files](/pbx/administrator-guide/convert-audio-files/) for two ways to do this.
:::

### Limits

| Item | Limit |
| --- | --- |
| Local audio playlists | 16 |
| Audio files per playlist | 8 |

### Step 1: Create the playlist

1. Sign in to the PBX web portal and go to **PBX Settings > Voice Prompt > Music on Hold**.
2. Click **Create New Playlist** and fill in the pop-up window:
   - **Playlist Type**: Select **Local Audio**.
   - **Playlist Name**: Give it a name you'll recognize later.
   - **Play Order**: Choose whether the tracks play in alphabetical order or at random.
3. Click **Save**.

### Step 2: Upload audio files

1. Select the playlist you just created, then click the files icon ![Manage playlist files](/images/pbx/MoH%20Files.png).
2. In the pop-up window, click **Upload**.
3. Click **Browse**, pick the audio file you want, and click **Upload**.
4. To add more tracks, repeat the previous two steps. Each file you upload appears in the **MoH Files** list.

### Step 3 (optional): Preview the files

Before you go live, you can confirm each track sounds right and plays all the way through.

1. On the **MoH Files** page, select a file and click the play icon ![Preview a track](/images/pbx/play.png).
2. In the pop-up window, choose where to preview it:
   - Under **Play on Web**, click the play control ![Play in the browser](/images/pbx/Play_star%20(1).png) to listen in your browser.
   - Or, in the **Extension** drop-down list, pick an extension and click **Play**. The system calls that extension and plays the track over the phone.
3. Click **OK**.

### Step 4: Save the playlist

Click **Apply** to save your changes.

### Step 5: Make it the system playlist

1. Open the **Prompt Preferences** tab.
2. In the **Music on Hold** drop-down list, select your playlist.
3. Click **Save**, then **Apply**.

:::caution
The **Music on Hold** setting on the **Prompt Preferences** tab is the system-wide default. Changing it affects every call placed on hold across the PBX, so confirm the new playlist is correct before you apply it.
:::

From now on, callers placed on hold hear the tracks from your playlist.

## Set up a streaming music playlist

You can create up to **5** streaming music playlists.

### Step 1: Create the playlist

1. Sign in to the PBX web portal and go to **PBX Settings > Voice Prompt > Music on Hold**.
2. Click **Create New Playlist** and fill in the pop-up window:
   - **Playlist Type**: Select **Streaming Music**.
   - **Playlist Name**: Give it a name you'll recognize later.
   - **Streaming Music URL**: Enter the URL of an existing music stream.
3. Click **Save**.
4. Click **Apply**.

### Step 2: Make it the system playlist

1. Open the **Prompt Preferences** tab.
2. In the **Music on Hold** drop-down list, select your playlist.
3. Click **Save**, then **Apply**.

Callers on hold now hear the audio streamed from your URL.

:::note
If the system can't reach the URL, or the stream has no audio available, the caller hears nothing while on hold.
:::