Easy On Hold® for Asterisk and FreePBX
Deliver managed music on hold and custom messages to your Asterisk phone system using an Easy On Hold audio stream.
Asterisk Streaming Music On Hold Setup, Benefits and Resources
Easy On Hold® provides managed HTTP or HTTPS audio streams for compatible Asterisk deployments, including systems administered through FreePBX. Customers control licensed music and messages from the Easy On Hold Content Control Center™, where updates can be published immediately or scheduled by date and time.
A single stream can support several call groups, or different streams can be assigned to sales, support, regions and other audiences. Organizations can also host approved existing audio and quickly activate time-sensitive or emergency messages.
FreePBX supports static Music on Hold files and Custom Application streaming categories. Streaming configuration requires an experienced PBX administrator, appropriate server resources and thorough testing before production deployment.
FreePBX Streaming Music On Hold Implementation
Confirm the PBX Requirements
Ask your Asterisk or FreePBX administrator to confirm that Custom Application Music on Hold is appropriate for the deployment, that a compatible player such as mpg123 is available and that the server and network can support the intended stream.
Create a Music on Hold Category
In FreePBX, go to Settings > Music on Hold, choose Add Category, enter a descriptive name and select Custom Application as the category type.
Configure the Easy On Hold Stream
Enter the approved player command and Easy On Hold stream URL in the Custom Application settings. The exact command, buffering and format choices should be confirmed for the PBX version, codecs and operating environment.
Assign, Apply and Test
Assign the new Music on Hold category to the appropriate queue, route, ring group, conference or other destination. Apply the configuration, place test calls and monitor audio quality, bandwidth, transcoding and server performance.
Find the right streaming music on hold plan.
An Easy On Hold specialist can explain your options.
Asterisk Music On Hold FAQs
Answers to common questions about using Easy On Hold with Asterisk and FreePBX.
FreePBX is an open-source, web-based graphical interface used to configure and manage an Asterisk communications system.
For a compatible deployment, FreePBX can use a Custom Application Music on Hold category and an external player to receive an Easy On Hold HTTP or HTTPS audio stream. The category can then be assigned to supported call destinations.
Music and messages are managed in the Easy On Hold® Content Control Center™. Authorized users can organize content, make updates and schedule messages from one dashboard.
Yes. Separate Easy On Hold streams or Music on Hold categories can be assigned to different queues or call groups, subject to the PBX configuration and available system resources.
No. Official FreePBX documentation cautions that remote streaming can affect bandwidth and PBX performance and is not recommended for every production server. Have an experienced administrator evaluate the environment, codecs and call volume, then test thoroughly before deployment.
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