Streaming Hold Music

Back in the second half of 2022, I started working with Jay, an Asterisk subject-matter expert with a McGuyver-like quality to him.

Case in point: We forgot to bring a null-terminated serial cable adapter for console access to a firewall we were working on. The customer was in the middle of nowhere, so we weren't getting a cable without hours of driving or days of waiting.  

Jay literally turned a couple of paperclips and a cross-over serial cable into a working null-terminated serial cable we could use to connect to the firewall.

But the actual reason I started working with Jay was because of his expertise in Music On Hold applications using Asterisk. Together, we are bringing the power of ogg123 and mpg123 compatible streaming to the Mission Control dashboard.

ogg123 vs mpg123?

mpg123-compatibility enables mp3 files for playback via streaming. ogg123-support enables the Ogg Vorbis audio format.

Ogg Vorbis will have better quality at the same bitrate compared to mp3s. Similar in scope to Apple-friendly AAC format. It's the modern (open) replacement for mp3 that hasn't quite been picked up en-masse yet.

For my Amtelco-based friends, your systems only support mp3 at the time the post was published.

So, what does this all mean?

Mission Control users will be able to:

• create your own music stations for use in your client accounts
• enable high-quality (and high-fidelity) playback
• load your own music files or use our royalty-free music
• The station never leaves your network
• No fees for each station connection or time-played

Some music station example ideas include:

• An energetic mix for standard accounts
• A more serious tone for law and/or funeral accounts
• Custom music or announcements from clients
• Company "The more you know" messages on internal accounts

This feature is included in Mission Control at no additional cost for paid subscribers.

Email support@calltheory.com to learn more! Existing Mission Control installations will automatically be updated.

On a side note: In the United States, the mp3 technology became "substantially patent-free" in 2017 - so the audio format itself is now royalty free!