About OnHold and FAQ

"Seattle is one of today's most dynamic music cities. The OnHold music program is yet another innovative way that visitors and citizens can experience Seattle music. Please take time to learn more about the superbly talented musicians of Seattle. Purchase their music for yourself, catch a live concert, and keep your ears open to the sounds of Seattle."

• OnHold Music F.A.Q.

OnHold is a partnership with Seattle musicians and composers, the Mayor's Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs and the Department of Information Technology.

About OnHold Music

OnHold plays music from some of Seattle's best artists on the City of Seattle phone systems and web-page. We hope you don't have to wait long the next time you call for a City service, but if you are on hold, you'll be able to listen to authentic Seattle music. Listeners might hear Wayne Horvitz, Seattle Pro Musica, Dave Peck, Aono Jikken, and many others. Play lists rotate quarterly.

Participating in Seattle OnHold

Only recordings by artists who work in or have substantial ties to the greater Seattlearea will be considered. Compositions by artists or organizations that control their own rights are preferred. Due to the quantity of material we receive, you will only be contacted if your music is selected.

Apply Electronically by e-mailing arts.culture@seattle.gov with the subject line "Seattle OnHold application." Do not attach MP3's to your e-mail.

Include Web-links to:

• Your full-song audio (If you don't have many songs on-line, consider applying by mail with your hard copy CD. That gives us more to choose from).
• English lyrics - attachments will be accepted if Web-links are not available.
• A bio
• Contact name, mailing address, phone, and e-mail.

Apply by Mail by sending CDs, English lyric sheets for any songs with vocals, a bio sheet, and contact information to:

Attn: Seattle OnHold
Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs, City of Seattle
PO Box 94748
Seattle, WA 98124-4748

Comments & Suggestions

OnHold Music Frequently Asked Questions

1. Questions/Comments about OnHold
2. Without computer access, how do I make comments about OnHold?
3. What's the average hold time for City phones?
4. What about music rights and licensing?
5. How do the online sales work?
6. How can I participate in OnHold?
7. When can I submit my work to OnHold?
8. Why aren't "superstar" Seattle based artists playing OnHold?

1. Questions/Comments about OnHold
www.seattle.gov/onhold provides detailed information about the OnHold program. It contains artist information, mixes, podcasts, Seattle music links and much more. Your ideas are important to us so please share your comments about OnHold and suggestions about the music you would like to hear by e-mailing arts.culture@seattle.gov.

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2. Without computer access, how do I make comments about OnHold?
Contact the Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs at (206) 684-7171. Also, city libraries have free use of computers and internet access.

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3. What's the average hold time for City phones?
In 2005, the average hold time for the Seattle Public Utilities Call Center was 56 seconds and improved to only 15 seconds in the 4th quarter. We don't expect people to be on hold long, so www.seattle.gov/onhold will provide a way for them to enjoy the music they missed. It will also provide a way for those who may never be placed on hold to hear a sample of Seattle's sound.

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4. What about music rights and licensing?
The City of Seattle has long maintained blanket agreements with ASCAP and BMI for the legal use of music. The City requires that each artist involved in the OnHold program agree to the use of their work in the program.

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5. How do the online sales work?
The Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs has agreements with online retailers CD Baby, iTunes and Amazon that enable people to Seattle to purchase music. A small portion of each sale (typically 7% up to $1/CD sold) is set aside to further arts education while the artist's revenue remains untouched. There is no cost to the City for the retail agreements and artists are not required to establish relations with these retailers to participate in OnHold.

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6. How can I participate in OnHold?
The Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs hopes to showcase the work of Seattle area artists and invites individuals and organizations to submit recordings for consideration. All genres are encouraged and original compositions by artists or organizations that control their own licensing are preferred. Please note that only artists who work in or have substantial ties to the greater Seattle area will be considered for OnHold. Because the phone system is used so widely, unusually harsh tempo, abrasive instrumentation and aggressive timbres are less suited to the program, but all submissions will be carefully considered. More...

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7. When can I submit my work to OnHold?
You may submit recordings for consideration at any time. Seattle OnHold play lists rotate quarterly and are assembled by the Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs and Department of Information Technology on the basis of artistic merit, appropriateness for a public phone system, legal feasibility, and the guiding principle of creating a music compilation of Seattle's diverse musical traditions and cultures. More...

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8. Why aren't "superstar" Seattle based artists playing OnHold?
The City welcomes artists interested in participating to apply, but because podcasting is a new technology that deals directly with digital music distribution, obtaining permission to use music by international recording artists is difficult and sometimes expressly against the wishes of their management.

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