New York Residents Spend 40 Minutes On Hold Every Month

New research has revealed that New York residents spend an average of 39.23 minutes on hold every month, ranked 20th of 50 — above the national average of any major US city surveyed and well above the national average of 41 minutes.

Over a lifetime, that adds up to 26 days spent waiting on hold.

The study by Answering Service Care, which surveyed over 2,000 Americans across 28 major cities, also found that nearly two-thirds (63%) of Americans say a company’s choice of hold music directly impacts their perception of the brand, making the hold queue a more powerful brand touchpoint than most businesses realise.

And when it comes to the music playing during those 39.23 minutes? Taylor Swift tops the list of artists most likely to make Americans hang up (11%), while Elton John is the most likely to keep callers on the line (60%). The research also found that 80% of Americans have heard copyrighted chart music on hold, raising questions about whether businesses are legally licensed to play it.

Full state-level data is below, and national breakdowns and spokespeople are available on request.

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Americans spend almost 3 billion hours on hold every year, costing $83 billion in lost time

Key Points Of Interest:

• North Dakota residents spend the most time on hold

• Nostalgic throwbacks are the most enjoyed on-hold genre

• 17% of Americans say Christmas music is their preferred hold music

• Taylor Swift ranked America’s most annoying on-hold artist (11%)

• 80% of Americans say they’ve heard copyrighted chart music while on hold — raising major licensing concerns

Americans are spending an astonishing amount of time waiting on hold, and what they hear in that time can make or break a brand’s image. Music choice isn’t just about taste; it’s about emotion, legality, and customer trust.

That’s why Answering Service Care commissioned this survey to understand the true scale of the issue. With millions of hours lost and billions of dollars in productivity slipping away, businesses can’t afford to overlook what happens during those moments of hold-time silence.

States With the Longest Hold Times

The survey identified the states where residents spend the most time waiting on hold each month:

1. North Dakota – 128 mins/month

2. Idaho – 73 mins/month

3. Washington – 73 mins/month

4. Delaware – 63 mins/month

5. California – 58 mins/month

Are You Breaking the Law With Your Hold Music?

The survey also found that 80% of Americans say they’ve heard familiar chart music while on hold.

Many businesses may not realise that popular music such as Taylor Swift, Drake, and Beyoncé requires commercial-use licences through ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC.

Services like Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube only grant personal-use rights, and do not provide business use rights.

Using these tracks without proper licensing can expose companies to:

• Copyright violations

• Significant fines

• Negative publicity

• Customer trust issues

• Lack of professionalism

Choosing properly licensed or royalty-free music eliminates that risk. It also gives businesses more control over their brand identity, allowing them to design a consistent caller experience that aligns with their image.

The Music That Calms, and the Artists That Infuriate

According to our survey, 63% of Americans say hold music influences how they perceive a brand. That number climbs to 76% among people aged 35 to 44, a group that reports the strongest emotional reaction to the music playing while they wait.

Music style also matters. 25% of respondents prefer nostalgic throwbacks, 24% want rock, 19% favor country, and 8% would rather hear silence than music at all. Nearly one in four believe that the music a company chooses directly defines its identity, illustrating the close connection between sound and reputation. Even among those aged 55 and older, half admit that hold music still shapes their view of a business.

A small but notable 5% say they have formed a negative opinion of a company purely because of its hold music.

America’s Most Relaxing vs. Most Infuriating Artists

When asked which artists made them feel calmest while waiting, respondents ranked Elton John at the top with 60%, followed closely by The Beatles (59%), Queen (49%), Ed Sheeran (47%), and Coldplay (41%).

The artists most likely to frustrate callers were led by Taylor Swift (11%), followed by Beyoncé (10%), Snoop Dogg (10%), Lizzo (9.5%), and Drake (9%).

Artists That  Americans Find The Most Annoying on Hold

For businesses, a sound choice is an integral part of their brand strategy. The right approach can foster calmness and establish credibility before a single word is spoken.

Logan Shooster at Answering Service Care says, “Hold music can have a real impact on whether the caller will stay on the line or not. Our survey shows that the right soundtrack can calm and reassure callers, while the wrong one might just add to their frustration, especially if it’s overplayed or polarizing. With 8% noting they’d rather have silence and the majority agreeing nostalgic throwbacks are the best to listen to.”

About Answering Service Care:

Answering Service Care (ASC) has been serving organizations across all industries since 1974. Small and medium-sized businesses love our personalized approach, and large enterprises are confident that we can handle their call and chat volume with our innovative and friendly approach.

Methodology:

Findings in this report are based on a nationwide survey of 2,000 U.S. consumers conducted in 2025. Respondents were asked about time spent on hold, their emotional reactions to hold music, and how those experiences influence their perception of brands.

Economic estimates were calculated using the average U.S. hourly wage of $30, combined with national population data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This approach was used to estimate the total hours and financial cost of time spent on hold each year.

While our survey focused on consumer sentiment, it also provides context for understanding the broader operational and compliance challenges faced by businesses that manage customer phone systems.