The unlikely origin of on-hold music: an explainer

Outside of recognizing it as your cue to sit tightly and wait for the person on the other line to help you, have you ever given on-hold music a second thought? Regardless of your answer, you might be unfamiliar with the origins of on-hold music. The phenomenon was born in an unlikely, but happy incident for American inventor and factory owner Alfred Levy. Adam Wallis explains.

• The odd history of on-hold music