Apparatus and method for music-on-hold delivery on a communications network

A system for enabling music to be provided to callers placed on hold in a LAN network used for voice communications. Bandwidth consumption is minimized by ensuring that music-on-hold is provided in a manner that enables most necessary tasks to be executed by a client instead of a server. The music-on-hold system (50) is configured to transfer a small application program (54) or applet, having an audio file (52) and a media player (54), from the server to the client if necessary. Concurrently, a real time protocol (RTP) stream carrying music is used to provide music to the client from the server during the applet transfer to ensure that the held caller receives music at all times. The RTP stream is initially used to provide music to held callers.