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ambiance musicale

English translation: music environment / background and on-hold music

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GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

French term or phrase:	ambiance musicale
English translation:	music environment / background and on-hold music
Entered by:	PB Trans

Options:
- Contribute to this entry
- Include in personal glossary

13:02 Jan 24, 2007

French to English translations [PRO]
Tech/Engineering - Telecom(munications) / music on hold, in-store advertising

French term or phrase: ambiance musicale

I did some research on the Internet and found "ambient music" for this context, but I don't think it's correct, as to me, this is a style of music. A search in Kudoz brings up "background music" but is it correct in this context? It is a company that provides music services for telephony but also in stores and restaurants. Your input is appreciated.

XXX, une société en pleine expansion, établie depuis 1984 offre des solutions qui permettent la gestion de votre ambiance musicale. De plus, XXX conseille, vend et installe des équipements de sonorisation commerciale.

XXX conseille les différentes entreprises ayant besoin de diffuser une musique d’ambiance originale dans leurs établissements ou pour simplement agrémenter la mise en attente téléphonique.

PB Trans

music environment

Explanation:
PsstOn-Hold music is an important tool in keeping customers on the line while ... part of the overall music environment and is purposely non-entertaining, ...
www.generativeart.com/papers2005/03.PaulBrown.htm - 81k - Cached - Similar pages

Plastic: How Much Would You Pay?It is an application to manage your music environment in its totality. hopefully, the Windows version of itunes will be as good as the Mac version, ...
www.plastic.com/article.html;sid=03/04/28/19185418 - 590k - Cached - Similar pages

Selected response from:

Deborah Workman
United States
Local time: 07:37

Grading comment

I decided to go for "music environment" in this context. I think background/on-hold music is good too so I will also enter that in the glossary. Thank you all for your help.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

3 +3

background music

Marc Glinert

music environment

Deborah Workman

3 +1

musical ambiance

Charlotte Allen

audio atmosphere

Stephanie Rothwell

atmospheric music

alexandre kounde

piped music

Sandra Petch

Discussion entries: 6

Answers

6 mins confidence:

atmospheric music

Explanation:
Another idea...

alexandre kounde
Slovenia
Local time: 13:37
Native speaker of: French

13 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +3

background music

Explanation:
or "musical backdrop" if you want to avoid this clear but rather clumsy term, Pina

Marc Glinert
Local time: 13:37
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 4

39 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

musical ambiance

Explanation:
"Ambiance" is often used (a bit pretentiously, but that's just my opinion) in English marketing speak - maybe it could work here.

E.g.
DrunkDuck: The Webcomics Community - Old DrunkDuck News
Just sneaking in a small piece of news: LAX Light Motion Dreams finally made the jump to Flash comic that features musical ambiance bulit into the page. ...
www.drunkduck.com/news.php?d=20060503

Prairie Woods Trio, www.prairiewoodstrio.com, chicago illinois trio
Overall, we take it as our professional mission and responsibility to provide the appropriate musical ambiance for the various performance venues and events ...
www.prairiewoodstrio.com

Danny Elfman 's Music For A Darkened People: Sleepy Hollow
He's putting a new spin on the musical ambiance idea - twisting it and adapting it match the dense fog that hangs over the town of Sleepy Hollow. ...
elfman.filmmusic.com/sleepyhollow

Charlotte Allen
United Kingdom
Local time: 12:37
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 12

6 mins confidence:

audio atmosphere

Explanation:
.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 22 mins (2007-01-24 13:25:23 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Re. your question to Mark, I think 'background music' could stretch to include on-hold music in your context, but I understand your point.
Maybe you could use 'audio atmosphere' for your first example and 'background and on-hold music' for the second.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 28 mins (2007-01-24 13:31:18 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

'Ambiance music' also gets some relevant Google hits and is transparent. There is a slight risk though that it could be confused with the genre 'ambient music' that you refer to in your question.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2007-01-24 14:44:12 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I think 'background/on-hold music' could work -- see my note above.

Reference: http://www.innerear.co.uk/audio.php

Stephanie Rothwell
Local time: 12:37
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 16

4 hrs confidence:

piped music

Explanation:
From the little background reading I've done, it seems "background music" and "on-hold music" are referred to in these two different ways. "Piped music" could cover them both although I feel it has a slightly derogatory tone.
Interesting article here on music and marketing:
http://www.fastcompany.com/resources/marketing/post/111504.h...

Sandra Petch
Local time: 13:37
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 8

13 hrs confidence:

music environment

Deborah Workman
United States
Local time: 07:37
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 8

Grading comment

I decided to go for "music environment" in this context. I think background/on-hold music is good too so I will also enter that in the glossary. Thank you all for your help.

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English translation: music environment / background and on-hold music

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English translation: music environment / background and on-hold music

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