An approach is provided for providing media and alert notification during a hold status of a communication session. The approach includes detecting a hold status of a communication session associated with a device. The approach also includes monitoring hold media transmitted to the device during the hold status and processing the monitored hold media to determine a variation in a characteristic of the hold media. The approach further includes determining a change in the hold status based on the variation; and presenting an alert notification on the device, another device, or a combination thereof to indicate the change in the hold status.