An apparatus for a voice mail advertising system. Incoming telephone calls are routed to a user. If the user does not answer the call, the call is routed to a voice mail server, which communicates with an advertising server. The servers execute software for determining if the user has subscribed to voice mail advertising, selecting an advertisement for playback, playing the advertisement, recording an incoming message, if any, and billing the advertiser if the advertisement was played in its entirety without early termination by the caller.