How do I get my alarm to play music?
Setting a song as your iPhone alarm sound
If you have an iPhone running iOS 17 or later, you can easily set any song from your Music library as the sound for your alarm clock. Here’s how:
First, open the Clock app and tap on the Alarm tab. Select the alarm you want to edit by tapping on it. Next, tap ‘Sound’ and you will be brought to a list of the default iOS alarm tones. At the top of this list there is an option to select ‘Pick a Song’. Tap on this option.
You will then be prompted to give the Clock app access to your Music library. Tap ‘OK’ to allow access. You will then be brought to your full Music library where you can browse songs and select the one you want as your custom alarm tone.
Once you have selected the song, tap ‘Set’ in the upper right corner. This will set that song as the sound for your chosen iPhone alarm. The song will now play when the alarm goes off at your set time. You can repeat this process to customize the sound for any of your alarms.
For a guide from Apple with visuals, see: Setting custom iPhone alarm tones
Using Spotify music as an Android alarm
One popular option for setting a custom alarm sound is to use a song from Spotify. To do this on an Android device, first you’ll need to download the Spotify app and log into your account if you don’t already have it installed:
Once in the Spotify app, find the specific song or playlist you want to set as your alarm sound and open it within the app. You can search for songs or browse your saved playlists to find the perfect wake-up track.
Then open your Clock app and create a new alarm or edit an existing one. Tap on the alarm sound option to customize it. Here you’ll see an option to select Spotify as the sound source if you have it installed. Tap this, which will open up your Spotify app with all your available music.
Browse and select the exact song or playlist you want from Spotify. This will now be set as your alarm sound. When the alarm goes off, your chosen Spotify track will play from the app as your wake-up call.
(https://moviemaker.minitool.com/news/spotify-as-alarm-clock.html)
Creating alarm playlists on Pandora
Pandora is a free music streaming service that allows you to create customized radio stations based on songs or artists you like. You can use these customized Pandora stations as your alarm sound on iPhone.
To do this, first download the Pandora app from the App Store and sign up for an account if you don’t already have one. Once signed in, search for a song or artist you want to wake up to and tap the “+” button to create a new station based on it.
Next, go to the Clock app and set a new alarm or edit an existing alarm. Tap “Sound” and scroll down to select “Pick a Song” instead of the default ringtones. This will allow you to browse your Pandora stations and playlists. Select the station you want to use as your alarm sound.
When the alarm goes off, music from your chosen Pandora station will play. You can customize the variety and frequency of songs by thumbs up or down voting tracks that play. This lets you continually refine the playlist to include music you love waking up to.
Using a customized Pandora playlist as your alarm tone makes waking up a more pleasant experience. It also ensures you won’t get tired of the same song every morning.
Setting music alarms on Amazon Alexa devices
One of the most popular ways to set a music alarm is by using an Amazon Alexa device like the Echo or Echo Dot. To do this, you first need to make sure your Alexa device is properly linked to your Amazon Music account.
Once connected, you can use the Alexa app or voice commands to create a routine that will play music at a scheduled time. In the app, go to the “Routines” section and click the “+” button to add a new routine. Give it a name like “Morning Alarm” and set the time you want it to activate.
Under “Action,” select “Music” and choose a song, album, playlist or station from your Amazon Music library to play. You can also use voice commands to create the routine by saying something like “Alexa, create a routine called Morning Alarm that plays my Pump Up playlist at 7am.”
Finally, schedule the routine in the Alexa app to make it repeat daily as your alarm. The app will prompt you to confirm making it a recurring alarm. Whenever the alarm goes off, your chosen music will play from your Alexa to wake you up!
Overall, the key steps are ensuring your Alexa device is linked to music services like Amazon Music, creating a routine for your alarm sound, and scheduling it to recur at your desired wake-up time. With just a few simple settings, you can start your mornings with your favorite playlists or albums thanks to Alexa (Fortune Business Insights).
Using your own MP3s as alarm tones
One of the most common ways to set a custom song for your alarm is to use your own MP3 files. This allows you to choose from any song in your personal music library. To do this, you’ll first need to download an alarm clock app that supports MP3 alarm tones. On iPhone, apps like Alarm Clock – Wake up Music allow you to select MP3s for alarms. On Android, the built-in Clock app supports MP3 alarms.
After downloading a compatible alarm app, you’ll need to allow it access to your music library. On iPhone, you can grant access in the Settings app under Music. On Android, you’ll be prompted to allow access when you first select an MP3 as your alarm tone. Finally, you can browse your music library within the alarm app and select the specific song you want to wake up to.
Using your own MP3 collection gives you a huge amount of flexibility for custom alarm tones. You can set special songs for certain days of the week, or match your mood each morning. Just be sure your phone isn’t on silent when the alarm goes off!
Gradually increasing alarm volume
One way to help make waking up less jarring is to choose an alarm that gradually increases in volume over time. This can give you a more peaceful transition from sleep to wakefulness. Look for alarm apps or devices that offer gentle wake-up features and allow you to control the rate at which the volume increases.
According to research published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, alarms that start softly and become progressively louder can help combat morning grogginess and improve mood upon waking (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6029360/). This type of gentle alarm more closely mimics the natural transition between sleep stages we experience when waking up naturally.
When setting up a gradual wake-up alarm, determine the maximum volume you want it to reach as well as the total duration for the increase. This allows you to avoid any sudden or overly loud sounds first thing in the morning. With a more peaceful wake-up, you’re less likely to hit snooze and go back to sleep, meaning you can start your mornings feeling refreshed.
Avoiding song repetition
Listening to the same song repeatedly as an alarm can get annoying and take away from the enjoyment of the music. As psychology researchers have found, while repetition allows us to appreciate music more deeply at first, continued excessive repetition diminishes our enjoyment and may negatively impact our mood upon waking up (https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/apr/29/why-we-love-repetition-in-music-tom-service).
To prevent the negative effects of repeated exposure, consider these tips for varying your alarm’s music:
- Select longer playlists or radio-style alarm apps that shuffle through many songs rather than playing just one on repeat.
- Opt for an alarm that randomly shuffles songs from a large playlist to ensure variety.
- Frequently update your alarm sound playlist to prevent hearing the same songs daily.
Varying your alarm’s musical selection will help you wake up energized and continue enjoying your favorite songs.
Consider alarm tone psychology
The type of alarm tone you choose can have psychological effects that influence your mood and alertness upon waking up. Studies have shown that more upbeat, energetic songs can provide a mood boost first thing in the morning and support feeling alert and energized. According to research from news-medical.net, “Loud, sudden noises are more likely to induce stress.” Therefore, choosing a song with a gradual volume increase may help avoid too intense of an awakening.
For those who tend to feel anxious when the alarm goes off, consider using calmer music. The slower tempo can help ease that morning anxiety. According to a study analyzed on ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, “The type of sound people set as their alarm for waking has been shown to reduce the effects of sleep inertia.” Using nature sounds like ocean waves, bird calls, or rainfall can promote relaxation as you wake up.
Use alarms sparingly
While alarms can be useful for waking up on time, it’s best to use them sparingly when possible. Relying too heavily on alarms can lead to dependence, making it harder to wake up naturally. It also disrupts your natural sleep cycles, potentially leaving you feeling more tired throughout the day.
Try to gradually wake up on your own when you can, feeling more rested and energized. If you need an alarm, limit it to only 1-2 per day to avoid dependence. The exception could be if you need to wake up at irregular times for jobs like nursing that require shift work.
Setting too many alarms or using snooze excessively conditions you to expect the alarm instead of waking up naturally. You may find it harder to rouse yourself without the blaring alarm. Avoid overusing alarms so you don’t interfere with your body’s natural sleep rhythms.
Set a backup alarm
It’s important to have a backup alarm set as a safety net in case your primary alarm fails to go off or malfunctions. According to The principle of redundancy is used when system reliability, having multiple redundant alarm clocks greatly improves the overall system reliability. This prevents you from oversleeping if one alarm fails.
Use multiple devices for your alarms, such as your phone, a bedside alarm clock, your computer’s calendar app, etc. Stagger the times across these devices by 5-10 minutes to ensure you actually wake up. Having a cacophony of alarms going off in succession makes it much harder to sleep through them all. Just make sure to set a sensible maximum volume so the alarm is loud enough to wake you but not loud enough to disturb others.
With multiple backup alarms across different devices, you can rest assured knowing there are redundancies in place in case any individual alarm fails on a given morning.