What app do I need to pick a song for my alarm?
Waking up to music has been shown to have many benefits compared to a traditional alarm. Music elevates mood through the release of dopamine and other “happy” hormones, helping people start their day feeling more positive and energized (Source). Listening to upbeat, energetic songs in the morning has also been found to reduce the stress hormone cortisol, setting you up for lower anxiety throughout the day (Source). Overall, choosing a favorite, motivational song as your alarm can make waking up more pleasant while priming you for a productive, happy day.
Default Alarm Apps
iOS and Android both come with default alarm apps pre-installed. On iOS devices, the default alarm app is simply called Clock. This app allows you to set multiple alarms, choose from a variety of included alarm sounds or use songs from your music library, and set repeating alarms for certain days of the week.
According to a Reddit discussion, there is no way to change the default alarm app on Android devices [1]. The built-in Clock app handles all alarm functionality, though you can download third-party apps to supplement it. The Clock app on Android also allows you to set multiple alarms, repeat them on certain days, and customize the alarm sounds.
So in summary, iOS and Android devices both come with simple but functional built-in alarm apps that cannot be replaced with third-party alternatives as the default alarm app.
Customizable Alarm Apps
There are some great alarm clock apps that allow you to pick any song from your music library to wake up to. Two popular options are Sleep Cycle and Alarmy.
Sleep Cycle is an intelligent alarm clock that analyzes your sleep patterns and wakes you up during your lightest sleep phase. You can choose any song from your music library or Spotify playlists as your alarm sound. Sleep Cycle also provides sleep statistics and graphs to help improve your sleep quality over time.
Alarmy is another customizable alarm app that lets you set any song as your alarm. It has unique features like requiring you to complete tasks to turn off the alarm, so you don’t oversleep. You can choose from different types of missions like math problems, taking a photo, or shaking your phone a certain number of times.
The key benefit of using Sleep Cycle, Alarmy, or other similar apps is that you can pick that perfect upbeat or motivational song to start your day. Nothing better than waking up to your favorite tune! These apps also offer lots of options to customize the type of alarm experience you want.
Using Spotify
Spotify is one of the most popular music streaming services, so it makes sense that many users would want to set a Spotify song as their alarm. Here is how to do it on both iPhone and Android devices:
On iPhone, open the Spotify app and navigate to the song you want. Tap on the three dots next to the song title, then select “Add to Alarm Soundtrack” [1]. This will save the song to your Alarm Soundtrack playlist. Then open the Clock app, create a new alarm, and under Sound, select Spotify. You will see your Alarm Soundtrack playlist where you can choose your Spotify song.
On Android, open the Spotify app and select the song. Tap on the three dots, choose “Add to playlist” and select your Alarm Soundtrack or create a new playlist for alarm songs. Then open the Clock app, create an alarm, and under Alarm Sound, select Spotify. Pick your Alarm Soundtrack playlist and select the song. Customize any other alarm settings and save.
The key steps are adding your chosen Spotify song to a playlist titled “Alarm Soundtrack” and then selecting this playlist in your alarm clock app. This allows you to wake up to any Spotify song as your morning alarm.
[1] https://www.noteburner.com/topic-tips/set-spotify-song-as-alarm.html
Using Apple Music
Apple Music can be used to set any song in your library as an alarm sound on iOS. Here are the steps:
1. Open the Clock app and tap on Alarm.
2. Tap the + icon to add a new alarm.
3. Set the time you want the alarm to go off and tap “Sound.”
4. Tap “Pick a Song” and you’ll be taken to your Apple Music library.
5. Browse or search for the song you want to use and tap on it.
6. Tap “Set” to confirm the song selection.
7. Make sure the volume for the alarm is turned up under Sound & Haptics settings.
8. Tap Save in the upper right corner to save the alarm.
The selected Apple Music song will now play as your alarm at the set time. Keep in mind Apple Music songs need to be downloaded to your device for the alarm to work properly. Also, make sure lossless audio is disabled in Apple Music settings for seamless alarm functionality.
Sources:
[1] https://discussions.apple.com/thread/252868825
[2] https://www.macrumors.com/how-to/use-apple-music-song-as-alarm/
Using YouTube Music
YouTube Music is a great option for setting a song as your alarm sound on Android devices. To use YouTube Music for your alarm sound, you will need to have a YouTube Music Premium subscription and the latest version of the YouTube Music app installed on your device. Here’s how to set it up (source):
First, open the Clock app on your Android phone or tablet. Tap on an existing alarm to edit it or tap the plus icon to create a new alarm.
Next, tap on the alarm sound option. This will open up a menu where you can select YouTube Music as the sound source. Tap on YouTube Music.
You will then be taken to the YouTube Music app where you can browse and select any song, album or playlist to set as your alarm sound. Once you have picked your desired music, tap “Done” in the upper right corner.
The song will now be set as the alarm sound for that alarm. When the alarm goes off, your selected YouTube Music will play. An advantage of using YouTube Music is you can set longer songs, albums or playlists as your alarm.
One thing to note is that the screen needs to remain on for the YouTube Music alarm to work. So you may need to adjust your screen timeout settings. Overall, YouTube Music provides an easy way to set any music you want as your customizable alarm sound on Android (source).
Using Pandora
Pandora is a popular music streaming service that allows you to create customized radio stations based on your favorite songs, artists, or genres. One handy feature of Pandora is the ability to set a Pandora station as your alarm tone on Android devices.
To use Pandora for your alarm, first make sure you have the latest version of the Pandora app installed on your Android phone. Open the Pandora app and create a station featuring music you enjoy waking up to. You can make stations based on artists, songs, genres, or Pandora’s curated playlists.
Next, go to your Android device’s Clock app and create a new alarm. For the alarm sound, select “Pandora” instead of a default ringtone. This will allow you to pick one of your Pandora stations to play when the alarm goes off. Choose your preferred Pandora station to wake up to.
When the alarm goes off, your chosen Pandora station will begin playing. This is a great way to wake up to music you love instead of a blaring, annoying alarm tone. You can customize stations and likes/dislikes over time to further tailor your morning soundtrack.
One limitation is that the Pandora app itself needs to be open and running for the alarm to function properly. If you force close the Pandora app, the alarm may default to a system tone. So be sure to keep Pandora running in the background.
Using SoundCloud
SoundCloud is a popular music streaming platform where users can upload, record, promote and share their original music. It also features music from major and independent record labels. One great feature of SoundCloud is the ability to use tracks as custom alarm tones on your iPhone or Android device.
To set a SoundCloud track as your alarm on an iPhone:[https://www.quora.com/How-do-you-set-a-SoundCloud-song-as-your-morning-alarm-on-an-iPhone]
- Open the Clock app and select the alarm you want to customize.
- Tap “Sound” and scroll up to “Pick a Song” then select “SoundCloud”.
- Search for the desired SoundCloud track and select it.
- Tap “Set” to save the SoundCloud track as your alarm.
This allows you to wake up to your favorite SoundCloud artists and tracks. You can find a wide variety of music to suit your tastes. It’s an easy way to start your day energized and inspired by music you love.
Alarm Volume and Settings
The volume of your alarm is crucial for ensuring you wake up on time. Set the volume loud enough to wake you up, but not so loud it’s jarring. You can also set your alarm to slowly increase in volume over time to gently ease you awake.
Placing your phone across the room can force you out of bed to turn it off. Just be sure to set the volume loud enough that you can still hear it from afar. Some phones allow setting separate alarm volumes from your general volume, so you can keep your alerts quiet but still have a loud wake up call.
Limit yourself to only one snooze cycle to avoid falling back asleep. Or turn off the snooze option completely. Apps like Alarmy require you to scan a barcode or solve puzzles to turn off your alarm, preventing going back to sleep.
You can also adjust the snooze length and set up repeating alarms every 5-10 minutes until you turn it off. This prevents sleeping through a single snooze period.
Consider using a vibrating wristband alarm if noise isn’t effective at waking you. The physical sensation can help break through deep sleep when sounds don’t.
Gradually move your alarm time earlier in 5-10 minute increments over several days. This makes adjusting to an earlier wake time easier over time. Just be careful not to set the alarm so early you aren’t getting adequate sleep.
Making small tweaks to when and how loud your alarm goes off can make a big difference in motivating you to get out of bed instead of repeatedly hitting snooze.
Conclusion
In summary, there are many great apps that allow you to set any song as your alarm. The default alarm apps on both iOS and Android offer basic customization, but third party apps like Spotify, Pandora, and YouTube Music provide more advanced features.
For most people, Spotify and Apple Music are great one-stop shops since they have huge catalogs of music and let you easily pick a playlist or song as your alarm. YouTube Music also works well if you want to wake up to music videos or other YouTube content. Overall, you can’t go wrong with the major streaming apps for setting a custom song alarm.
When selecting your alarm song, aim for an upbeat song that will gently wake you up in a pleasant mood. Consider setting the volume to start low and gradually increase as well. Experiment to find the best song and settings that fit your morning routine. With the array of options now available, you can customize the perfect alarm experience.