How to Set a Song as an iPhone Alarm

Wake up and go to sleep to your favorite songs

By
Mark Harris
Mark Harris
Writer
  • University of Wolverhampton
Mark Harris is a former writer for Lifewire who wrote about the digital music scene and streaming music services in an easy to understand, no-nonsense manner.
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Updated on April 17, 2022
Reviewed by
Christine Baker
Reviewed by Christine Baker
Christine Baker is a marketing consultant with experience working for a variety of clients. Her expertise includes social media, web development, and graphic design.
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What to Know

  • Add music to alarm: Tap Clock app > Alarm > Plus (+) (or Edit > select alarm). Enter a time > tap Sound > pick a song.
  • Set timer to stop music: Tap Clock app > Timer > set time length > When Timer Ends > Stop Playing > Set.
  • Your Apple alarm clock only works with songs that are saved in the Music app on your iPhone.

This article explains how to set an alarm with music on iPhone iOS 6 and above, and how to set a timer to stop playing music on iPhone iOS 12 and above.

How to Add Music to an iPhone Alarm

Setting an alarm with music is done differently than setting ringtones on an iPhone. To make a music alarm, select the Clock app.

  1. In the Clock app, select Alarm from the bottom menu bar.

  2. Select the plus (+) sign to set up a new alarm.

    Or, to edit an existing alarm, tap Edit in the upper-left corner, then select the alarm to add music.

  3. Select Sound. Then, under Songs, tap Pick a song.

    Plus button, Sound button, Pick a song in iOS Clock app

  4. From your Library, choose the song you want to set as the alarm sound.

  5. In the upper-left corner, select Back, then select Save in the upper-right corner.

    Song for alarm, Back button, Save button in iOS Clock app

Set Up the Timer to Stop Music

The Clock app has a Stop Playing feature that automatically turns off any music, video clip, TV show, etc., that's playing on your iPhone. Start the Stop Playing timer, then turn on your music and doze off to your favorite tunes, confident that your iPhone will turn off the music when you want it to.

  1. On the iPhone home screen, open the Clock app.

  2. Choose Timer in the lower-right corner.

  3. Use the two virtual spin wheels to set the countdown timer to play music. For example, to play the music for an hour, set the time to 1 hour.

    Clock icon, Timer button, timer settings on iPhone

  4. Select When Timer Ends.

    iOS Set Up the Timer to Stop Music

  5. Scroll to the bottom of the screen and choose Stop Playing. Then, select Set in the upper-right corner to save your choice.

    Timer, Stop Playing, and Set buttons in iOS Clock app

  6. Go to the app where your music is, and start playing it.

  7. Return to the Clock app and select Timer. Then, select Start to activate the timer.

    Start button in iOS Clock app

  8. The music stops playing automatically after the time you set elapses.

You must switch When Timer Ends back to a tone if you need to use your timer for other purposes and want to hear it go off.

Can't Find the Right Alarm Clock Song?

Your personal Apple alarm clock only works with songs that are saved to your phone in the iPhone Music app. Unfortunately, this means you can't set the iPhone alarm music to something from Spotify, Pandora, or other music streaming apps.

To make a specific song your alarm on iPhone, use Apple Music to purchase the song or sync your iPhone with your computer to transfer the song from iTunes to the iPhone.

You can also download free ringtones and make your own iPhone ringtones to use as custom alarm clock sounds.

FAQ
  • How do I make a Spotify song my alarm on iPhone?

    You'll need a third-party app and Spotify Premium to use a Spotify song as an alarm on your iPhone. For example, download the Alarm Clock for Spotify iPhone app. In the app, sign in to Spotify, go to the Alarms section, select Add, and choose a Spotify alarm song for your iPhone.

  • How do I make a song my alarm on Android?

    On an Android device, open the Clock app, tap Alarm, and tap your current alarm sound to change it. Tap Add New and navigate to a song you've downloaded on your Android device. If you have YouTube Music, Pandora, or Spotify, you'll have the option to choose songs from these services.

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