Alarm Clock is not playing downloaded songs from Apple Music

Mathew I have the exact same problem… I updated my iPhone to the iOS 16 and the alarm clock is still refusing to let me use the sound I selected… i have it saved and downloaded on my phone but for some reason it doesn’t want to play it…

Aden I’ve got the same exact issue. I’ve got the most up to date software, tried deleting and reinstalling the song on normal settings (without dolby atmos or any type of lossless audio) and nothing is working. It worked for months and then stopped playing Stairway to Heaven and went right to the default alarm for no reason. Even tried it with other songs and it didnt work. Someone please help.

Well I decided to try using a downloaded (purchased) song on my iPhone as an alarm and what a nightmare. It works, then it doesn't, then I get it to work for a day or two then it doesn't. It reverts back to the annoying original alarm sound.

I've read A LOT of posts AND tried A LOT of "solutions" but nothing fixes this problem.

Can anymore provide a definitive solution to this problem that shouldn't even exist in the first place?

Apple, if you're monitoring these posts... fix the problem please.. I shouldn't have to be writing this and I definitely shouldn't have to be fixing this problem with work-arounds either.

[Edited by Moderator]

R.L.H. wrote:

Apple, if you're monitoring these posts... fix the problem please.. I shouldn't have to be writing this and I definitely shouldn't have to be fixing this problem with work-arounds either.

Apple doesn't read these forums for feedback or suggestions. You can let them know your thoughts here:

Product Feedback - Apple

I want to listen in lossless.

There's no real reason why the alarm app can't download the song in non-lossless if it can't handle lossless besides Apple being too lazy to implement it.

Imagine paying over $1k for a phone which can't even play custom alarm sounds unless you cripple your audio quality.

Apple deserved the trillion they lost.

Worked! Been struggling with this for a while. Makes no sense that the alarm let's you choose a song and plays it fine during the preview when you select it, but will not play it for the actual alarm. Thanks!

I have the same problem all my songs are older songs I lost Apple Music due to a switch over from individual to apple one being told to cancel (long story) but when everything returned and I set my alarms nothing HELP!!!!

Thank you. I will try that.

do you have a recommendation on how to change the alarm from radar at the highest volume? No matter what sound I pick (whether a song or another default sound), the alarm always plays radar at the highest volume.

thank you

Nothing of all these work for me! I woke up one day and suddenly my alarm wouldn’t play the songs i used for months. I changed nothing, i had lossless on for ages blah blah…my current ios is updated to 16.4.1a. Am really frustrated!

I just want psalm 135 to wake me up but it just plays radar? What’s the point of paying if it is a useless audio? I want my money back quite frankly. And when I search for lossless audio or Dolby atmos there’s no option for it. And why is this so complicated? I paid for the song, put it as my alarm sound, but no it’s not that simple, you have to redownload it, which in and of itself is complicated enough, make sure you turn off certain settings before you redownload it, and it might work then. If it doesn’t, you’re sol! And if, and that’s a very big if, an Apple employee responds to this I won’t find out because Apple just can’t be bothered to send notifications.

My phone quit playing the songs on alarm. It used to play them. This is creating a huge issue for me. I can get a loud enough volume to wake me on music. I am hearing impaired, and the volume for the alarm tones is not loud enough to wake me.

APPLE PLEASE FIX THIS, it started after last IOS update.i am current on all updates.

Do you have to have a subscription to Apple Music in order to change the download quality?

I believe I have an iPhone 8, and I am not able to find it anywhere in my Apple Music app or settings, where I can change the quality of a music download.

While, I am not a subscriber to Apple Music, I do have music That I have purchased from iTunes. I have Downloaded it on my phone that I have been trying to play or use for my alarm clock in the morning. I just recently googled the subject because it was not playing the song that I selected.

I have the 15 Pro and my alarm keeps playing generic pre downloaded songs. I made sure my phone was updated and just redownloaded the song and made sure that it’s not on lossless audio. It’s still not playing the song and I can’t wake up in the morning without my custom playlist. 😅

Hi!! Sorry to be a bother, but I’ve tried these solutions, but nothing is working. I am on the updated iPadOS18.3.1, and if anyone else is having the same problem on the same version, please tell me!! I would love to know if I’m not the only one and I’m not just doing it wrong. Thank you for reading!! ( also, yes i followed all the instructions and tried it MULTIPLE times, this is also a BRAND NEW iPad with tons of storage)