[Fix] The alarm clock does not play downloaded songs from Apple Music

There’s something special about waking up to a song that sets the right tone for your day, be it the mellow mood of a lo-fi track or the burst of energy of an upbeat electro house hit. Customizing your alarm with any music track will make you feel like you are taking control of your morning. But what happens if the song you chose doesn’t play? Even worse, what if nothing plays at all and you miss something important?

Of course, standard tones like Radar work well, but you want to get the most out of your (expensive) music subscription and your iPhone. The good news is that these errors are relatively easy to track down. Let’s look at some simple troubleshooting steps.

Why aren’t Apple Music songs playing as an alarm?

A big culprit is your music settings. The Clock app may have issues processing audio formats when Dolby Atmos or Lossless Audio is enabled. The song could be stored on iCloud, not your iPhone. And it’s also possible that Apple temporarily deleted your playlists because you missed your last monthly subscription fee (even accidentally).

How to fix alarm clock not playing downloaded songs

1. Download the song again

2. Create a new playlist

Creating a new playlist might help Music reconnect cleanly with Clock. Playlists store metadata such as song order and playback rules, which may be outdated or conflicting. Creating a new playlist updates the way these apps track songs.

1. Open Music > library > Playlists.
2. Tap Plus sign (+) in the top right corner of the screen.
3. Enter yours Playlist titlethen select Create.
4. Open your new playlist and tap Add musicand select your downloaded song.

3. Disable Dolby Atmos and Lossless Audio

Disable Dolby Atmos and Lossless Audio while troubleshooting. Songs embedded with spatial audio technology provide an immersive listening experience, but Clock cannot always recognize expanded formats. It is optimized for simple audio files.

1. Open Settings > Music > Download to Dolby Atmos. You can find it below Downloads. Please note that the Dolby Atmos row below Audio is another function.
2. Turn that off Download to Dolby Atmos press the button and then wait a few minutes before turning it back on.

4. Check iPhone storage

Music won’t be able to download songs if your device runs out of storage space. Check iCloud storage when syncing from another device. However, storing audio files locally frees up space on your iPhone. Then try downloading your favorite songs again.

1. Go to Generally > iPhone storage.
2. Check those Bar chart at the top of the page.

5. Check if payments have expired

Once your music subscription expires, your downloaded songs will be lost. Apple’s strict licensing rules prevent the Clock app from accessing these files until you renew your plan. This rule applies to songs stored locally and in iCloud.

1. Go to Settings > [your Apple ID profile] > Subscriptions.
2. Check if your music profile is still under Active.
3. If not, go back to Apple accountt> Payment & Shipping and check your payment methods.

NOTE

Call your card-issuing bank if you notice any unusual charges on your credit or debit cards.

6. Update iOS and Music

If this clock bug is a known issue in newer app or iOS versions, Apple will definitely release the relevant patches. It’s best to keep both your iOS and your Music app updated.

1. Go to Settings > Generally > Software update.
2. Knock Download and install if there is an iOS update.
3. Select for beta testing Beta updates > iOS 18 public beta or iOS 18 developer beta.

The Music app will automatically update when you install the latest iOS version. However, you can still do this manually.

1. Open that App Store.
2. Look it up Music.
3. Knock Update when a newer version of the app is available.

7. Reset device to factory settings

At this point, the only option is to factory reset your iPhone. It returns your smartphone to square one and resets any settings or configuration that may be causing problems. Remember to create a backup beforehand. Otherwise, your music playlists and all other files stored locally on your device will be lost.

1. Go to Settings > Generally > Transfer or reset iPhone.
2. Choose Delete all content and settings.
3. Knock Carry on Then, to confirm the action, continue with the on-screen instructions.

If problems persist, contact Apple Support. The team will guide you through more specific troubleshooting solutions and check for server issues on your end. But if you want to save yourself all the hassle, you can try other custom iPhone ringtones.