Idiot question about music on your phone while running

[Wigeon]

So, I have just started Couch to 5k and I have no idea how to get music on my phone. I am using the NHS app, and I never listen to music on my phone, but want to while I am running. How do you get music to listen to offline? Please talk to me like an idiot!

Spotify account, create your own playlists. That would use 3g/wifi though.

Can you do Spotify for free? . I don't mind downloading the playlists at home on wifi, just don't want to use 3G while out running as my data allowance is really small (because I am too mean to pay much for my phone contract).

What kind of phone is it? Do you have music at home, DVDs or digital albums? If the latter, how did you buy them?

You can do spotify for free, however you can't control which tracks play in which order from the playlists you create. If you want to not be using any data, you can use spotify premium which is a monthly subscription of £10 I believe (not certain) and then you can download the playlists for when you are completely offline. What phone do you have?

It's a Samsung Galaxy S3. I mostly listen to the radio at home, although we do have CDs (although I think I want some kind of cheesy motivational up beat running music type stuff!), and just remembered DH has a Spotify account, so maybe I could nick his log in or something (with his permission!)? Maybe that's the answer...

Creating an account is easy peasy, the main issue would be if you want to use zero data then you need to have bought the music at some point, either by buying the rights like spotify premium, or by downloading into iTunes etc.

If you don't mind streaming you could listen to radio love from your phone, but again using data.

Instead of using the NHS app download the Robert Ulster podcasts www.c25k.com/podcasts.htm. They have music and his voice telling you when to run and walk, and encouragement

I guess I am being pretty unreasonable in expecting music for free...DH says he does pay for Spotify but apparently you'd need to pay another fiver a month on top of what he pays in order to get it to do what I want. Hm.

The Robert Ullrey podcasts look ideal though! Thanks for the suggestion - I'll definitely try them!

I've just started a trial of Rockmyrun (Android) 45 minutes of free tunes, mixed for running, no ads, mix of old and new.

You can subscribe for longer play lists but I can barely run that long.

You download the play lists on wifi before leaving the house.

Yes, I think Taylor Swift will be after you now to explain why musicians need to get paid for their music

RockMyRun looks interesting. Otherwise, I would just buy a few albums on Google Play and then you can download the songs to your phone via the Play Music app. Maybe something like this?

if you want to keep but simple you could buy a couple of running tracks cd's from hmv / supermarket and burn them to your laptop then phone? If you get last season cd's you could get loads of tracks for a fiver or so.

Taylor Swift was exactly who I was thinking of when mulling that I shouldn't really expect free music. On the other hand, Rock My Run seems fantastic! Did week 1 day 2 of Couch to 5k with it and it was fab! Thanks for the suggestion, TopGearBird. Sorry Taylor...

Tribpot - that album looks just the kind of thing, thanks. DH also suggested podcasts, although I guess they'd be less motivational to keep going.

Kvetch15 - considering I am only on week 1 day 2 of couch to 5k, and have never run in my entire life, the idea of a race seems a bit far off. But why no music? Because you mouth bump into other runners if you have headphones on?

I run with music all the time and I've got a 10k and a half coming up. What's the issue with this?

Morris, some races do not allow headphones. I listen to music all the time when running. If a race doesn't allow headphones, then I don't wear them and the excitement/atmosphere helps me along. If they are allowed, I usually still listen to my music, but on a low volume so I am aware of other runners around me.

If you own music on CDs, I think you can convert them to MP3s which will play on your phone and won't use data. I think you can do it using Windows media player, or if not there is other software you can download to do it. Then you need to copy the mp3s to your phone. If you live in our house this would involve several hours of looking through drawers and cupboards for the right wire, getting increasingly cross and probably burning up more calories than you would have done in going for a run

That's interesting to know about races. It is definitely not worth my not listening to music now, on the off chance I may enter a race at some indeterminate point in the future!

Iwould - yes, same here probably . DH knows about such things, so I can ask him .

Did week 1 day 3 today, with Rock My Run again - and DD (7) came along for half of it!!

I have always run with music (and wouldn't enter a race that didn't allow it, except muddy races where it makes sense) - I actually started running with an old discman, can you believe it! Now I run with Spotify - I have the Premium acct so I can download the music straight to my phone. But before that I just ripped my CDs and saved those to my phone memory. Just get a really big memory card (they're cheap as chips these days) and fill it up with music, podcasts, whatever you fancy.

I've got a 32gb micro card in my phone which holds much of the music I've downloaded or ripped onto the computer.

Music helps me manage the mental battles of running. I run without at races, but a crowd and the other runners remove much of that battle anyway.