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Use AAC files for iCal alarm sounds Apps
I was getting to know iCal today, and decided to check out the alarm feature. I was disappointed at not being able to use custom sounds for the alarm sounds, when inspiration struck me (okay, a friend told me about it!).

I dragged an AAC file to ~/Library/Sounds and launched iCal. To my horror, the sound that I put in there didn't appear in the pop-up list of alarm sounds. "Okay," I thought, "maybe it's expecting an AIFF file."

Not having an AIFF lying around on my new machine, I decided to rename the AAC file to have a AIFF extension. Magically, the sound appeared in the alarm settings dialog, but I didn't expect it to play. Guess what? It did!
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Use AAC files for iCal alarm sounds
Authored by: arasinen on Feb 07, '05 02:33:27PM

You can also use "open file" -alarm to play AAC files.

The file will then open the file in iTunes (or whatever you use to play your music), and play it.

That's what I use for my wake-up alarm :-)



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Use AAC files for iCal alarm sounds
Authored by: thoughton on Feb 07, '05 02:37:03PM

I don't use AAC so perhaps this only works for mp3s, but I can play custom sounds by choosing 'Open file' as the alarm, and then in the next drop-down menu choosing 'Other'. I then usually go to my iTunes library and pick an mp3.

The nice thing is that iCal remembers the last few mp3s you've chosen, and they will subsequently appear in the Alarm drop-down menu.



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Use AAC files for iCal alarm sounds
Authored by: Scripter12 on Feb 07, '05 03:39:22PM

You can also use a very simple AppleScript saved as an application to allow iCal to start playing a whole play list.

tell application "iTunes"
play playlist "Wakeup"
end tell



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Yes, but…
Authored by: mdavis1982 on Feb 07, '05 10:43:53PM

I understand what you're all saying, but doesn't iCal not display a message if you choose to 'Open File' for the alarm?

The good thing about doing it this way is that it will display a message as well!

Cheers,

Matt

---
Don't buy a stupid dwarf
It's not big and it's not clever



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Yes, but…
Authored by: gorkonapple on Feb 08, '05 12:17:01PM

I have thought you could do Both. Have the regular alarm ring and have the file open. Will have to test this to be sure. If my Powerbook was in the bedroom, I would use it for a alarm but it's not.



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Use AAC files for iCal alarm sounds
Authored by: thebigredbutton on Dec 11, '07 12:33:58PM

Also works great with WAV files (just set file extension to AIFF, no conversion needed!)



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