According to Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach a person should not use and alarm clock with melodies, and certainly not recorded music to wake up to in the morning (Halichos Shlomo Tefila 13:18). The footnote brings that this is based on the Shulchan Aruch (OC 560) that prohibits musical instruments and song because of the Churban. Even though the Rema permits listening to music and says that the issur only applies to Kings and those accustomed to going to sleep and waking up to music, in this case one should be machmir.
In general Rav Shlomo Zalman was machmir on listening to music and tapes, and advised against them except for by Simchos. Even at simchos he cautioned regarding songs with psukim that have no direct relationship to the simcha, since the gemara (Sanhedrin 101a) says that the psukim complain to Hashem that we turn them into songs. Revach
according to most poskim , recordings are NOT on the same level as live music..
Reb Moshe ZT”L also was against listening to recorded music. All the time.
I was under the understanding that if you do listen to music and wake up to it – you may sing along p’sukim before you say Birchas Hatorah, therefor it should be avoided for that reason.
I guess this is a heads up for people who run camps to check this Halachah out before the summer – many camps play music over the loud speakers to wake up the campers
For years, we’ve awakened to Abish Brodt’s Modeh Ani on jmintheam. Is then a shailah??
239) Q: Can you please give me sources & the reasons for not falling asleep or waking up to music.I have been learning for many years & have never heard this.
A: This “prohibition” was instituted after the Churban Bais haMikdash, based on pesukim, that it isn’t proper to listen to music in a fashion that kings and princes do, while we are in mourning over the Bais HaMikdash. One of the things that royalty would do was to fall asleep and be woken up to music, thus Zecher L’Churban it was prohibited. In fact according to the Gemara in Maseches Gittin 7a (and according to Rav Moshe Feinstein Zatzal and other Poskim who follow this stringent view) it is prohibited to listen to any music any time while we are in Galus, unless it is for a Mitzvah!
Though most Poskim are lenient in general, they would be machmir regarding falling asleep and waking up to it. (See Halichos Shlomo Perek13:18 and the footnotes)
copied from http://www.halachafortoday.com/QandA5.aspx