Solutions? Music in teen bedrooms - without phone

grazer · 07-01-2019 10:30am #1

This seems silly but I can't get my head around it. Somebody else might be able to suggest solutions!

Our teens (13, 14) have phones - one Apple, one Android. Us parents have Apple. All our music is on Apple libraries / iTunes. We don't allow phones in bedrooms at night. And try to prevent phones being brought into bedrooms during the day.
What can we use so they can have access to play music (onto a bluetooth speaker or similar), but not have access to internet at large, or social media, in their bedrooms?

Our younger child doesn't have a phone, and I'd like him to have access to music in his room too.

Remembering the hours I spent in my room as a moody teenager, listening to music on cassette tapes and later, CDs, I want them to be able to do the same (maybe without the moodiness - unlikely!).

07-01-2019 10:32am

Can you hook up an Amazon echo or dot to Apple music?

getoutahere · 07-01-2019 10:33am

Amazon Alexa speaker now has iTunes access I believe or else with Spotify

grazer · 07-01-2019 10:36am

Sorry, should have said I'm fairly tech challenged (sigh).
Would Alexa or echo not give same access to internet / soc media?
I suppose I'm looking for the modern equivalent of putting on a CD. Where the teen gets to choose and play their music, but nothing else!

07-01-2019 10:40am

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Echo-Dot-Smart-Speaker-Alexa/dp/B0792KWK57/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1546853957&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=echo+dot+3rd+generation&dpPl=1&dpID=41hX%2B2Es%2BvL&ref=plSrch

No internet access, but you might hear them going "Alexa, play..." for half the night..

nim1bdeh38l2cw · 07-01-2019 10:42am

grazer wrote: »

Sorry, should have said I'm fairly tech challenged (sigh).
Would Alexa or echo not give same access to internet / soc media?
I suppose I'm looking for the modern equivalent of putting on a CD. Where the teen gets to choose and play their music, but nothing else!

There's no screen. You talk to the speaker

grazer · 07-01-2019 10:44am

Deleted User wrote: »

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Echo-Dot-Smart-Speaker-Alexa/dp/B0792KWK57/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1546853957&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=echo+dot+3rd+generation&dpPl=1&dpID=41hX%2B2Es%2BvL&ref=plSrch

No internet access, but you might hear them going "Alexa, play..." for half the night..

Thanks. I really amn't familiar with Alexa, Dot etc., so had a look at the link.

This feature is what I'm hoping to avoid ...
"Call or message anyone with an Echo device, the Alexa App or Skype hands-free."

Edited to add:
Though I suppose if it's voice messaging or calling, it's less of a problem than text messaging or snapchatting half the night. And teens are allergic to actually talking to each other, so it may not be such an issue anyway.

CSSE09 · 07-01-2019 10:47am

According to this link you can disable the calling/messaging and a few other things
https://protectyoungeyes.com/content/amazon-echo-parental-controls/

drunkmonkey · 07-01-2019 10:50am

Going to go out on a limb here but how about a mini hi-fi, surley kids these days must think big speakers are still cool https://www.richersounds.com/pioneer-x-em16.html

07-01-2019 10:50am

I'd say you have to set that up though, if you didn't set it up, and just installed Apple music, that's all they'd be able to do with it..

The only other option I can think of is an mp3 player, where you'd have to download all the music and put it into it..

jimbev · 07-01-2019 10:53am

Look at internet/WiFi radios,thousands of radio stations with built in Spotify and very limited internet access

https://www.argos.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Search?storeId=10152&catalogId=14551&langId=111&searchTerms=Internet+radio&authToken=

endacl · 07-01-2019 10:57am

I was a teenager in the 80s. I’d loads of music in my room. We only had one phone in the house, the landline, and no internet, because there was no internet.

Technology, eh?

grazer · 07-01-2019 11:03am

endacl wrote: »

I was a teenager in the 80s. I’d loads of music in my room. We only had one phone in the house, the landline, and no internet, because there was no internet.

Technology, eh?

Same here.

Us trying to be responsible parents and control our kids' use of internet, is preventing them getting to play their own music in their own rooms. It's bonkers! As a teenager I had a big ghetto blaster, all my cassette tapes and later - gasp - CDs, in my bedroom and spent many a long angst-ridden evening there, blaring my music and hating the world. A very important developmental aspect of being a teenager, I think!

Sleeper12 · 07-01-2019 11:05am

This is the big disadvantage with Apple. You don't actually own the music, you lease it for your lifetime & they don't let you make copies that you could use on an Android device.

As far as I know Apple still make ipods. You could buy an ipod & link it to your apple account /iTunes account. The ipod could then be docked in a music player /speaker system.

I'd be thinking that they might want to listen to different music at the same time. This could mean two ipods.

3DataModem · 07-01-2019 11:06am

The simple solution is to give them a cheap ipod to control a bluetooth speaker (get a refurbished one on apple store).

You can create a password that disables whatever features you want. My own two kids have ipods for music and audiobooks only - calling, facetime, messaging, internet, etc are all disabled with a passcode that only I have. These are their "bedroom" devices.

Skerries · 07-01-2019 11:09am

jimbev wrote: »

Look at internet/WiFi radios,thousands of radio stations with built in Spotify and very limited internet access

https://www.argos.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Search?storeId=10152&catalogId=14551&langId=111&searchTerms=Internet+radio&authToken=

do you not need to control them with your phone though?

elfy4eva · 07-01-2019 11:10am

Forgive me if im being an eejit as im not familiar with ipods/iphone but could the op pick up an old generation iPod without net features and sync it with their iTunes?

grazer · 07-01-2019 11:12am

Sleeper12 wrote: »

This is the big disadvantage with Apple. You don't actually own the music, you lease it for your lifetime & they don't let you make copies that you could use on an Android device.

As far as I know Apple still make ipods. You could buy an ipod & link it to your apple account /iTunes account. The ipod could then be docked in a music player /speaker system.

I'd be thinking that they might want to listen to different music at the same time. This could mean two ipods.

I haven't looked into iPods myself, but had suggested them to my husband as a possible solution. He said something about them being phased out, he thought. Will look again. Also, he thought the more recent iPods are enabled with a lot more internet / gaming stuff than the older ones used to be - we might be into the same problem with iPods as with phones.

The Alexa thing looks promising with the parental controls that a poster above linked to. I presume you can just stream music from spotify on Alexa - i.e. not need to use your phone.

Buying three Alexas, or iPods, isn't really budget friendly, but maybe ....

grazer · 07-01-2019 11:19am

3DataModem wrote: »

The simple solution is to give them a cheap ipod to control a bluetooth speaker (get a refurbished one on apple store).

You can create a password that disables whatever features you want. My own two kids have ipods for music and audiobooks only - calling, facetime, messaging, internet, etc are all disabled with a passcode that only I have. These are their "bedroom" devices.

Thanks, this looks promising also.

jimbev · 07-01-2019 11:29am

Skerries wrote: »

do you not need to control them with your phone though?

No it has a lcd screen on it look at the evoke 3 it's what I use no phone needed

grazer · 07-01-2019 11:34am

jimbev wrote: »

No it has a lcd screen on it look at the evoke 3 it's what I use no phone needed

How would kids access their music? Does it (and maybe other cheaper models of DAB radios) stream Spotify?

07-01-2019 11:48am

Just for Spotify..if there's 3 of them in 3 different rooms playing music at the same time you'll need 3 different Spotify accounts..

facehugger99 · 07-01-2019 11:50am

If you're thinking of an Echo/Alexa speaker. I'd go for a Sonos Play 1 instead - https://www.amazon.co.uk/SONOS-PLAY-Smart-Wireless-Speaker-Black/dp/B00FMS1KO0/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1546858127&sr=8-3&keywords=sonos+play1

We have both and the sound quality of the Sonos is in a different league to the Alexa speaker

grazer · 07-01-2019 11:51am

Deleted User wrote: »

Just for Spotify..if there's 3 of them in 3 different rooms playing music at the same time you'll need 3 different Spotify accounts..

True .... there's no simple solution

....

Mind you, if we were back in cassette tape / CD times, they'd need to be swapping CDs cos we wouldn't be buying 3 copies of a CD either!

grazer · 07-01-2019 11:53am

facehugger99 wrote: »

If you're thinking of an Echo/Alexa speaker. I'd go for a Sonos Play 1 instead - https://www.amazon.co.uk/SONOS-PLAY-Smart-Wireless-Speaker-Black/dp/B00FMS1KO0/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1546858127&sr=8-3&keywords=sonos+play1

We have both and the sound quality of the Sonos is in a different league to the Alexa speaker

€138. Sorry, don't think we'll be going for that! If it was for us parents, maybe!

gazzamc · 07-01-2019 11:57am

You could try sourcing an old ipod and hook it up to a speaker.

nim1bdeh38l2cw · 07-01-2019 11:59am

facehugger99 wrote: »

If you're thinking of an Echo/Alexa speaker. I'd go for a Sonos Play 1 instead - https://www.amazon.co.uk/SONOS-PLAY-Smart-Wireless-Speaker-Black/dp/B00FMS1KO0/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1546858127&sr=8-3&keywords=sonos+play1

We have both and the sound quality of the Sonos is in a different league to the Alexa speaker

You need a phone to control it. Kids couldn't give 2 hoots about sound quality either.

iamtony · 07-01-2019 12:01pm

https://m.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/8656353/Trail/searchtext>Amazon+echo.htm

This new echo dot sounds good for its size. It might be enough and it's on offer for €37 if you/they already own speakers or headphones even, there's a 3.5mm headphone jack so you can plug it into any speaker and the music will play through that if the sound isn't good enough for them.That's what I'd be going with. It can also connect to any Bluetooth speaker.

dense · 07-01-2019 12:03pm

drunkmonkey wrote: »

Going to go out on a limb here but how about a mini hi-fi, surley kids these days must think big speakers are still cool https://www.richersounds.com/pioneer-x-em16.html

Go bigger!!
Give them the gift of enjoying and appreciating music for the sound of it rather than a lifetime of listening to crappie mp3s on crappie speakers.

Youngsters are now growing up not knowing how good music can sound because all they're listening to is tiny speakers.

grazer · 07-01-2019 12:06pm

dense wrote: »

Go bigger!!
Give them the gift of enjoying and appreciating music for the sound of it rather than a lifetime of listening to crappie mp3s on crappie speakers.

Youngsters are now growing up not knowing how good music can sound because all they're listening to is tiny speakers.

We have a great sound system in the main part of the house - they're not deprived of good sound quality! This is just looking for a (reasonably priced) solution for their bedrooms so they can access sounds, of whatever quality!

endacl · 07-01-2019 12:09pm

dense wrote: »

Go bigger!!
Give them the gift of enjoying and appreciating music for the sound of it rather than a lifetime of listening to crappie mp3s on crappie speakers.

Youngsters are now growing up not knowing how good music can sound because all they're listening to is tiny speakers.

Couldn’t agree more. I teach plc students on a music performance course. Bear in mind, Music students. Into music. Plan to do it professionally. Their preferred source? Ripped YouTube audio, play through either the crappy phone speaker or cheap as possible Bluetooth earbuds.

grazer · 07-01-2019 12:09pm

iamtony wrote: »

https://m.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/8656353/Trail/searchtext>Amazon+echo.htm

This new echo dot sounds good for its size. It might be enough and it's on offer for €37 if you/they already own speakers or headphones even, there's a 3.5mm headphone jack so you can plug it into any speaker and the music will play through that if the sound isn't good enough for them.That's what I'd be going with. It can also connect to any Bluetooth speaker.

If it could be shut down to just give access to music as per a previous poster's advice https://protectyoungeyes.com/content/amazon-echo-parental-controls/ then it looks like a reasonable solution. How does it access music? Through Spotify?

iamtony · 07-01-2019 12:15pm

grazer wrote: »

If it could be shut down to just give access to music as per a previous poster's advice https://protectyoungeyes.com/content/amazon-echo-parental-controls/ then it looks like a reasonable solution. How does it access music? Through Spotify?

To access music you link it to Spotify and they you just say alexa play a certain artist, song, album etc.
The messages part isn't really an issue. Set it up to your amazon account and your phone and the only one they would be able to message or call are your contacts who also have the echo and you would also have to enable messages.

3DataModem · 07-01-2019 12:44pm

elfy4eva wrote: »

Forgive me if im being an eejit as im not familiar with ipods/iphone but could the op pick up an old generation iPod without net features and sync it with their iTunes?

If they are using Apple Music or Spotify, then no.

3DataModem · 07-01-2019 12:44pm

grazer wrote: »

Also, he thought the more recent iPods are enabled with a lot more internet / gaming stuff than the older ones used to be - we might be into the same problem with iPods as with phones.

You can set up restrictions on ipod that lock down everything other than music. You hold the password. Problem solved.

3DataModem · 07-01-2019 12:45pm

Deleted User wrote: »

Just for Spotify..if there's 3 of them in 3 different rooms playing music at the same time you'll need 3 different Spotify accounts..

Or a family plan. You set up a separate sub account but only require the one 15 per month subscription. Same as apple music.

grazer · 07-01-2019 1:16pm

3DataModem wrote: »

Or a family plan. You set up a separate sub account but only require the one 15 per month subscription. Same as apple music.

Don't mention the war! We have family sub for Apple / Apple music. Have had to re-set and re-set so that imessage texts don't appear on other family phones; I can see all my daughter's photos on my phone (no bad thing); she can see mine (I curate carefully!); at one stage any imessage I sent was appearing on my husband's phone and my daughter's phone. We all had to tread very carefully for a while! Think it's all resolved (imessaging switched off) except for the photos. It's a tangled apple web.

3DataModem · 07-01-2019 1:23pm

The way to avoid this is simply to ensure all devices ONLY use their own Apple ID (you can set up for kids and link to your own account). Never login using your ID to another device. Just never.

facehugger99 · 07-01-2019 4:52pm

Sonia Purple Pancreas wrote: »

You need a phone to control it. Kids couldn't give 2 hoots about sound quality either.

You don't need a phone - they're voice controlled.

iamtony · 07-01-2019 5:24pm

endacl wrote: »

Couldn’t agree more. I teach plc students on a music performance course. Bear in mind, Music students. Into music. Plan to do it professionally. Their preferred source? Ripped YouTube audio, play through either the crappy phone speaker or cheap as possible Bluetooth earbuds.

Its the parents fault ha. I've bought my teen the best Bluetooth speaker money could buy after he got over is rap is deadly and everything else is crap phase. Now I enjoy the music blaring from his room!

Milly33 · 01-04-2019 8:38pm

mmm not pointing out the obvious but could you not get a CD player, with MP3 player?

Noodleworm · 09-06-2019 10:50pm

Google Home is pretty good. I have several of them and have gifted them to family.
https://store.google.com/product/google_home

It's basically a smart speaker - like the Alexa people are talking about.
I think it kay be cheaper and I find its more compatible.
They are voice controlled can be connected to music streaming like spotify, and can also do very basic googling. Things like tell you the weather, set a timer or alarm, answer simple questions.
You have a few options too. There are also some with screens, such as the Theres the google home mini, a small one thats about 40 euro. The regular sized one has better sound.

You may also like the Google home hub, thats one with a screen, but no camera or real access to social media. It can be connected to youtube but your still really limited to voice control. Theres no way to type, so while its handy for finding a recipe or music video its not very simple for browsing. It sort of makes the experience of using a smart speaker easier, because you can see what it's doing.
I got it for my older parents for that reason.
here's an ad for it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxuHbgz1UtI

eskerman · 13-07-2019 1:36pm

drunkmonkey wrote: »

Going to go out on a limb here but how about a mini hi-fi, surley kids these days must think big speakers are still cool https://www.richersounds.com/pioneer-x-em16.html

I think this is a fantastic idea - let them buy CDs and or Vinyl that they will own for ever - not MP3 files that are nothing but code and can be deleted in a spit second - no value at all. Buy your music in physical format and then you are getting value and its a great way to listen to it

grazer · 08-02-2020 8:29pm

An update after a year after I first asked the question on this thread.
We got an Amazone Echo Dot for each of the teenagers' bedrooms. Great price, great solution. They can now stream music and play from our Apple music playlists. And do all the rest of the stuff the dots do.
Thanks for all the suggestions through this thread.

Solutions? Music in teen bedrooms - without phone

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