The Audio Player: Singing with Backing Tracks

Not every vocal session requires staring at a screen. Once you know the basics of an exercise, having to look at pitch lines can distract from your body awareness, posture, and natural musicality.

The Player in Time to Sing is designed specifically for screen-free vocal practice. It is powered exclusively by the audio backing tracks (playbacks) from the Styles section, allowing you to plug in your headphones, pocket your phone, and warm up by ear.

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How the Backing Tracks Work

Every exercise in the Styles curriculum comes with a studio-produced backing track built for self-guided practice:

1. Coach Lead-In (First Phrase Only): When the track starts, the vocal coach sings only the very first phrase. This establishes the target pitch, vowel shape, groove, and energy.
2. Your Turn on the Playback: As the accompaniment continues ascending and descending through the keys, the coach's voice drops out. You sing the rest of the exercise completely on your own over the backing track.
3. No Screen, No Pitch Graphs: Unlike the Voice Tuner (which visualizes your pitch in real time on a piano roll), the Player does not grade or track your pitch. It is an open practice space for singers who want to warm up naturally, train their inner ear, or prepare for live performance.

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The Player Screen & Navigation

When you tap the Playlists tab in the bottom bar (which houses your playlists and audio player):

• The Mini Player Bar: When audio is active, a compact player bar rests right above the bottom navigation tabs. You can play, pause, or skip tracks while browsing other parts of the app.
• The Now Playing Sheet: Tap the mini bar to expand the full-screen player view. Here you can see track details, scrubber controls, and your playback queue.
• Swipe Down to Minimize: Pull down the top handle of the modal to return to your playlist view without interrupting playback.

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Background Audio & Lock Screen Controls

Because the Player is built on native audio services, your practice continues uninterrupted:

• Pocket & Car Friendly: You can lock your phone or switch to another app (such as lyrics or sheet music).
• Lock Screen & Smartwatch: Play, pause, skip forward 15 seconds, or jump to the next exercise directly from your iPhone or Android lock screen, the Dynamic Island, or your smartwatch.
• Keep-Awake When Visible: If you keep the player open on a music stand, the app prevents the screen from going dark while audio is playing.

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Repeat Modes (Whole Track & Playlist)

In the player controls, the repeat button lets you toggle between:

• Repeat Off: Plays through your current track list and stops at the end.
• Repeat One (Loop Exercise): Loops the entire exercise track continuously from start to finish. Perfect when you want to repeat a specific warmup routine several times without reaching for your phone.
• Repeat All: Loops through your entire queue or playlist continuously.