The music starts when you put in the included plastic coin. The music speeds up near the end, causing the user to go into an all-out claw machine panic. I moved it upstairs because the neighbor's boys love it so much it was driving us crazy. Hah! They'll be so happy, we're giving them one this Christmas. Too bad their mother may not talk to me again...Reviewers are reporting their claw machines breaking easily. Thankfully this is not the case for us. We've had ours for several years through 2 house moves.