Amazon Echo smart speakers, including the Echo Dot, Echo Show, and Echo Studio, make it easy to cast and play music using just your voice. With Alexa built-in, you can access music from various streaming services, create multi-room audio groups, and control playback entirely hands-free.
Table of Contents
Linking Music Services
The first step is to link your preferred music streaming services to your Alexa app. Alexa supports popular services like:
- Amazon Music
- Apple Music
- Spotify
- Pandora
- Deezer
- Tidal
- iHeartRadio
To link a music service:
- Open the Alexa app on your phone
- Go to More > Settings
- Select “Music & Media”
- Choose “Link New Service”
- Select your desired service and log in with your credentials
Once linked, you can ask Alexa to play music from any of your connected services.
Casting Music
With the Amazon Music app, you can cast songs, albums, playlists, and stations to your Echo devices:
On iPhone:
- Tap the cast icon in the top right
- Select your Echo device
On Android
- Tap the cast icon in the top right
- Choose your Echo device
To stop casting, simply tap the cast icon again and select “Disconnect”.
Playing Music with Your Voice
Thanks to far-field voice recognition, Alexa makes it easy to play music hands-free. Try these voice commands:
Play Music
- “Alexa, play some music”
- “Alexa, play pop music”
- “Alexa, play jazz in the kitchen”
Play Specific Songs/Artists
- “Alexa, play Hey Jude by The Beatles”
- “Alexa, play music by Taylor Swift”
Use Playback Controls
- “Alexa, next song”
- “Alexa, turn it up”
- “Alexa, pause”
Queue Songs
- “Alexa, add this song to my playlist”
- “Alexa, add to my library”
Multi-Room Music
With compatible Echo devices, Alexa’s multi-room music lets you synchronize audio across multiple rooms.
To set it up:
- Open the Alexa app and select “Devices”
- Tap the “+” icon
- Select “Combine speakers”
- Choose your Echo devices
- Name the group
Now you can say:
- “Alexa, play pop music downstairs”
- “Alexa, next song on everywhere”
Pairing as a Bluetooth Speaker
You can also pair your phone with your Echo device via Bluetooth and play audio that way.
To pair your phone:
- Say “Alexa, pair”
- Select your Echo device from the Bluetooth menu on your phone
Controlling Playback from Another Device
If you start playing music on your Echo from your phone, you can continue controlling it from your Echo with voice commands like “next”, “pause”, etc.
This allows you to choose songs from a mobile app, while retaining hands-free voice control.
Listening to Personal Music Libraries
While Amazon discontinued the ability to upload MP3s directly, third-party services like Plex and My Media Server for Alexa can stream from your personal media libraries to Echo devices.
They require setting up a home server to store your files, but allow access to your owned music collection.
Tips for Using Alexa to Play Music
Here are some tips to get the most out of music with Alexa:
- Use specific song/artist names for accurate playback
- Create playlists for personalized stations
- Enable skills like TuneIn Radio and iHeartRadio
- Adjust equalizer settings in the Alexa app
- Set a preferred default music service
- Provide feedback on missing features directly through the Alexa app
Conclusion
With simple voice commands and hands-free control, Alexa makes playing music on your Echo devices incredibly convenient.
Whether streaming from top music services or your personal collection, Alexa has you covered. Link multiple Echo gadgets to fill your home with synchronized audio.
Experiment with various music skills and personalize playback to suit your preferences. With Alexa integrating deeper into popular streaming platforms, the possibilities continue expanding.
