Tag: Alexa

RAYMOND OGLESBY @RaymondOglesby2
August 27, 2024– 7 minutes read time

This is for devices using Amazon Echo device. Screenshots are from iPhone 14 Pro running iOS 17.6.1

Alexa is a jack of all trades, but Amazon’s digital assistant can also help you listen to music via Pandora, Spotify, and other streaming services on your Echo device. Let’s explore listening to music on your Echo.

Your Amazon Echo possesses various skills, but its ability to play music is most useful and enjoyable. You can listen to music in various ways, though the process differs depending on whether you want to hear your own media library or stream songs from a specific service.

Amazon does not make it easy if you are looking to listen to music that you own, though it’s still doable. Your best bet is to stream music from your phone to your Echo over Bluetooth.

The simplest way to play music on your Echo device is to listen through a music streaming service. By default, your Echo will link to Amazon Music, or Amazon Music Prime if you are a Prime member. You can also connect to other popular music services and wirelessly stream songs directly from your mobile device.

Link to Streaming Services

After you set up your Amazon Echo, you can link your favorite music services, including Amazon Music, Apple Music, Deezer, iHeartRadio, Pandora, SiriusXM, Spotify, Tidal, TuneIn, Vevo, and Global Player. They all need an account with each one before accessing it through your Echo.

While most of these services have premium subscription options, you do not need to pay to play music through your Echo device. If the service offers a free tier, you can still listen (in a limited capacity). Refer to the below image:

First, open the Alexa app on your mobile device to start playing music through your service of choice.

Next, tap More > Music & More, then swipe down the screen to the Link New Service section

Now, tap the service name (we are selecting (Pandora), you want to add and choose Enable to Use. See the below image:

Alternatively, tap the settings gear at the top right of the Music & More screen and tap Link New Service to see all the available services you can add. See the following image:

Next, sign in to that service and agree to let Alexa access your data. Refer to the below image:

Now, after you finish adding your services, scroll to the bottom of the Music page in the Alexa app. You should see all the new services you previously added. To start playing music, you can open a streaming app and select your Echo as the destination to begin listening.

You can also ask your Echo to play music by specifying the name of the service. For example, you could say something like “Alexa, play the Rolling Stones from Apple Music,” or “Alexa, play country music from Pandora“.

Selecting Default Services

You must set one as the default to avoid specifying a service in your command. You can do this for both music and podcasts. First, head back to the Music & More screen in the Alexa app, tap the Settings icon at the top, and then select Default Services.

Next, tap Change next to Music and select the service you wish to set as the default for playing music. Tap Change next to Artist and Genre Stations to set default stations for a specific artist and genre. You can then tell Alexa to play music from an artist or genre, and it will play it from your default. service. See the below image:

Now, tap Change next to Music to set your music default service. Then tap Change next to Podcasts to set your default podcast service. See the following image:

When you ask Alexa to play a song, album, artist, genre, or station, you can simply tell it what you want to play, and it will pull the music from the appropriate place without you needing to specify the name of the service. Refer to the below image:

You may need to change the default speaker if you do not hear sound from your Echo device.

First, head to Music & More and tap the Groups icon in the bottom middle of the screen.

Next, tap your Echo device, then tap its Settings gear icon. See the below image:

Now, tap the Change link and select your preferred speaker.

Next, tap the Next button. You will receive a message that your preferred speaker has been set. Simply tap Done to close the message. See the following image:

Stream Music Over Bluetooth

Instead of listening to music directly from your Amazon Echo device, you can stream songs from your mobile device or computer to the speaker through Bluetooth.

Stream From a Mobile Device

With your phone or tablet nearby, say “Alexa, pair,” and your Echo will enter pairing mode. Open the Bluetooth settings screen on your device and tap your Echo (it should appear as Echo-XXX) when it shows up. Alexa then announces the connection. Refer to the below image:

Alternatively, you can pair the Echo to your mobile device through the Alexa app. Head to Devices and select the Echo you want to pair with your phone or tablet.

Connect to Echo

First, under Bluetooth Connections for that device, tap Connect a device. Choose your device, and your Echo is connected. See the below image:

Now, the audio will go through your Echo device when you play music from your phone or tablet. You can then control playback from your mobile device or Alexa.

Disconnect/reConnect From/To Echo

To disconnect your Echo from your mobile device, say, “Alexa, disconnect from [name of device].”

You can always reconnect the device by saying “Alexa, connect to [name of device]”.

Disclaimer

Technology is always changing. Rarely is there static tech for smartphones and desktops. Thus, the contents of this post are only valid at the time of writing. Blog posts older than six months may have directions incompatible with your device or OS. Hopefully, older post content will continue to work as advertised. Thank you for reading TechSavvy.Life for Technology at Work For You.

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