Can you voice control Amazon Music?
Amazon Music has voice control capabilities that allow users to control music playback and navigation hands-free using Alexa voice commands. This feature lets you use your voice to play, pause, skip tracks, queue songs, start playlists, search for music, control volume, and more without having to touch a screen or buttons on your device. It provides a convenient hands-free way to fully control your listening experience on Amazon Music using compatible Alexa devices like Echo speakers and screens, Fire TV, and the Amazon Music app on mobile.
Activate Alexa Voice Control
To enable voice control for Amazon Music, you first need to turn on Alexa voice control in the settings of the Amazon Music app.
Open the latest version of the Amazon Music app on your iOS or Android device. Tap on the profile icon in the upper right corner, then tap on “Settings”. Scroll down and toggle on “Alexa Voice Control” under “Alexa Preferences” (TechCrunch, 2017). This will activate Alexa voice commands within the Amazon Music app.
You can also enable Alexa voice control by updating to the latest version of Amazon Music and connecting it to Alexa-enabled devices like Echo speakers. The voice control functionality will then be automatically enabled for playback control on those devices (Amazon Devices & Accessories, 2022).
Play Music by Voice
One of the main ways to control Amazon Music with your voice is by using commands to play specific songs, artists, playlists, or genres. Here are some examples of voice commands to play music:
- Play [song title] by [artist]
- Play the song [song title]
- Play music by [artist]
- Play songs by [artist]
- Play [song title] (this will play the most popular song by that title)
- Play some [genre] music
- Play
- Play happy music
- Play music for concentrating
- Play dance music
- Play something upbeat
You can get very specific with commands by including the song title, artist name, album, playlist name, or even just a genre or mood. Alexa will search Amazon Music and do its best to play matching results.
According to Amazon’s help documentation, you can say things like “Play the album [album name] by [artist]” or “Play the song [song name] from the album [album name]” to play specific tracks (1).
Queue Up Songs
You can queue up songs on Amazon Music through Alexa voice commands to build a playlist of songs to listen to. Here are some examples of voice commands you can use:
To add the currently playing song to your queue, say “Alexa, add this to my queue.”
To add a specific song, say “Alexa, add ‘Happy’ by Pharrell Williams to my queue.”
To add an entire album, say “Alexa, add the album ‘Thriller’ by Michael Jackson to my queue.”
You can also add songs to your queue from the Amazon Music app by tapping the “…” icon next to any track, album, or playlist and selecting “Add to queue.” However, this functionality is not yet available through Alexa voice commands.
The queue allows you to line up songs or playlists to play sequentially after your current music finishes. It’s a useful way to customize your listening session without having to manually select each song.
Shuffle and Repeat
You can use voice commands with Alexa to easily shuffle songs or repeat playlists in Amazon Music. Here are some examples of voice commands you can use:
To shuffle songs in a playlist or album, say:
“Alexa, shuffle my ”
“Alexa, shuffle this ”
To shuffle songs by an artist, say:
“Alexa, shuffle songs by [artist name]”
To shuffle all your music, say:
“Alexa, shuffle my music”
To repeat the current song, say:
“Alexa, loop this”
“Alexa, repeat this song”
To repeat the current playlist, say:
“Alexa, loop this playlist”
“Alexa, repeat this playlist”
The shuffle and repeat modes will stay on until you turn them off. To turn off shuffling, say “Alexa, turn off shuffle.” To turn off repeating, say “Alexa, turn off repeat.”
Search for Music
One of the most useful voice commands for Amazon Music is searching for songs, artists, genres, or playlists. With Alexa voice search, you can quickly find the music you want to hear without having manually browse or type searches.
To search Amazon Music by voice, simply say “Alexa, play…” and say the name of a song, artist, album, playlist or genre. For example, you could say “Alexa, play jazz music” or “Alexa, play Michael Jackson”. Alexa will search Amazon Music and begin playing music that matches your voice request.
You can make your voice search even more specific by including multiple search terms. Say “Alexa, play happy indie pop” to search for upbeat indie pop songs. Or try “Alexa, play dinner party music by Maroon 5” to find a dinner party playlist featuring Maroon 5.
Amazon Music has an extensive catalog of over 100 million songs, so even obscure voice searches often yield successful results. The voice search functionality makes it quick and easy to queue up the perfect soundtrack no matter what you’re in the mood to hear.
Play Podcasts
You can easily start listening to podcasts through Alexa voice commands when using Amazon Music. Simply say “Alexa, play podcasts” and Alexa will start playing podcast episodes from your Amazon Music library (source). If you want to play a specific podcast, just say the name – for example “Alexa, play the Joe Rogan Experience podcast.”
You can also ask Alexa to resume a podcast you were previously listening to by saying “Alexa, resume [podcast name]” or “Alexa, continue [podcast name].” To play a specific episode, say “Alexa play [podcast name] episode [episode name or number]” (source).
With simple voice commands, Alexa makes it easy to start listening to podcasts on Amazon Music hands-free. Just use natural language to play, pause, resume or queue up the podcasts you want to hear.
Alexa Music Skills
In addition to built-in voice control capabilities, Amazon offers extra Alexa skills that can enhance music playback on Alexa devices. These skills allow you to control additional services and features by voice.
For example, the BluOS skill lets you use voice commands to play songs from streaming services like Amazon Music, Tidal and Deezer. The My Media skill allows voice control over personal media libraries.
To enable these skills, you’ll need to link the skill to your Alexa app and grant permissions. Then you can use custom voice commands tailored to that skill. Skills expand Alexa’s capabilities and music services that can be voice controlled.
Smart Speaker Compatibility
Amazon Music can be controlled hands-free on Amazon Echo devices like the Echo Dot, Echo Show, and Echo Studio. These smart speakers have Alexa built-in, so you can use voice commands to play music without needing to touch any buttons or screens.
According to Amazon’s website, you can say things like “Alexa, play my playlist Dinner Party” or “Alexa, play some jazz music.” Alexa will then start playing music from your Amazon Music library.
In addition to Amazon’s own Echo line, Amazon Music is also compatible with third-party Alexa-enabled speakers. For example, you can voice control music on speakers like the Sonos One, Bose Home Speaker 500, Polk Command Bar, and many more according to Amazon.
Amazon Music support allows you to set any of these Alexa smart speakers as your default, enabling voice-powered music playback. Just link your Amazon account in the Alexa app to enable this functionality.
Tips for Effective Voice Control
The key to accurate voice commands with Alexa is speaking clearly and concisely. Here are some best practices:
- Speak at a normal volume and pace, about arm’s length from your Alexa device.
- Use natural language, the way you would speak to another person. Avoid robotic sounding commands.
- Check the Alexa app for examples of proper phrasing for the command you want to use.
- Add the word “Alexa” before your request so the device knows you are addressing it.
- Wait for the light ring on your Alexa device to turn blue before speaking, which indicates it is listening.
- Have patience and allow Alexa time to process your request before repeating a command.
- Try rephrasing your command if Alexa does not understand the first time.
- Speak clearly and avoid mumbling, whispering or trailing off at the end.
- Eliminate background noise when possible so Alexa can focus on your voice.
With practice, you’ll get better at speaking to Alexa in a natural, effective way. Pay attention to which phrases work best so you can use them consistently.
