What is the music player with voice control on Android?

Android devices come with built-in voice control features through Google Assistant that allow users to control certain apps and functions using voice commands. One popular use case for voice control on Android is controlling music playback. There are several ways Android users can leverage voice commands to play, pause, skip tracks, adjust volume, and more for their favorite music apps.

This article will provide an overview of using voice commands to control music playback on Android. We’ll cover the built-in Google Assistant capabilities, top third-party apps with voice control, examples of common voice commands, supported music services, limitations, privacy concerns, customization options, and accessibility.

Google Assistant

Google Assistant is Google’s built-in virtual assistant available on Android phones. It can be used to control music playback hands-free using just your voice.

To get started, make sure Google Assistant is enabled on your Android phone. You can invoke it by saying “Hey Google” or “Ok Google” followed by a voice command.

Some common voice commands to control music playback include:

“Play some music” – starts music playback from your default music app.

“Play [song name or artist]” – plays a specific song or music by an artist.
“Pause the music” – pauses music playback.
“Skip song” – skips to the next song in the queue.

“Increase/decrease volume” – raises or lowers the volume.

Google Assistant can control music playback from streaming apps like Spotify, YouTube Music, Google Play Music, and Pandora, provided you have them installed on your device and linked to Assistant. You can manage connected services in Assistant’s settings.

Overall, Google Assistant provides a convenient hands-free way to start music playback, change tracks, adjust volume, and more on Android phones using natural voice commands.

Third Party Apps

In addition to Google Assistant, there are popular third party apps on Android that have voice control capabilities. One of the most widely used is Spotify, which allows users to control music playback through voice commands. Spotify has a built-in voice assistant called “Hey Spotify” that can be activated when the app is open by saying the wake words “Hey Spotify.”

Once enabled, “Hey Spotify” allows you to do things like play specific songs, artists, or playlists just by speaking. For example, you can say “Hey Spotify, play my Discover Weekly playlist” to start playback. Other supported voice commands include pausing music, skipping tracks, adjusting volume, and more. The voice assistant even allows you to like or dislike songs with commands like “Hey Spotify, I like this song.”

“Hey Spotify” makes it easy to control your music hands-free while driving, exercising, or doing other activities. It provides a convenient alternative to manually searching for content and tapping buttons in the app. While not as full-featured as Google Assistant, Spotify’s built-in voice assistant streamlines music playback through natural voice interactions.

Voice Commands

The Google Assistant allows you to control music playback through voice commands. Here are some common examples of voice commands you can use:

To play music in general:

“Ok Google, play some music”

“Hey Google, play songs by The Beatles”
“Ok Google, play pop music from the 2000s”

To play from a specific music service:

“Ok Google, play chill music on Spotify”
“Hey Google, play my workout playlist on YouTube Music”
“Ok Google, play hip hop on Pandora”

To control playback:

“Hey Google, pause the music”
“Ok Google, skip this song”

“Hey Google, turn it up a little”

You can say things like “play,” “shuffle,” “next,” “volume up,” etc. to control the music. The Google Assistant is designed to understand natural voice commands.

According to this article, the Google Assistant supports services like Spotify, YouTube Music, Pandora, Apple Music, and more. So you have flexibility in playing music from different apps.

Supported Music Services

Google Assistant supports several popular music streaming services that you can control with just your voice. This allows you to request songs, albums, playlists, stations, and more from your chosen music provider without needing to interact with your phone.

The main music services that work with Google Assistant voice commands include:

YouTube Music – Google’s own music streaming service with over 50 million songs.

Spotify – The world’s most popular music streaming app with over 80 million tracks.
Apple Music – Access over 90 million songs from the Apple music catalog.
Pandora – Personalized internet radio stations based on your preferences.

iHeartRadio – Listen to live radio, customized stations, and podcasts.

Other services like Tidal, Deezer, and TuneIn also work with Google Assistant, giving you diverse options to play music hands-free.

Limitations

Voice assistants like Google Assistant have some inherent limitations compared to traditional control interfaces. As noted in this article, voice assistants primarily use single commands, whereas more flexible natural language understanding is still a work in progress. Voice commands can also be misinterpreted due to background noise, unclear enunciation, or homophones, as explained here. Connectivity issues can disrupt voice control if the internet or Bluetooth connection is spotty. Additionally, voice interactions lack the precision and specificity possible with touch interfaces. Users cannot see the available options and must rely on remembering the correct verbal commands.

There are also privacy concerns with always-listening assistants that can unintentionally capture private conversations. Users may be uncomfortable having an Internet-connected microphone constantly present. Voice assistants are designed to only listen for specific wake words, but some feel the risks outweigh the benefits. While the technology continues improving, current voice control has inherent constraints compared to other interfaces.

Privacy Concerns

Voice assistants like Google Assistant raise some privacy concerns since they are always listening. As reported by the FTC, voice assistants work by continuously recording environmental sounds to detect “wake words” [1]. This means they are capturing snippets of audio in your home throughout the day. While companies say no audio is stored until the wake word is detected, some experts argue this still exposes private conversations [2].

Once activated, voice commands and conversations are recorded and transmitted to company servers for processing. Companies claim only relevant data is kept, but privacy advocates argue companies should be more transparent about what is saved and how it’s used [3]. There are also concerns voice data could be hacked or accessed by authorities without consent.

Overall, while voice assistants offer hands-free convenience, their always-listening nature raises legitimate privacy issues consumers should consider. There are steps to enhance privacy, like deleting recordings and disabling certain features, but risks remain.

Customization

Users can customize their Google Assistant experience for music in a few ways to tailor it to their preferences.

One option is to set up Voice Match, which allows Google Assistant to recognize your voice and provide personalized results. When enabled, you can say “Hey Google, play my songs” and it will play music based on your YouTube Music or Spotify account. Voice Match can be set up in the Google Home app under Settings > Voice Match (https://blog.google/products/assistant/how-to-personalize-google-assistant/).

Users can also select their preferred music service for playback within the Google Assistant settings. Supported services include YouTube Music, Spotify, Apple Music, and others. To change it, go to Assistant Settings > Music > Default music service (https://support.google.com/assistant/answer/7539710?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid).

In addition, custom voice commands can be created to trigger specific playlists, songs, artists or actions. This allows tailoring commands like “Hey Google, let’s party” to play a personalized party playlist. Custom commands are configured under Assistant Settings > Custom Assistant > Custom commands.

With these options, Google Assistant can be customized to recognize individual users and follow their musical preferences. This provides a more tailored listening experience through voice controls.

Accessibility

Voice assistants like Google Assistant can greatly aid accessibility for some users. By allowing operation through voice commands rather than requiring vision or dexterity to manipulate a device, voice assistants enable many people with disabilities to use technology more easily.

For example, people with limited vision may have difficulty viewing screens or manipulating touch controls. However, they can access a voice assistant by speaking commands aloud. This allows them to listen to music, get information, and control devices hands-free.

Similarly, individuals with motor impairments that limit dexterity may struggle with small device controls. Voice commands give them an alternative, adaptive way to operate phones, speakers, smart home devices, and more. Voice assistants empower these users and give them more independence.

Additionally, some people find voice interactions more intuitive or have cognitive disabilities that make understanding visual interfaces challenging. Voice assistants present information audibly in a more natural format. This improves comprehension for many users.

With thoughtful implementation, voice assistants hold great potential to increase digital accessibility. Features like automatic speech recognition, hands-free control, audible responses, and voice dictation for text can make technology usable for more people. As adoption grows, voice assistants may help create a more inclusive digital world.

Some key sources on this topic include:

How Voice Assistants Improve Accessibility – SoundHound. (2021, August 9). Retrieved from https://www.soundhound.com/voice-ai-blog/how-voice-assistants-improve-accessibility/

How Voice Assistants Improve Digital Accessibility. (2023, April 17). Accessibility.com. Retrieved from https://www.accessibility.com/blog/how-voice-assistants-improve-digital-accessibility

Conclusion

Voice control for music players on Android devices offers convenient hands-free access to your music library and streaming services. With Google Assistant built-in or third party apps like Spotify, you can use natural voice commands to play, pause, skip tracks, adjust volume, create playlists, and more. Key benefits include keeping your eyes on the road while driving, multitasking while listening, and accessibility for visually impaired users. While capabilities may differ across apps and services, voice control aims to provide an intuitive, seamless music experience. Just speak naturally as if giving commands to a friend. As the technology continues improving, expect even more advanced voice interactions with your Android music player.