Spotify streaming services subscribers are allowed to connect Spotify account to the Amazon Echo devices and tell Alexa to play anything on Spotify. And the new users also receive a one-month free trial which enables users access the music service fully and test the Amazon Echo devices. Not only can you use Alexa to request tunes with your voice, Echo devices also support Spotify Connect, letting you stream tunes manually. Connecting Alexa to Spotify offers full control of playback and your music library, an Alexa EQ feature to fine-tune audio, with tons of commands for seamless control of your music. The free version does not work with Alexa, but you can sign up for a free 30-day trial to determine whether Premium is for you. Can you use free Spotify with Echo dot? To play Spotify Music on Amazon Echo, you’ll need to connect your Spotify account to your Amazon Echo, but it’s really easy to do and takes just a couple of minutes. Play Spotify on Alexa through the app You can also use the Spotify app to select which Alexa device you want to play music. First, open the Spotify app on your smartphone or tablet. Spotify Free works with Alexa!! Spotify Free donsn't have previous playback control on any Echo speaker device, including Echo Show and “On the Go” devices (such as Echo Auto or Echo Buds).US BASED ONLY. Sorry I forgot to included this. I seriously just found out and I work there LMAO. Update: Australia and New Zealand as well.
Streaming has changed how we listen to music. Where once you had to store your music library as files on your computer, phone or MP3 player after buying songs online or ripping your CD collection, nowadays online streaming services give you instant access to millions of songs, so you can listen to new music or enjoy some old favourites - wherever your mood takes you.
With more than 75 million subscribers around the world, Spotify is the undisputed king of music streaming services. It’s compatible with Amazon’s Alexa personal assistant, so if you have a compatible device, you can stream a song just by asking for it, and play songs, compile playlists, search for artists or find a public playlist - all using just your voice.
It only takes these simple steps to open up a whole world of hands-free music streaming.
Note: You’ll need a Spotify Premium account to control Spotify with Alexa: if you only have the free Spotify account, voice control is not available. We’ll explain the difference between the types of account in step 2.
Use Alexa With Spotify Free Music
Spotify is the go-to music app for most people when it comes to gathering music and curating playlists. On top of that, one of the main reasons people get an Amazon Alexa is so they can play music without having to dig through their account and connect their phone to some speakers. Spotify Free users in Canada can now say “Alexa, play Discover Weekly on Spotify,” for example, in order for their favourite Playlists to start playing. The music streaming service has had Alexa integration for more than two years and users can already set Spotify as their default music player through an Amazon Echo smart speaker.
Step 1: Set up your Amazon Echo speaker
For this you’ll need the Alexa app, which you can download for both iOS devices and Android devices. Setting it up is pretty straightforward – for your complete step-by-step guide, from getting it out of the box to mastering all its tips and tricks, check out our guide to setting up Amazon Echo.
Step 2: Download Spotify
The Spotify app is free to download for iOS and Android devices – you can find it on the Apple App Store or in Google Play. The basic version is free to use, but it’s a limited service – you can only skip so many songs at a time, for example, and you can’t pick which song plays when on a playlist. You’ll also have to listen to adverts between songs – these can’t be skipped.
If you pay £9.99 a month, you’ll get no adverts, unlimited skips, the ability to listen offline and to pick which song plays when. You’ll also get higher quality audio. This is known as Spotify Premium.
Premium is cheaper for students. There’s also Premium for Family, which gives access to up to six people living at the same address. This costs £14.99 a month.
Whichever option you choose, the Spotify app is free to download, so you don’t have to worry about being charged anything. But as we said earlier, you'll need Spotify Premium in order to control it using Alexa.
Step 3: Log into Spotify
Now it’s time to log into Spotify. Just enter your email address/username and password when prompted.
Not used Spotify before? No problem. You can sign up in just a few seconds.
Step 4: Link your Spotify account
Within the Alexa app, go to Settings (the cog icon in the bottom right corner of the screen) > Music & Media> Spotify. Tap the link to Link account on Spotify.com and you’ll be prompted to log into Spotify.
It will then alert you that Alexa will be able to receive this Spotify account data – this includes the proviso that your information may be transferred outside the EEA. If you’re OK with that, tap Okay.
Your Spotify account is now linked with your Amazon Echo speaker.
Step 5: Make Spotify your default music service
It’s all well and good having Spotify linked to your Echo speaker, but it’s a pain having to request Alexa to open the programme each time you want to play a song.
Thankfully there is a way around that – make it your default music service. That way, you can just say “Alexa, play pop” and it’ll start blasting out the hits of the day directly from Spotify.
To make Spotify your default music service, go to Settings> Music & Media within the Alexa app, then tap Choose Default Music Services. By default, your default music service is Amazon Music. Just tap the Spotify box to change it to Spotify, then tap Done.
Step 6: Start controlling
Now it’s time to start using Spotify hands-free on your Echo speaker. You have a ton of voice commands at your disposal: most of them are pretty obvious but some are a little more niche.
The basics include “Play”, “Pause”, “Shuffle” (and “Stop shuffle”) and “Resume”, all of which are self-explanatory.
You can also be more general with your requests, for example “Play some music”, “Play what’s hot in Brazil” and “Play songs similar to the sixties.”
You can be more specific, too. These controls include “Play [song/album/artist]”, “Play [name emotion] music”, “Play [radio station name]”, “Play [playlist name]”. You can create playlists, add songs/albums/artists to an already existing playlist, and block songs with explicit lyrics, all by asking. You can also request information by asking questions like “Who’s the lead singer for [band name]?”
Which devices support Alexa control for Spotify?
A range of Alexa-compatible devices support hands-free Spotify control. These are: the Amazon Echo, Echo Show, Echo Dot, Echo Spot, Amazon Tap (which isn’t currently available in the UK), Fire TV Cube (again, not yet available in the UK) and Sonos One smart speaker.
All of these have Alexa built-in, so you can control your Spotify just by speaking. To get set up on any of these devices, just follow the steps above.
What if I don’t want to control Spotify by speaking?
Use Alexa With Spotify Free Download
No problem. You can connect to your Echo speaker over Bluetooth and use the Spotify app on your phone to control it remotely.