If you’re a Spotify streaming service subscription holder, you can now listen to your playlists and request songs from the Spotify library to play on your Amazon Alexa Echo device, including the Dot, Echo, and the Amazon Tap.
With a few simple setup steps, you’ll have complete access via voice commands to your Spotify content. And, if you’re new to Spotify, you’ll currently receive a one-month free trial, which gives you full access to their music, allowing you to fully test out your Echo device with Spotify before paying for the premium Spotify music subscription.
Linking Your Spotify Account to Amazon Alexa Echo Speakers
Preliminary Work
1a. Connect your Echo device to Amazon Alexa. Before you can access any of the services offered by the Alexa virtual assistant service, you’ll need to connect your Alexa device to the internet, and then register it with Amazon via the Alexa app. See our piece here for details on how to perform these tasks.
1b. Set up a Spotify account. If you do not have one already, head on over to the Spotify web site here, and follow their screen prompts to establish a Spotify account. Make sure to take advantage of any free trial offers that may be in play.
Link your Spotify account to Alexa
2a. Bring up the Alexa app on your tablet. Spotify is enabled by default in the Alexa app. So you need not explicitly switch it on in order to configure it. Instead, simply run the Alexa app. You’ll then see something like the Alexa home screen, as displayed next.
2b. Tap the Settings link, located in the black menu on the left side of the screen. You’ll then see the Settings screen, as shown next.
2c. Tap the Music & Media link. You then get the Music and Media screen, as shown next.
2d. Tap the ‘Link Account on Spotify.com’ option. Doing so brings up the ‘Connect Alexa to your Spotify Account’ screen, as displayed next.
2e. Tap the green ‘Log in to Spotify’ button. If you followed all the steps above, then you now have a Spotify account. So, no need to sign up for a new one here. Therefore, choose this option that allows you to sign in with credentials from an existing account. Then, you get the Spotify Login screen, as shown next.
2f. Enter your Spotify user Id and password, then tap the Log In button. Then, if you entered your Spotify account user Id and password correctly, you should then see a screen that confirms that you’ve successfully connected to Spotify, as shown next.
2g. Close this confirmation screen by tapping the white X button in the upper right-hand corner. Doing so returns you to the Music Services screen, as shown next. This time when viewing that screen however, note that the Spotify entry no longer has the -Link account on Spotify.com- option to its right. This indicates that you’ve successfully linked your Spotify account to Alexa.
2h. Make Spotify your default music service on Alexa, if desired. Press the blue -Choose default music services- button. This brings up the -Choose default music services- screen, as shown in the next picture.
Note that in our scenario, we have two choices for our default music library, and Amazon Music is currently selected (its radio button is blue). The number of choices here depends on how many music services you’ve configured in the Alexa app.
Then, once you’ve tapped the desired radio button, tap the save button, which makes your selected music service the default.
You need not make Spotify the default music library. However if it is your default, you may shorten your voice requests as described below.
2i. Test out Spotify on your Echo device. You may now speak commands to Alexa to play music, comedy, or any other recording in the Spotify library. Just ask, as in
- Alexa, play Bob Dylan, Rainy Day Woman on Spotify.
- Alexa, play some party music on Spotify.
- Alexa, play Harold Perry on Spotify.
Or, if you have made Spotify your default music service, you can omit the ‘…on Spotify’ part on the request. E.g.
- Alexa, play Bob Dylan, Rainy Day Woman.
- Alexa, play some party music.
- Alexa, play Harold Perry.
2j. Enjoy! You will now be able to ask your Echo speaker device to play any of the millions of recordings in the Spotify library. What fun! The range of genres, artists, oldies, and newbies, is truly impressive. It’s like having your own requests-only radio station through your home Wi-Fi network.
Related Posts
- Amazon Alexa Echo Dot Setup Help Instructions
- Changing Wi-Fi Network on Amazon Echo Dot
- How to Get Alexa to Play Spotify Playlists
- How to Unlink Spotify from Alexa
- Pandora Setup Instructions on Amazon Echo Alexa Speakers
- Spotify Setup on Google Home Speaker Instructions
References
Revision History
- 2017-01-13: Originally published.