Spotify & Alexa: 7 Common Questions (Answered)

Using AI smart technology in the home has completely changed the way that we live our day-to-day lives. 

While many smart tech features help you with controlling your house, they also are great for entertaining. One of the best ways that you can use your Alexa is to pair it with Spotify.

But, like most new things, this comes with a learning curve. But don’t worry, we have you covered.

Here’s How Spotify Works With Alexa:

Using Alexa and Spotify is simple. All you need to do is sign into Spotify through your Amazon Echo Dot profile. Then you can start enjoying all of your favorite playlists and podcasts anywhere in your home. You can use Alexa’s voice command features to start playing, skip, repeat or find songs.

Is Alexa Compatible with Spotify?

Alexa is not only compatible with Spotify, but it is also very easy to use and even easier to set up.

In order to unlock Spotify for Alexa, you have to first sign-up for a Spotify account. If you are already signed up, you can go ahead and use your existing profile.

When you sign up for Spotify, you have the option to pay for a premium experience, however, you can absolutely use Spotify’s free tier with your Alexa. But, you will not be able to listen to specific songs or albums since that is a feature only allowed with premium subscriptions.

However, you can still stream playlists, podcasts, and even discovery albums on your Alexa with a Spotify free subscription.

Once you have linked the two together, all you will need to say to get started is “Alexa play my playlist” to play a specific playlist, just simply state the title of that playlist and Alexa will start cranking the tunes right from the Echo Dot speaker.

Do People Generally have Trouble Using Alexa with Spotify?

Most people find that setting up their Spotify to their Alexa is rather easy to do and don’t run into much trouble.

However, there are some common problems that some people have with using Spotify through Alexa. Most commonly, these problems have to do with the way the music streams.

If you have paired multiple streaming apps to your Alexa, Spotify may not be the first thing that plays when you ask Alexa to stream your playlist. This can easily be fixed by specifically stating to Alexa that you want to stream through Spotify.

If Spotify is your preferred streaming service, you can assign it as the default music application through your Alexa settings. Once you do this, every time you ask for the music to play, it will stream through Spotify.

Another common problem some people have is when they have more than one Alexa device in the home, it won’t always allow them to stream music through Spotify on both. 

However, this has nothing to do with your Alexa device and much more to do with the type of Spotify account you have.

If you have a free account, Spotify will only be able to stream on one device at a time.

Does Spotify Work with Older Alexa Devices?

Amazon’s Echo Dot first debuted 8 years ago and while the first device was pretty basic when it comes to features, newer Echo Dots are much more high-tech.

The good news is that even if you are using an older version of Alexa, it will still be able to pair with Spotify for a seamless streaming listening experience.

However, there are a ton of really amazing features that are missing out on if you are using an older device. Most of these features can even elevate the way that you choose to use Spotify.

For example, the Echo Show comes with a little screen that shows you what music you are currently listening to.

Along with a visible playlist, you can even view the lyrics of a song or dig a little more into the history of the artist that is playing.

This is a great way to sing karaoke style along to your favorite music as well as discover new and upcoming artists you may not have ever heard of without this amazing feature.

How Hard is it to use Alexa with Spotify?

Pairing your Alexa to your Spotify account so that you can stream music from anywhere in your house is very simple to do. Even beginners to technology can easily connect the two.

The biggest learning curve with using AI, like an Echo Dot, is learning which voice commands are the best to use for your specific needs. However, you can always customize this through the Alexa app on your phone.

While Alexa comes with a certain set of voice commands that it will understand and tasks it will complete, you can always make it easier on yourself by customizing your own.

For example, instead of having to say “Alexa, play my rock playlist on Spotify” you can add a specific voice command like “Alexa, let’s rock” to play your playlist.

Customized voice commands are easy to make through your Alexa settings and will pair with whatever specific action you want. So, if you worry about not wanting to learn a ton of commands for your Alexa, coming up with your own jargon may be the way to go.

Can Spotify be Down on Alexa Equipment?

Sometimes even if you do everything the right way, you can still experience some trouble streaming music to your Alexa through Spotify.

Most of the time, troubleshooting a problem is a fairly easy fix, but, some things are just out of your control.

This is especially true if Alexa, or even Spotify itself, is currently experiencing issues.

If you notice that your Alexa is not streaming your music, first check the color that your Echo Dot is displaying.

• Blue and purple tones mean that your Alexa is working the way it should.
• If your dot is flashing yellow, it is currently experiencing issues.

The most common reason for this caution flashing is that your Alexa is having a hard time connecting to your network.

In order to use Spotify with Alexa, you have to have a stable internet connection. So, first, check your connection before wondering if Spotify is down.

If your network is up and working, chances are the Spotify or Alexa platform itself is experiencing issues. With Alexa, this can happen when the technology is updating and generally will be back online and ready to go in a matter of minutes.

If Spotify is down, this means that they are experiencing server issues which can take anywhere from a couple of minutes to hours to fix.

Make sure to frequently check on the Spotify Server Updates to see when Spotify will be back up and running.

Does Alexa play Spotify Lossless?

Lossless is a type of audio file that, unlike uncompressed files, compresses the audio data in order to save space.

Many users prefer to stream lossless audio tracks because they say it gives them a much more elevated music listening experience.

While Alexa does allow you to play lossless tracks in general, this only can be done on newer generation Echo Dots.

In fact, this technology upgrade was not featured on Alexa until it launched its 4th generation device back in 2020. This means that any newer device released after the 4th generation will be able to stream lossless audio tracks without a problem.

Unfortunately, Spotify does not currently offer lossless audio. If you’re an audiophile keen on listening to lossless with Alexa you’ll need to subscribe to another streaming service like Apple Music.

Does Echo Dot Work With Spotify?

While Alexa is the formal name of this service, Amazon Echo Dot is the actual device that uses Alexa’s technology.

So, Spotify absolutely works with your Echo Dot because an Echo Dot is simply just a house for Alexa. You can download Alexa onto your phone, car, or any other digital device and use it the same way you would an Echo Dot.

However, using an Echo Dot to stream Spotify is a great idea. The Dot acts like a speaker for your house.

People like to put them in common areas of their homes, like the kitchen or living room. But, I personally feel like an Echo Dot can be beneficial in any room – even the bathroom.

Having an Echo Dot in your bathroom allows you to listen to Spotify music or podcasts while you are in the shower or getting in the morning.

What better way to start the day than with your favorite playlist?

Final Thoughts

While new technology can sometimes be daunting and a little scary, it absolutely does help us with everyday things we take for granted.

Instead of having to track down your favorite song or station, you can simply voice command your Echo Dot through Alexa to play whatever you want.

The fun doesn’t stop with just music either. There are hundreds of ways that you can take advantage of Alexa’s features in your everyday life. Good luck.

Sources

How To Connect Spotify To Your Amazon Echo Dot

Spotify Connect – What Is It And How It Works