Dhruv Bhutani / Android Authority
If you’re at all invested in the Apple ecosystem, Apple Music is bound to have a strong appeal — it’s deeply integrated into the company’s software, in some cases allowed to do things on Apple platforms that rivals like Spotify can’t. Here’s how to connect Apple Music to Alexa so you can take full advantage of the service in a smart home.
Read more: How to use Amazon Alexa
QUICK ANSWER
To use Apple Music with Amazon Alexa, you’ll first need to link the two services using the Alexa app for Android, iPhone, or iPad. You can find the option under Music & Podcasts in the Alexa app’s Settings menu, including the choice to make Apple Music your default service. Once this is complete you can play music by asking any Alexa-compatible speaker in your home. More details are below.
JUMP TO QUESTIONS
How do you connect Apple Music to Alexa?
Before getting started you’ll need an Amazon account and an Apple Music subscription, as well as an Alexa-equipped speaker, such as an Echo Studio or Sonos One. Note that while you can’t listen to Apple Music without a subscription, Apple does offer a free three-month trial. Special promotions can sometimes extend this, and in fact some phone plans may bundle Apple Music for as long as you’re with the carrier.
Here’s how to connect Apple Music to Alexa:
- Open the Alexa app for Android, iPhone, or iPad.
- Tap the More button in the bottom toolbar.
- Tap Settings.
- Scroll down and select Music & Podcasts.
- Tap Link New Service, and follow prompts.
If you don’t want to add “on Apple Music” every time you ask Alexa to play something, you’ll need to set it as a default service. Within the Music & Podcasts menu above, open Default Services. Here you can make separate selections for on-demand music, artist/genre stations, and podcasts. You might for example set Apple Music as the default for stations and general music, but use Spotify for podcasts so you can access some of that service’s exclusives. If you want to use Apple Podcasts, that’s technically separate from Apple Music.
How do you play Apple Music on Alexa devices?
Apple Music makes use of the same voice commands as any other Alexa-linked music service, allowing you to ask for an artist, album, song, or playlist. This includes content in your iCloud Music Library.
Here are some sample phrases you might use:
- “Alexa, shuffle music by Godspeed You Black Emperor.”
- “Alexa, play The Crow by DJ Food.”
- “Alexa, shuffle the playlist Best of Dark Ambient.”
- “Alexa, play the album From Sleep by Max Richter.”
If you want to play music in a specific room, from a group of speakers, or everywhere in your home, you’ll need to add that information to your request. For example:
- “Alexa, play music by Flying Lotus in the kitchen.”
- “Alexa, play my Favorites playlist everywhere.”
Unfortunately, you can’t use AirPlay to control Alexa speakers from Apple’s native Music app. A workaround is to pair your Apple device as a Bluetooth source for Alexa, but you may end up frequently switching connections if you use other Bluetooth headphones or speakers.
You can also only have one stream going per Apple Music account. This means that if you’re listening to one song on your phone, for instance, and someone asks your Echo to play another, the music will switch there. You can get around this by joining multiple Amazon accounts in an Amazon Household, and giving each person their own Apple Music account as well, but they’ll have to ask Alexa to switch Amazon profiles each time they want to use their own content.
Read more: The best smart speakers
