Quick Help from Alexa owners - App issue (1 Viewer)

[wilked]

Does anyone here use both Alexa and Amazon Music Unlimited?

Does your Amazon Music app control your Dot or Echo?  I can't seem to get a straight answer from Amazon, even after an hour of support.

Here's how it worked with Spotify - I could walk over to my Dot, say "Alexa, play Bruce Springsteen".  Bruce would start playing, perhaps Born in the USA.  If I were to then open my Spotify App, it would show Born in the USA playing, and I could then press pause, next, or even pick an entirely different song, all via the app.

Now I switched to Amazon Music, that doesn't happen.  Same situation as before, but when I were to open Amazon Music app it does not show Born in the USA or Bruce.  Basically it does not 'talk' at all with the Dot as far as I can tell.

If instead I open the Alexa app I can see Born in the USA, but the functionality is super-limited (ie I can play/pause, next track, but searching for another song is not possible).

I will switch back to Spotify if I need to, but it surprises me this cannot work as I want it to.

 

[wilked]

I could have sworn I remember someone else having one of these Echo things...

 

[Koya]

Only used Spotify and Pandora... try searching for the Alexa thread maybe?

 

[psychobillies]

Does anyone here use both Alexa and Amazon Music Unlimited?

Does your Amazon Music app control your Dot or Echo?  I can't seem to get a straight answer from Amazon, even after an hour of support.

Here's how it worked with Spotify - I could walk over to my Dot, say "Alexa, play Bruce Springsteen".  Bruce would start playing, perhaps Born in the USA.  If I were to then open my Spotify App, it would show Born in the USA playing, and I could then press pause, next, or even pick an entirely different song, all via the app.

Now I switched to Amazon Music, that doesn't happen.  Same situation as before, but when I were to open Amazon Music app it does not show Born in the USA or Bruce.  Basically it does not 'talk' at all with the Dot as far as I can tell.

If instead I open the Alexa app I can see Born in the USA, but the functionality is super-limited (ie I can play/pause, next track, but searching for another song is not possible).

I will switch back to Spotify if I need to, but it surprises me this cannot work as I want it to.

I have Echo and unlimited.  The Amazon music app will not control the echo/dot unless you access it from the Alexa app.  I have no problems just telling it what song to play.  I don't use Spotify or Pandora, so I cant compare the functionality, but I have no problem finding any songs.

Maybe I'm not fully understanding the problem.

 

[Ned]

Email the CIA for all support questions.

 

[Buddy Ball 2K3]

Does anyone here use both Alexa and Amazon Music Unlimited?

Does your Amazon Music app control your Dot or Echo?  I can't seem to get a straight answer from Amazon, even after an hour of support.

Here's how it worked with Spotify - I could walk over to my Dot, say "Alexa, play Bruce Springsteen".  Bruce would start playing, perhaps Born in the USA.  If I were to then open my Spotify App, it would show Born in the USA playing, and I could then press pause, next, or even pick an entirely different song, all via the app.

Now I switched to Amazon Music, that doesn't happen.  Same situation as before, but when I were to open Amazon Music app it does not show Born in the USA or Bruce.  Basically it does not 'talk' at all with the Dot as far as I can tell.

If instead I open the Alexa app I can see Born in the USA, but the functionality is super-limited (ie I can play/pause, next track, but searching for another song is not possible).

I will switch back to Spotify if I need to, but it surprises me this cannot work as I want it to.

I use the Alexa App Music Menu (syncs with your amazon music library) for this and haven't noticed any issue. I rarely use the actual Amazon Music App

 

[VA703]

I just use Pandora with alexa

 

[wilked]

I use the Alexa App Music Menu (syncs with your amazon music library) for this and haven't noticed any issue. I rarely use the actual Amazon Music App

Maybe I just need to play with it more.

To my eyes, the Alexa app seemed WAY more limiting than the Amazon Music app.  

Very strange, you would think it would be seamless.  Spotify is seamless and they are 3rd party

Thanks for the response

 

[Buddy Ball 2K3]

Maybe I just need to play with it more.

To my eyes, the Alexa app seemed WAY more limiting than the Amazon Music app.  

Very strange, you would think it would be seamless.  Spotify is seamless and they are 3rd party

Thanks for the response

What is missing from the Alexa/Music app vs the Amazon Music App? I never use the Amazon Music App so I am not sure what issues you are having but I am curious. 

 

[wilked]

What is missing from the Alexa/Music app vs the Amazon Music App? I never use the Amazon Music App so I am not sure what issues you are having but I am curious. 

Can I search for an artist in Alexa app?  Doesn't seem like it?

I open Alexa, then from top left (menu) I click Music&Books, then click "Amazon Music"

From here I can browse a list of "All Artists" or "All Stations".  I see no easy way to search for Young Thug, for instance, unless I want to browse past all artists until I get to the Y.  

Now I could say "Alexa, play Young Thug", but what if I want to browse through his music collection?  Or put something in the queue while listening to something else?

 

[Buddy Ball 2K3]

Can I search for an artist in Alexa app?  Doesn't seem like it?

I open Alexa, then from top left (menu) I click Music&Books, then click "Amazon Music"

From here I can browse a list of "All Artists" or "All Stations".  I see no easy way to search for Young Thug, for instance, unless I want to browse past all artists until I get to the Y.  

Now I could say "Alexa, play Young Thug", but what if I want to browse through his music collection?  Or put something in the queue while listening to something else?

That is correct. on searching. But if you are using the Echo you can just say "play artist Young Thug". 
 

 

[jhib]

That is correct. on searching. But if you are using the Echo you can just say "play artist Young Thug". 
 

Sometimes you don't want to listen to the random order of songs Alexa would bring up when you give that command, and you don't have a particular song in mind to play without browsing.  So while listening to one song, he wants the ability to browse - the Alexa app directs you to do this by using voice commands, but that pauses the current song and doesn't give you the visual aspect of browsing.  Of course, you can still browse on the Amazon Music app and then give the voice command after the current song is over.  Or if you aren't interested in the voice command aspect, you could just use it as a bluetooth speaker and control the music totally from the phone.

I agree with wilked, though, that it would be nice if it was a seamless transition back and forth between voice and phone control.