Connect Spotify through the Alexa app on your phone

The fastest way to connect Spotify to Alexa is through the Alexa app. Open the app on your phone, tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the bottom right, and select Settings. Scroll down and tap Music & Podcasts, then tap Spotify. You'll see a button that says Link Your Account — tap it, and you'll be taken to Spotify's login page. Sign in with your Spotify username and password, then confirm that you want to allow Alexa to access your account. Once you see the confirmation screen, you're connected.

After linking, go back to the Music & Podcasts settings and make sure Spotify is set as your Default Music Service. This means when you ask Alexa to play a song without specifying which service to use, it will automatically use Spotify instead of Amazon Music.

The entire process takes about two minutes. You only need to do this once — Alexa will stay connected to your Spotify account until you manually disconnect it.

Key Takeaways

  • Open the Alexa app, go to Settings > Music & Podcasts > Spotify, and tap Link Your Account to connect your Spotify login.
  • Set Spotify as your Default Music Service in the same menu so Alexa uses it when you don't specify which service to play from.
  • You can control playback by saying commands like "Alexa, play [song name] on Spotify" or "Alexa, pause" once the accounts are linked.
  • Spotify Premium is required to play specific songs on demand; Spotify Free users can only shuffle play on Spotify through Alexa.
  • If Alexa stops responding to Spotify commands, disconnect and reconnect the account through the Alexa app settings.

What you need before you start

You need a Spotify account and an Amazon Alexa device. The Spotify account can be either free or Premium, but there's an important difference: Spotify Premium users can ask Alexa to play any specific song, album, or playlist. Spotify Free users can only shuffle-play entire playlists or artists, which means you can't request a particular track.

Your Alexa device can be an Echo speaker, Echo Show, Echo Dot, or any other Amazon device that runs Alexa. The connection works the same way regardless of which device you own. You'll also need the Alexa app installed on your phone — this is where you do the initial linking, though you can control playback from the device itself once it's connected.

Control Spotify playback with voice commands

Once Spotify is connected and set as your default service, you can control it entirely by voice. Say "Alexa, play [song name]" to play a specific track, or "Alexa, play [artist name]" to shuffle an artist's top songs. You can also request playlists: "Alexa, play my Discover Weekly" or "Alexa, play the Today's Top Hits playlist."

Basic playback commands work too: "Alexa, pause," "Alexa, resume," "Alexa, next," and "Alexa, previous" all do what they sound like. You can also adjust volume with "Alexa, set volume to 5" or "Alexa, turn it up." If you want to skip to a specific part of a song, you can say "Alexa, skip forward 30 seconds" or "Alexa, skip back 15 seconds."

If you have multiple Alexa devices in your home, you can specify which one plays the music: "Alexa, play [song] on the bedroom speaker." This is useful if you want different music playing in different rooms at the same time.

Disconnect Spotify if you need to switch accounts or troubleshoot

If you want to connect a different Spotify account to Alexa, or if Alexa stops responding to Spotify commands, you'll need to disconnect first. Open the Alexa app, go to Settings > Music & Podcasts > Spotify, and tap Disconnect. Wait a few seconds, then tap Link Your Account again to reconnect or link a different account.

Disconnecting and reconnecting usually fixes problems where Alexa says "I'm having trouble with that" when you ask it to play Spotify. It also clears any temporary connection issues between your phone, your Alexa device, and Spotify's servers. After you reconnect, wait about 30 seconds before trying a voice command to give the devices time to sync.

If reconnecting doesn't work, restart your Alexa device by unplugging it for 10 seconds, then plugging it back in. Once it finishes restarting (the light will stop spinning), try a Spotify command again.

Use the Alexa app or device screen to browse and play music

You don't have to use voice commands — you can also control Spotify through the Alexa app. Open the app and tap the Music icon at the bottom. You'll see your Spotify playlists, recently played songs, and recommendations. Tap any song or playlist to start playing it on your Alexa device.

If you have an Echo Show or Echo Spot (devices with screens), you can also browse Spotify directly on the device's display. Swipe down from the top of the screen to access the menu, then tap Music. You can search for songs, browse playlists, and control playback without using voice commands or your phone.

The Alexa app also shows you what's currently playing, lets you see the queue of upcoming songs, and gives you quick buttons for pause, play, next, and previous. This is handy if you're in the same room as the speaker and want to skip a song without saying a command out loud.

Spotify Premium vs. Free on Alexa

The main limitation for Spotify Free users is that you can't request specific songs. When you ask Alexa to play a particular track, it will tell you that you need Spotify Premium. You can still shuffle entire playlists, artists, and genres — for example, "Alexa, play rock music" or "Alexa, play my Liked Songs playlist" will work. But "Alexa, play Blinding Lights by The Weeknd" will not.

Spotify Premium users have no restrictions. You can ask for any song, album, playlist, or artist, and Alexa will play it immediately. You also get ad-free listening and higher audio quality, though the quality difference depends on your speaker's capabilities.

If you're using a Spotify Free account and want to upgrade, you can do so through the Spotify app or website. The change takes effect immediately, and Alexa will recognize your Premium status within a few minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Spotify on multiple Alexa devices at the same time?

Yes, but only one device can play at a time. If you start playing Spotify on your bedroom Echo and then ask your kitchen Echo to play something, the bedroom speaker will stop and the kitchen speaker will start. You can't have different Spotify songs playing on different devices simultaneously — that's a Spotify account limitation, not an Alexa limitation.

Why does Alexa say it can't find a song I'm asking for?

This usually happens if you're using Spotify Free, which doesn't allow on-demand playback of specific songs. If you have Spotify Premium and Alexa still can't find a song, try saying the artist name more clearly or use a different phrasing. Sometimes Alexa misunderstands song titles with special characters or numbers. If it keeps failing, disconnect and reconnect your Spotify account.

Does connecting Spotify to Alexa cost extra money?

No. Connecting Spotify to Alexa is free. You only pay for Spotify itself if you want Premium (Spotify Free is also free but has limitations). Amazon doesn't charge a fee for linking your accounts or using Spotify through Alexa.

What happens if I cancel my Spotify subscription?

Your Spotify account will downgrade to Free, and Alexa will stop being able to play specific songs on demand. You'll still be able to shuffle playlists and artists. If you cancel Spotify entirely, Alexa will tell you that your account is inactive when you try to play music. You can reactivate it anytime by logging back into Spotify.

Can I control Spotify on Alexa from my computer or tablet?

You can control it from any device that has the Alexa app installed — that includes phones, tablets, and computers (through the web version at alexa.amazon.com). The initial linking has to happen through the Alexa app, but once it's connected, you can control playback from anywhere you have access to your Amazon account.