How to connect Apple Music to Alexa

If you’re invested in the Apple ecosystem, Apple Music is bound to have a strong appeal. It’s deeply integrated into the company’s software, and in some cases, it’s 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.

How do you connect Apple Music to Alexa?

Before getting started, you’ll need an Amazon account, an Apple Music subscription, and an Alexa-equipped speaker, such as an Echo Studio or Sonos Beam. Note that while you can’t listen to Apple Music without a subscription, Apple does offer a free trial, usually a month or longer. Special promotions can extend this, and phone plans sometimes bundle Apple Music for as long as you’re with a 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 and Podcasts.
• Tap Link New Service, then 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 and Podcasts menu above, open Default Services. 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 on-demand 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 available too.

How do you play Apple Music on Alexa devices?

Apple Music uses the same voice commands as any other Alexa-linked service, allowing you to ask for an artist, album, song, or playlist. This includes content in your uploaded 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 Bluetooth headphones.

Also, you can only have one stream going per Apple Music account. 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 Alexa accounts in an Amazon Household, and giving each person their own Apple Music account. They will however have to ask Alexa to switch profiles each time they want to access their content, and extra accounts cost more, the cheapest solution being a Family plan.

Frequently asked questions