How To Connect Spotify To Alexa [Step-by-Step Tutorial]

In an era dominated by voice assistants, Amazon’s Alexa has cemented itself as one of the most popular and versatile options for controlling Internet of Things (IoT) devices entirely by voice. One of Alexa’s most common use cases is streaming music services in your home through Alexa-powered smart speakers. 

Given Spotify’s massive popularity as the world’s top audio streaming platform, the ability to connect it directly to Alexa for voice-controlled playback is hugely appealing. Though the setup process is relatively quick, unforeseen issues can pop up.

That’s why this comprehensive, step-by-step walkthrough exists to guide you through properly connecting a Spotify account for smooth music streaming via any Alexa-enabled device. Follow each phase correctly and you’ll soon be saying “Alexa, play my Discover Weekly playlist on Spotify!” without a hitch.

Pre-Requisites to Link Spotify with Alexa  

Before actually diving into the linking process, let’s review a few key requirements that must be fulfilled on both your Alexa and Spotify end to ensure connectivity will work:

Alexa Setup Must-Haves

•    WiFi internet connection 

•    Alexa mobile app downloaded   

•    Alexa-compatible devices like Echo Dot or Echo Studio registered to your account

Spotify Setup Requirements

•    Free or paid active Spotify account 

•    An account logged in from a mobile app or web browser recently 

As long as your Alexa setup is correctly connected to the internet and you have an existing Spotify login meeting basic activity thresholds, you will avoid headaches getting everything paired up!

Connecting Spotify to Alexa in 4 Simple Steps

Ready to get that Spotify library pumping through your Alexa speakers? Here is the basic 4-step method:

1. Open Alexa App & Tap “More”

Launch the Alexa app on your mobile device and tap the “More” tab located along the bottom toolbar. This opens up the overflow menu.

2. Select “Settings” Then Choose “Music & Podcasts” 

Within the More tab, scroll down and tap on “Settings” followed by selecting “Music & Podcasts” from the available categories.

3. Tap “Link New Service” And Choose “Spotify” 

On the Music & Podcasts settings page, you should see options to link eligible streaming services to Alexa. Tap “Link New Service” and select “Spotify” from providers like Pandora or Amazon Music. 

4. Log Into Your Spotify Account 

A browser window will pop up asking you to sign in to your existing Spotify account. Enter your credentials and accept any authorization prompts permitting Alexa usage.

Once logged in, your Spotify and Alexa accounts are now successfully linked on the back end! 

Configuring Default Music Services in the Alexa App

Although your Spotify account is now paired up with Alexa, any general voice commands asking Alexa to play music will still default to its own Amazon Music service, not Spotify. To override this, you need to designate Spotify as your go-to default provider.

Within the Alexa app’s Music & Podcast settings section again, tap into “Default Services” and switch the preference from Amazon Music to Spotify for both music and podcasts. Save your changes and from now on any general “Play…” voice request made to Alexa will be pulled from your Spotify catalog automatically!

Streaming Spotify via Alexa with Voice Commands  

Armed with the power of Alexa, you can now leverage a vast range of voice commands to access and control your Spotify library hands-free! Try out popular requests like:

•    “Alexa, play my Discover Weekly playlist on Spotify”

•    “Alexa, play some upbeat pop music on Spotify” 

•    “Alexa, play the Spotify playlist [name]”

•    “Alexa, shuffle songs by Taylor Swift on Spotify”

Get creative exploring the many ways Alexa grants you hands-free power over Spotify! The beauty is that nearly any voice command intuitively translating into an action you could otherwise manually press within the Spotify app itself will function via Alexa too thanks to the deep integration.  

Cranking Up Spotify Listening Sessions from Anywhere in Your Home

No longer confined to streaming Spotify from just your smartphone device, the Alexa sync opens up playback on any Alexa-powered smart speakers configured around your home! 

Connect an Echo Studio to the living room sound system for room-filling party jams. Beam independent Discover Weekly playlists tailored to each family member’s tastes to their own Echo Dot speakers in private rooms. Or take Spotify anywhere outdoors with a portable Alexa speaker like the Sonos Roam.  

Multi-Room Streaming with Spotify and Alexa

For the ultimate whole-home audio experience, configure Alexa’s multi-room music grouping feature to sync Spotify playback across multiple Echo devices in different parts of your dwelling simultaneously! 

Simply say “Alexa, group my living room and kitchen speakers” to cluster two room audio sources together so both echo the same Spotify tracks at once. No more disjointed music as you move about the house!

Controlling Playback Mid-Session with Your Voice  

Alexa allows controlling music playback too once a Spotify session is rolling with helpful voice commands like:

•    “Alexa, turn it up” 

•    “Alexa, next song”

•    “Alexa, what song is this?” 

•    “Alexa, add this to my Favorites playlist”

So leverage all the typical playback commands you may otherwise tap within Spotify itself for seamless voice-based control courtesy of Alexa connectivity.

Granting Access to Additional Household Users  

As the main administrator who linked Spotify to Alexa initially, you govern connected service permissions for other household members using your shared Alexa ecosystem.  

Within Alexa app settings, toggle on which members should have access to controlling your Spotify account through Alexa requests vs. which should have their music libraries siloed off from the rest of the home. 

Prevent kids from meddling with your playlists or song queues by limiting their access! Or empower the whole family to use your Spotify account as they see fit – flexibility is in your hands.  

Revoking Alexa’s Linked Access to Spotify

Should you ever wish to sever the connectivity enabling Alexa use of your Spotify account, reversing access is straightforward within the Alexa and Spotify apps.  

On the Alexa side, revisit the Music & Podcasts settings section and remove Spotify entirely under Linked Services. Then on Spotify’s end, access account settings to revoke permissions granted to any Alexa apps or devices, fully cutting ties.

If trying to relink Alexa to Spotify after unlinking, you MUST go through the initial connection process again from scratch following the steps outlined earlier. Reauthentication will be required even if completed previously before untethering the two services.

Troubleshooting Common Alexa-Spotify Integration Issues

Despite the relative ease of linking Alexa devices to access your Spotify content hands-free, problems can occasionally arise during or after setup. Here are solutions to some of the most frequently encountered integration headaches:

1. Alexa Unable to Locate Specific Songs or Playlists on Spotify

Double-check spelling if asking for more unique track titles or ensure playlist names match exactly. An incorrect name may prevent Alexa from properly pulling songs from Spotify even if your account is successfully connected on the back end.

2. Device Unable to Link Spotify Account from the Alexa App

If receiving authorization errors trying to sign in to Spotify from the Alexa app, try fully closing both apps and restarting the linking process. Make sure the Spotify app is updated too. Still no luck? Reinstall the Alexa application entirely.

3. Alexa Plays Own Amazon Music Despite Spotify Set as Default  

First, ensure Spotify is configured as the default music service under Alexa Settings. If it persists play the Amazon Music catalogue instead, disconnect and re-link your Spotify account before re-establishing the default designations.

4. Multi-Room Grouping Not Working Properly for Spotify

When grouping multiple Alexa devices for multi-room Spotify streaming, make sure ALL speakers are individually linked to your Spotify account beforehand. If one device lacks access, grouping across rooms will fail.

5. Spotify Suddenly Inaccessible on Alexa After Working Previously 

If a previously linked Spotify account suddenly loses Alexa functionality, start by trying to play content directly in the Spotify app to rule out account-level problems. Barring no Spotify issues directly, repeat the Alexa linking process to refresh permissions.

6. Voice Commands Laggy or Delayed Responding 

Choppy response times to Spotify through Alexa, like delayed song playback after making requests, likely point to Wi-Fi connectivity problems impacting the device. Make sure the Alexa speaker location has strong nearby Wi-Fi signals.

7. Spotify Streams at Low Volume from Alexa Speakers

Double-check Alexa device volume levels first before investigating other causes. Also, ensure that the default Alexa media playback volume under Settings aligns with desired loudness levels.

8. Spotify Restricting Certain Content Access on Alexa

Due to licensing restrictions, a small portion of Spotify content may be restricted from playback on external platforms like Alexa. This is often podcast episodes limited solely to the Spotify app itself. Not a true integration error.

9. Forgot Which Alexa Devices Linked to Spotify  

To identify Alexa devices on your home network that currently have access to your Spotify account, open the Alexa app and visit Settings > Music & Podcaststhe  > Linked Devices to see the full list of approved endpoints.

10. Alexa Unable to Understand Custom Spotify Voice Command 

Test saying the custom phrase in Settings > Communications > Voice Responses menu to understand struggles to understand the term there too, tweak phrasing to be more simplistic rather than expecting interpretation of more complex terminology.

While the task of getting Spotify happily connected to Alexa may sound daunting if unfamiliar with smart home ecosystems, the good news is it truly requires just a handful of steps before those beloved playlists and albums come streaming through the speakers. 

Sure, the occasional technical hiccups around authorizations or Wi-Fi connectivity may pop up. But this guide arms you with the top troubleshooting g tricks for fending off the most common integration pitfalls.  

Soon with your Spotify account seamlessly commanding tunes throughout the house via Alexa, the only major dilemma will be agreeing on which artists to request through the now borderless audio setup!