86 AUGUST 2019|COMPUTER SHOPPER|ISSUE 378
A
mazon Echo devices areabout
morethan just giving you
information, and canbeused
to play music, makecalls and more.
Here,we’ll showyou howtodomorewith
your Echo devices and getthem setupfor
music and communication.
Music is agood placetostart, with Echo
devices supporting arange of music
services. To add the ones that youhave, go
to the Alexa app, tapthe Menu icon and
select Settings. TapMusic. Youcan then
tapthe Plus button to add anew music
service, including Amazon Music, Spotify,
Tidal and Apple Music. Youalso getTuneIn
radio by default. When youadd anew
service, you’ll be promptedtoenter your
username and password to log in.
Once you’reconnected, youcan tapthe
Default Services option to choose which
music serviceyou want your Echo to talk to
first. Then, when yousay something like,
‘Alexa,play Pink Floyd’,your Echo will
search your default music service. To play
music from adifferentservice, youhave
to name it likethis: ‘Alexa,play Pink Floyd
from Amazon Music.’
Youcan also start music from the Spotify
app if youhaveasubscription, and then use
the Cast button to select which speaker you
want the music to play on.
GROUPIES
If youwanttoplay music in morethan one
group, youcan do this via the app. Go to the
Alexa app and select Devices, then tapthe
plus icon and select AddMulti-Room Music
Speakers. Read the information, then tap
Continue and giveyour Group aname. Tap
Next, then select the Echo devices that you
want to use, then tapSave. Amazon will
then connect your Echo devices together.
Youcan nowplay music by mentioning
the group: ‘Alexa,play Pink Floyd<group
name>’.Toedit music groups, go to the
bottom of the Devices page in the Alexa app.
Tapone and youcan add and remove Echo
speakers, edit the name or remove it.
DEATHBYSTEREO
Stereo pairing is afeaturethat lets youuse
twoEcho devices together,with one forming
the left channel and one the rightchannel.
The combination gives youmorepowerful
audio and better stereo separation. To geta
stereo pair,you need twoofthe same Echo
devices of the righttype: Echo Dot3rd
Generation, Echo 2nd Generation, Echo Plus
(1st and 2nd Generation). TwoEcho Plus
devices work best.
TapDevices in the Echo app, then tapthe
plus icon and select AddStereoPair /
Subwoofer.Select twoofthe same type of
Echo devices from your list, then tapNext.
You’renow given achoicefor the first device
youselected as to whether youwantthis for
the left or rightchannel. As Alexa doesn’t
play asound through the speakers, it canbe
hardtowork out which deviceiswhich; don’t
worry,you canchange your choicelater.
Once Alexa has paired the devices, you
cansee the stereo pair listed under Speaker
Groups in the Devices section of the Alexa
app. Tapthe setting and youcan switch the
channel selection forthe Echo devices.
Now, when youplay music, sound will
come out of both Echo speakers. Note that
Alexa only playssound out of one speaker
if youask aquestion.
Youcan also add an Echo Subfor better
bass, either to astandalone speaker (the
speakers supported are: Echo 1st and 2nd
Generation, Echo Dot3rd Generation, Echo
Plus 1st and 2nd Generation, Echo Show
1st and 2nd Generation)orastereo pair.
The Subworksbest with the Echo Show or
an Echo Plus stereo pair.
To add aSub, go to Devices, tapthe plus
icon and select the AddStereoPair /
Subwoofer,then followthe onscreen
instructions to add an Echo Sub. Note that a
Subonly workswhen playing music, notfor
video contentonanEcho Show.
GOWITHSONOS
If youhaveaSonos system, youcan
integrateAlexa into that. First, makesure
you’veadded the Sonos Skill so that Alexa
canfind your speakers. Now, youcan start
by saying something like, ‘Alexa,play Pink
Floydonkitchen Sonos’.You canplay,pause
and adjust the volume in asimilar way, but
youmightnoticetwo problems.
MUSICAND
COMMUNICATION
Alexa can control your music, even giving you multiroomaudioifyou wantit,
as well as acting as afree internettelephone service
