The Amazon Echo might be a good deal smarter than your average Bluetooth speaker, but it’s still a speaker at heart. Now, however, it’s gaining a new feature that might help it seal the deal as the go-to device for all your music needs.
Amazon announced today that the Echo now boasts integration with Spotify, including voice control from the virtual assistant that provides the soul and smarts of the Echo, Alexa. This is currently only available in the U.S., but that makes sense as Amazon isn’t currently selling the Echo in any other countries.
“Now playing your favorite music from Spotify is as easy as asking Alexa,” Amazon Alexa director Toni Reid said in a statement. “Music is one of the most popular features on Amazon Echo, and Spotify has been one of the most requested services, so we’re excited to bring it to our customers today.”
Getting music playing is as easy as saying “Alexa, play Spotify,” but there is a small catch: you’ll need to be a Spotify Premium subscriber in order to use the service with the Echo. This was confirmed by Spotify’s global head of hardware Ian Geller in the press release announcing the new feature.
“We’re extremely pleased that Spotify Premium subscribers can now listen to their favorite music on Amazon Echo,” Geller said. “Creating innovative experiences is core to our mission. We know our users will love controlling music with their voice at home.”
If you’ve never tried Spotify Premium and are willing to give it a shot, a 30-day free trial is available. Luckily, you can still stream from Spotify to the Echo over Bluetooth if you decide you don’t want to pay up.
The Echo also now supports Spotify Connect, so if you’d prefer to carry over what you’re listening to on your phone or computer, it’s easy to do. Simply choose the Echo from the “devices available” menu in the Spotify app.
If the new Spotify integration is the sign you’ve been waiting for to pick one up, the Echo sells for $180 and can be found at retailers throughout the U.S.
