Amazon Alexa speakers are excellent for listening to music — that is, when they work as expected and don't randomly stop the music for seemingly no reason. One of the most popular features of Alexa devices is the ability to stream music from TuneIn, Apple Music, Pandora, Spotify, and others. Just link one of the above music services, say 'Alexa,' and ask the virtual helper to play any song, playlist, album, or radio station you can think of. Despite being one of the most popular and basic functions of an Alexa speaker, it's something that many people often complain about not working. For someone with an Alexa gadget that's stopping the music after a song or two, here are a few tips to keep in mind.
One of the most popular and go-to solutions for fixing any Amazon Alexa device when the music stops playing or any other problem is also the simplest – unplug the device, wait for a minute, and then plug it back in. In many cases, this hard reset is all Alexa needs to get rid of any bugs and start working as intended. Unfortunately, this doesn't always solve the problem. If someone's still having issues, there are a few other things to check.
Other Ways To Fix An Alexa Speaker Not Playing Music
One issue that could be causing the music to stop playing on the Amazon device is Wi-Fi connectivity. If several other devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network as the Alexa speaker, it might be experiencing congestion. Wi-Fi congestion can be reduced by turning off any devices that are not in use. If the Alexa device is too close to a source of interference, like a Bluetooth device or cordless phone, move it away. Simply moving the Alexa device to a higher location could also increase Wi-Fi connectivity and solve the problem. It's also worth checking to see which Wi-Fi channel the Alexa speaker is connected to. If someone's router has a 5GHz band, but the speaker is using the 2.4GHz one, switching to the 5GHz channel can deliver faster speeds — and potentially more reliable music streaming.
Alternatively, it may be an issue with the music service someone's trying to use. If Apple Music isn't working but TuneIn is, for example, try reconnecting the Alexa Skill for the music service acting up. Open the Alexa app on a smartphone, tap the 'More' button on the bottom bar, tap 'Skills & Games,' tap 'Your Skills,' tap the music app that's not working, tap 'Disable Skill,' and tap 'Disable' on the next screen to confirm the action. Once the Skill is deleted, reinstall it to your Alexa account, set it up like new, and it should be back to normal.
If these solutions don’t solve the problem, one final answer could be to factory reset the Alexa speaker. This returns the device to its factory settings and erases all user data. It's certainly not the first step recommended, but it can be helpful if nothing else is working. From the Alexa smartphone app, tap 'Devices,' tap 'Echo & Alexa,' tap the device that's having music issues, tap the gear icon at the top-right of the screen, scroll down, and tap 'Factory Reset.' One way or another, one of these tips should help get that Amazon Alexa speaker streaming music the way it should.
Fix Alexa Not Playing Music From Multiple Speakers
If the issue is with Alexa not playing music with another paired Echo device, Amazon says that a restart should fix the problem in most cases. This simply involves unplugging the speakers and plugging them back in. Users should also check if the two Echo speakers are connected properly. For this, users need to open the Alexa app, tap 'Devices,' tap '+', then tap on 'Combine Speakers,' select 'Stereo Pair or Subwoofer' and follow the instructions. It's important to note that speakers can't be paired through a line out or Bluetooth connection. A few other things to ensure is that both Echo speakers are online and have a working internet connection, and that music playback has been requested on the correct paired Echo devices.
To troubleshoot music playback issues with multi-room music, the first thing to ensure is that the group name is something that Alexa can easily understand. Amazon suggests using something straightforward, such as 'Living Room.' The goal is to use names that have at least two syllables and avoid any special characters. Users should also make sure that their Echo devices are all connected to the internet and are powered on.
Troubleshoot Wi-Fi Issues On Your Echo Speaker
In case the Wi-Fi connection is the culprit behind an Amazon Echo smart speaker not playing music, there are some other things users can try. The most obvious one is to check whether other devices connected to the Wi-Fi network have a working internet connection. If they're also having trouble, users should check if their router is working, and restart it if required. If that doesn't work, it could simply be an internet outage, in which case users should contact their ISP or wait a few hours to see if internet access is restored.
If it's only the Echo speaker that's having internet issues, users should make sure that their device is within 30 feet of their wireless router. Additionally, certain objects can interfere with Wi-Fi signals, such as microwaves, baby monitors, and other electronic devices. Check that these aren't next to the Echo speaker. In case users have updated their Wi-Fi network password, their Echo won't be able to connect to the internet. Users will need to open the Alexa app on their smartphone and change their Wi-Fi network settings to enable internet access.