Can I get Alexa to play my own music?

[Alpha Bitch]

Make sure your DOT & speaker are "paired" w/your computer.  Then go to your Alexa.app>Settings>Devices>your device>Blutooth>Blutooth Devices. If your BT speakers and comp are not showing, you need to pair through the app.

I have a Mac.  All of my personal music are in iTunes.  This how I listen to music on my DOT.

[mike27oct]

I remember this distinction. too, but cannot remember if it became a RX as well this past year when Amazon made the Echo a RX.  I've never sent BT music to a Dot, (to an Echo, yes) so I cannot test this, but the Help page for devices at Amazon may mention it.

[mike27oct]

OK, I had to try this and it works.  The Dot is also a BT receiver.  I played music on my iPad, but I also had to pair the Dot to iPad and music from iPad then played on the Dot.

Pairing must be done between PC's BT and Dot and it should all work as it did for me.

[malliekm]

Thanks AB.  My Jambox and Monica PC are both showing under BT devices in the app but still not working.  It's no big deal.  My computer's speakers are awesome,  GH speakers are more than enough for my needs, I have a BT speaker (Jawbone Jambox) and really the only time I listen to music is when I think of a song or artist from my past.  Can  you say Engelbert Humperdinck? 

[malliekm]

Didn't work here Mike.  So far the common denominator for this to work is an Apple device. 
My kitchen Dot says it's connected to my PC and shows to be in the Alexa app.  Certainly not a
big deal tho.  I'll find something else to fret over

[asianrocker]

Key phrase in first posting, 'Or is the only way via a subscription service like Amazon Prime?' NO it's not the only way, there's a much cheaper, more reliable and easier way.

Holy crap dude!! Your program is awesome!! Do you have tutorial on everything we can do? OR complete list of commands? Can I use this to control my tv? I have smart tv with web browser. Oh I have my PC connected to my smart tv actually. Yeah my smart TV is a genius. LOL.

I have seen your thread before but skeptical. I used the browser help instead. I am disabling that skill now. Yours is way better. Thanks for this. Out of curiosity what did you use to make this? I mean programming language?

[mike27oct]

It WILL work with a PC as well as an iPad.  It will work with anything that is a BT transmitter like a PC can be.

OK, as it turned out I had connected to a few of my Dots via BT in the past -- except the one I tried a while ago, so first I had to pair them. Next time I want to reconnect I have to have the BT transmitter on (either PC or iPad), and tell the Dot to "connect bluetooth"  Dot says its searching and then says it is connected to my iPad or PC.  Now, play music.  When finished tell Dot to "disconnect bluetooth" and it will tell me it disconnected from the device.  I also turn off BT on my iPad or PC.
 Easy.

[malliekm]

I am operating my PC music via the Alexa app (pic below) with BT connected only it's playing on the computer LOL  I'm changing songs, playing, pausing. 

[malliekm]

Key phrase in first posting, 'Or is the only way via a subscription service like Amazon Prime?' NO it's not the only way, there's a much cheaper, more reliable and easier way.

Holy crap dude!! Your program is awesome!! Do you have tutorial on everything we can do? OR complete list of commands? Can I use this to control my tv? I have smart tv with web browser. Oh I have my PC connected to my smart tv actually. Yeah my smart TV is a genius. LOL.

I have seen your thread before but skeptical. I used the browser help instead. I am disabling that skill now. Yours is way better. Thanks for this. Out of curiosity what did you use to make this? I mean programming language?

I actually downloaded the app and started to create an account and chickened out.  Uninstalled it.

[mike27oct]

I am operating my PC music via the Alexa app (pic below) with BT connected only it's playing on the computer LOL  I'm changing songs, playing, pausing. 
115815_zpsttyb8exg.png.html][/URL]

I guess this means you got it to wor with my instructions.

[malliekm]

uh, no.  Did you read the text above the picture?  It's been connected since yesterday.  I'm just not getting any sound out of the Dot.  I can control the music on my PC via the Alexa app but it's playing from the computer not the Dot.

[malliekm]

I've created a monster!  Echo won't stop connecting to my computer even after I disconnect it.  I turned off the BT radio on my computer.  That didn't stop it.  I finally "forgot" the connection on the Alexa App.  My computer asked me if I wanted to let it connect
Things seem quiet for now but I'm going to turn on BT radio again.  I usually keep it on because I use it for transferring images from my phone to computer or vice versa.  As soon as I turned it on, it asked if I wanted to connect to Echo.  I'm deleting the Echo connection from the BT software.  Maybe everything will return to normal now!

[mike27oct]

Yep. I have had issues with PC BT, it is one of the reasons I don't use this BT,  Tablets and phone work better.

[HolySmoke]

The Amazon Music Storage subscription plans (free and paid) are being retired. Beginning January 15, 2018, no new subscriptions will be accepted.

  ~HolySmoke

[kenf]

Like the OP, I have a zillion of my own MP3/iTunes stuff on my PC  (well, NAS for me).

To me, Alexa is just a voice command system, it'll take a few more pieces.

Like most folks say, hook your Dot to a "real" speaker so it sounds better.  Bluetooth or a cable to your old stereo would work.  Unagumented Dots are good for rooms where you just want voice commands.  Echo is for rooms where you want it to sound good (mileage may vary).  Problem is Dots are cheap, so they're more likely given as presents to parents (such as yourself).  Plus side is, they make good starters, and you can move them to secondary rooms as you expand your Alexa Empire.

Next getting Alexa access to those files.

I hear Amazon is phasing out their Drive system, so uploading MP3 to Amazon is both limited and might not stick around.

So, I got Plex.  It's free (the free version is all you need for this).  Install it on your PC with all the music.  Let it find everything.

Now install the Plex skill on your Alexa and link it to your Plex account.

Then say "Alexa, ask Plex to play XYZ" where XYZ is something you own in your collection.

It is mostly that easy.  Getting your files to Amazon would give you a more direct command "Alexa, play Fulsome City Blues" but if you've got a huge collection like I do (got a huge stack of CDs in my closet), it doesn't scale well.