I've been scouring the net/youtube for this...

[Shaggy]

So I installed multiple ceiling speakers in my home a few months back.  I was looking on trying to find a smart/Alexa setup that will allow me to play different music from my ceiling speakers in each room/zone(at the same time possibly, and different music in each zone/room). The zones would be, kitchen, garage, patio, basement. 

I want it all to be connected to Alexa and to the app.  The only way I see doing it is to buy a multi-zone 4/6 channel  amplifier, connect all my speaker wires to each zone on the muti-zone amp, and then connect one dot on each zone via an Aux to RCA jack.  So I would basically have to have 4 different dots connected to the amp.  I would then add each dot to a group(by itself or name the dot) and name each dots' group Kitchen, Garage, Patio, and Basement.  Then when I called on each dot, it would play the songs I want within that specific zone/room from the ceiling speakers.

I really haven't found away that will allow me to play different music in different zones besides buying 4 different Sonos Connect Amps($499 each!!).  I really don't want to spend over $2000 for this when I think I can do the same thing with buying 4 Dots and a Muti-Zone Amp.

My dream is to say "Alexa, play Imagine Dragons in Garage" from my Alexa Echo that is in my kitchen.  That would then play the music from my dot that is in my media room that is connected to my garage zone on the multi-zone amp and play Imagine Dragons from the garage ceiling speakers.  Then if I were still listening to music in the garage, my wife would be able to say "Alexa, play Chicago in Kitchen", and it would play there while my music is still playing in the garage.

Am I going overboard with this idea of having 4 or more dots connected to one multi-zone amp?  To me, this sounds like it would work exactly how I want it, but wanted to know if this was my only option for what I want or if there was something out there that was simpler.

[scottrods]

Currently, I believe your idea will work as long as each dot has it's own account. However, I don't know how you would "multi-room" the dots while they're on separate accounts... Maybe one day this will all be normal, but for now I do believe you're asking a bit much of the one AI.

Mutliple "Sources" on one group is not currently possible. Multi *room* on one source is, and multi source, using their own, speakers, is possible (all at once, only with separate accounts) as I see it for now.

It amazes me how the music functionality seems to be the most asked about features within all the AI systems already... They do so much more without conflict, but music and listener conflict seems to dominate the AI discussion boards of all AI products. No one has had these features unless they're gazzillionaires... yet all the people who buy these Sorry excuses for audio output, want to play their preference when they want it, where they want it and their wife or children want to play their own music as well in even a different place from a different source than the other people wanted to listen from, or all want to use the same source but a different playlist and a different artist... Incredibly complex stuff for the level of AI we currently have available on this Star Fleet Vessel. They're getting there with the AI, but it's not going to happen overnight. And as far as I'm concerned, a lot of folks who can afford this stuff are old enough to remember rotary dial phones stuck to a central wall or desk in their homes as kids (Some even older... when TV was a 18" screen in a 3 foot cube of electronics or a central home radio was the only electronic form of information and entertainment). This AI stuff is AMAZING, yet everyone seems to want more NOW.

OK... end of silly rant, but maybe it will make sense to some of you. I'm just ecstatic that I can turn on/off Lamps and lights at a whim, with my voice. Turning on the TV is a crazy but cool ability that is Super Sci-fi to us old geezers. not to mention changing channels and adjusting volume by voice... we didn't have TV's with multiple sources like available to day... you had 2 antenna choices on the high tech stuff - - cable and 2 wire antenna. Now I use neither. I'm cordless/wireless to the Entertainment center, where all of it is fed by internet sources in my house over WIFI, controlled by IR and Bluetooth which is controlled by yet another layer of controls with the Echo. Of course we have multiple gaming systems too. How cool is this stuff!

[mike27oct]

To OP:

Personally I would not spend $2000+ on this idea just to make some crummy-sounding Dots do these tricks. I would spend the money for new quality equipment to upgrade my stereo system if I did anything at all. 
All the family members can have a Dot in the room of their choice and play one of the internet radios stations of their choice.  There are millions of stations in the world on these channels.

[Shaggy]

Currently, I believe your idea will work as long as each dot has it's own account. However, I don't know how you would "multi-room" the dots while they're on separate accounts... Maybe one day this will all be normal, but for now I do believe you're asking a bit much of the one AI.

Mutliple "Sources" on one group is not currently possible. Multi *room* on one source is, and multi source, using their own, speakers, is possible (all at once, only with separate accounts) as I see it for now.

It amazes me how the music functionality seems to be the most asked about features within all the AI systems already... They do so much more without conflict, but music and listener conflict seems to dominate the AI discussion boards of all AI products. No one has had these features unless they're gazzillionaires... yet all the people who buy these Sorry excuses for audio output, want to play their preference when they want it, where they want it and their wife or children want to play their own music as well in even a different place from a different source than the other people wanted to listen from, or all want to use the same source but a different playlist and a different artist... Incredibly complex stuff for the level of AI we currently have available on this Star Fleet Vessel. They're getting there with the AI, but it's not going to happen overnight. And as far as I'm concerned, a lot of folks who can afford this stuff are old enough to remember rotary dial phones stuck to a central wall or desk in their homes as kids (Some even older... when TV was a 18" screen in a 3 foot cube of electronics or a central home radio was the only electronic form of information and entertainment). This AI stuff is AMAZING, yet everyone seems to want more NOW.

OK... end of silly rant, but maybe it will make sense to some of you. I'm just ecstatic that I can turn on/off Lamps and lights at a whim, with my voice. Turning on the TV is a crazy but cool ability that is Super Sci-fi to us old geezers. not to mention changing channels and adjusting volume by voice... we didn't have TV's with multiple sources like available to day... you had 2 antenna choices on the high tech stuff - - cable and 2 wire antenna. Now I use neither. I'm cordless/wireless to the Entertainment center, where all of it is fed by internet sources in my house over WIFI, controlled by IR and Bluetooth which is controlled by yet another layer of controls with the Echo. Of course we have multiple gaming systems too. How cool is this stuff!

Thanks for the info, but why would they need to be on separate accounts?  They will work fine being on my one account as I know I would be able to run one dot on one channel and another on another channel and so on. I was just wanted to see if anyone knew of a different setup.  I love what Amazon has done the last few years with the Echos and I feel my idea here is not pushing or complaining about anything.  I just know what I am able to do now, and the idea I have sounds like it will work with what the Dots/Echos can do now.

To OP:

Personally I would not spend $2000+ on this idea just to make some crummy-sounding Dots do these tricks. I would spend the money for new quality equipment to upgrade my stereo system if I did anything at all. 
All the family members can have a Dot in the room of their choice and play one of the internet radios stations of their choice.  There are millions of stations in the world on these channels.

My idea won't cost $2000+.  The 4 or 5 Sonos connect amp($499 each and only would control one channel, 2 speakers) would, so that is something I don't want to do.  With 4 or 5 dots hooked up to the Mutli-Zone amp, the total would be around $600 - $700 and with Alexa app and perfectly working voice commands.