Is there no way to get Alexa to access my local music files on my phone?

[Sithlyone]

Hello, I'm sure this question is around here somewhere but I can't find a search option on this site, so I'm sorry for the extra topic.

I am trying to get my Echo Dot to read my music file on my phone (Android). I have connected it via bluetooth and it only wants to stream from my account in my iheartradio app. Or it wants to charge me to stream from amazon music or amazon prime. Or it wants me to access another streaming app that I don't have.

I don't want to do any of those options. I want to just play the music that is on my phone when I am home. I have seen options where I can use the Sonos app but that is only if you have a sonos speaker... I do not. Also I've noted that amazon will allow you to upload 250 songs for free and play those. I would do this but it requires me to use a credit card and I not doing that either. Plus 250 songs is really nothing when you think of it. Obviously they want you to get used to it and then want to expand and purchase more space from them.

I'm not against Amazon making money off of their item, but I only want to have the echo dot access and play my local music files. I did not purchase this item, it was a gift from a friend so I didn't have the ability to verify if these features work or not.

I really want to use this device but if I have to pay for some kind of subscription then it will be just a fancy paper weight in my house.

I have looked for and tried several work around's and the only viable option I've come across is buying a bluetooth dongle for my PC and having Alexa connect to my PC media library. If that is the only way I can get it to work then I will work with it, but I would like to just access my phone's music files, that would be easier since it already has bluetooth.

Am I just overlooking something here is there really no way for Alexa to access my phones music files?

[renegade600]

you should not have to use a credit card to upload to the free service.  are you already signed into amazon when you access it?

[Sithlyone]

Ok, so I can now get the app to see my local music and I even created a playlist inside the app on my phone but I can't get Alexa to play the playlist.

Any thoughts? I'm sure I"m just missing something really easy here.

[fstbusa]

you can play all your music on your phone thru the echo when connected via Bluetooth.... What you CAN'T do is use your voice to request certain songs... all playing and interfacing must be done on your phone and you can use the echo as a Bluetooth speaker.

[Sithlyone]

you can play all your music on your phone thru the echo when connected via Bluetooth.... What you CAN'T do is use your voice to request certain songs... all playing and interfacing must be done on your phone and you can use the echo as a Bluetooth speaker.

Ok, well that really is the whole point isn't it? I have other bluetooth speakers that work much better, however the voice control is what the Echo brings to the table. Without that I guess it really does become a fancy paperweight...

Thank you for the help.

[mike27oct]

Bottom line is OP is asking too much for a $30 Dot to do other than what has been mentioned such as uploading songs to Amazon or using bluetooth.

I have over 13,000 tracks of my digital music, and if I want to, I can play any or all of it via the Dot
 and BT without giving Amazon another dime.  It takes some extra equipment and apps, to do so, but I don't play any music on a Dot anyway; they really don't sound that good for music, although an Echo is better, and a Google Home is even better so I play my music to them.

[Jeff29]

Bottom line is OP is asking too much for a $30 Dot to do other than what has been mentioned such as uploading songs to Amazon or using bluetooth.

Just as a point of information that everyone should understand with regards to the Amazon implementation:  It's an "inexpensive" (relatively speaking depending upon which device) implementation of hardware connected to a multi-million-dollar back-end.  The cost of the hardware is completely spurious given a discussion of software-driven capability.  The primary reason this does not work is Amazon is revenue-driven and the generation mechanism related to this request is Amazon Music Unlimited in conjunction with voice command control.

[mike27oct]

Correct, the "prime" ary purpose for a the low cost Amazon Alexa gadgets is to make as easy as possible to buy and spend money at Amazon, be it for music, gadgets or groceries and why the Alexa gadgets are price low.

[Sithlyone]

Bottom line is OP is asking too much for a $30 Dot to do other than what has been mentioned such as uploading songs to Amazon or using bluetooth.

I have over 13,000 tracks of my digital music, and if I want to, I can play any or all of it via the Dot
 and BT without giving Amazon another dime.  It takes some extra equipment and apps, to do so, but I don't play any music on a Dot anyway; they really don't sound that good for music, although an Echo is better, and a Google Home is even better so I play my music to them.

Do you have your echo dot connected to your computer via bluetooth? Is that how you are able to have alexa play your library of music?

To be clear, I do not want the echo to play the music. I want to be able to use voice control to select my music from my phone and then play it through a bluetooth speaker. From what I've experienced with this device the last couple of days, it doesn't seem to me that this process is "to much" for it.

[asianrocker]

If you want to voice play your music on your phone just use GA.
If you want to voice play your music on your PC just use Cortana.

Does that answer your question?

LOL.

[mike27oct]

I don't believe the above can be done.  Voice is not a option with any of these unless it comes from the music sours of Alexa or Google.

[asianrocker]

I can speak for the awesome Cortana. Just tried now on my laptop. Yes, you can voice play specific song.

I also said - Hey Cortana shuffle all music and it shuffled play all my music on Groove - the windows music player.

Forget alexa, Cortana is the way for PC music. And yes this is for local music.

[asianrocker]

I don't believe the above can be done.  Voice is not a option with any of these unless it comes from the music sours of Alexa or Google.

Have you even tried it? Didn't you even have NAS or whatever it is? Coz you are VERY wrong. Just tried it now on my laptop. Cortana CAN voice play music on your PC. Try it on your NAS why don't you?

Lots of people lose hope on Windows so they don't even explore Cortana. Alexa is not the be all and end all of AI.

I use all AIs I have, GA, Alexa and I will say again and again, Cortana is my fave especially I am discovering more and more what it can do.

[mike27oct]

So, do you then send music asked for and playing on PC to a bluetooth device

Playing certain tracks is not my preferred way, anyway.  I have so much digital music that playing random tracks is my favorite  way so I eventually hear a variety; like a radio station playing my own music..This is all automated via an app.

[asianrocker]

Huh. Once a BT speaker like echo is connected to PC, of course it will play on BT speaker. Or whatever speaker you have on your PC. Pretty sure you can do it on your NAS, too.

LOL I feel sorry for that mymedia software dev. Or maybe not, since most people don't care about Cortana, their loss, like literally, they pay something that Cortana can do for them for free.