Alexa now lets you play music with smart home Routines

[Jerome]

At last !
https://www.theverge.com/2018/4/4/17196772/alexa-music-routines-good-morning

[Drwoodr]

I've been waiting for this, so I created a couple routines and I'm having an issue. I have a harmony hub setup with a dot (named Living Room) connected to my stereo system, which is connected to speakers in 3 rooms. I also have an echo in my kitchen. I created a routine to turn on the stereo, then "play xyz playlist in shuffle mode on spotify", and I specify from Living Room in the routine. If I say the routine to the dot, it works. If I say it to my kitchen echo, it turns on the stereo (so I know the routine is running), but it won't play music. I also tried this with an iHeartRadio station, and the same thing happens. Any idea what I am missing? I assume the "from" option in the routine is the device where you want the routine to run from, not where you are talking to it.

[Drwoodr]

After some trial and error, I’m answering my own question: even though you specify the device in the “from” option in the routine, if I add “on Living Room” to the command, it works. “Play xyz playlist in shuffle mode on Living Room on Spotify.” I’ve also found that Alexa doesn’t like any routine name that remotely sounds like a music request. She will often try playing something from Amazon Music. So it’s a challenge making a routine name for music that doesn’t sound like a music request.