Stream an MP3 from shoutcast to Amazon Echo?

[picsoung]

Hey y'all!

I am a new Echo parent

One thing I miss is Spotify integration. One way I was thinking of bypassing this would have been to use SSML (https://developer.amazon.com/public/solutions/alexa/alexa-skills-kit/docs/speech-synthesis-markup-language-ssml-reference#audio)

SSML can play mp3. with the <audio> tag
I was thinking of streaming my mac audio locally somewhere, and get the Echo to play it using SSML.

Have you tried that?
Do you think it could work?

Thanks

[eborg9]

Playing from other sources isn't a problem when you bluetooth connect another device to the Echo like your phone or Fire tablet. There are apps for every music service.

However if you want voice control that's another issue.

[picsoung]

Thanks for your answer eborg9.

I think I am looking for a way of doing this using the API.
Send a mp3 stream (from any source) to the Echo not using bluetooth pairing.

Thanks

[mike27oct]

Streaming via Bluetooth seems to be a preferred method by many here, (search posts for Bluetooth for more info).  Any other way is at best, a hassle.

[steved28]

This is exactly what I would like to do also. Not jsut for my music stream, but I also have a police/fire scanner feed that I deploy from a RasPi and icecast. Everyone keeps pointing to a Bluetooth solution, but this is not the same. I would like to say 'Alexa, enable my scanner feed" for instance, and connect to my IP and port which has an active feed.

[StevenR]

This is exactly what I would like to do also. Not jsut for my music stream, but I also have a police/fire scanner feed that I deploy from a RasPi and icecast. Everyone keeps pointing to a Bluetooth solution, but this is not the same. I would like to say 'Alexa, enable my scanner feed" for instance, and connect to my IP and port which has an active feed.

Since you have this on a Raspberry Pi anyway, a way of doing this would be to combine the Bluetooth solution (use the Echo as a Bluetooth speaker for the Raspberry Pi) with the Fauxmo script (https://github.com/makermusings/fauxmo) which emulates the WeMo protocol in Python. You could then have a virtual WeMo switch called "scanner feed" which runs code to play the stream.
Saying "Alexa, turn on scanner feed" would then cause the stream to start playing over Bluetooth to the Echo.

[steved28]

The thing is, this stream, as well as a music stream from the same RasPi server, is active 24x7. And my echo is already connected to a bluetooth speaker (as a client to the echo). I'm not sure the echo can perform both as a receiver and transmitter at the same time (with bluetooth). But regardless, I am pretty sure this can be done by writing a skill for it, I'm just not there yet.
I know this seems a bit lazy anyway, but the radio and the Pi are located in my garage, and I can get to either stream easily from my pc or phone, but it would be nice just to tell Alexa to start broadcasting the scanner or music stream and have it active in whatever room (I have 3 dots) I am in.

[coyote]

Streaming music via Bluetooth to an Echo device of any sort is a waste; the sound of these things just isn't good enough to justify it. Same goes for the GoogleHome device, btw.

The great thing about the Dot is that it can stream out to devices that have great sound.

[steved28]

A police/fire scanner feed does not need to have quality sound. That is what I am attempting to feed via an Icecast stream.

[skullboy]

This is a great topic, i love it, thanks for this easy support.

[asianrocker]

Streaming music via Bluetooth to an Echo device of any sort is a waste; the sound of these things just isn't good enough to justify it. Same goes for the GoogleHome device, btw.

Funny you say that. I know the echo tower speaker has the 'best' speakers of the 3. I agree not as good as those expensive speakers. I did just test the BT audio pairing though from my cheap tablet, audio was horrible. From my cheap smart phone, better audio than the tablet. From my HP laptop - the best audio from the 3. I therefore conclude, that the echo speaker  BT audio quality DEPENDS on audio quality on your connected device.