Amazon Echo devices can do a lot of things to make your life easier, but at the end of the day, it’s their ability to stream and play music that really draws people in. Unfortunately, while the device features playback support for popular music services like Spotify, Apple Music, and of course Amazon’s own subscription service, users looking for music from Google or YouTube will be disappointed.
Fortunately, you’re not limited to using services that support Alexa and your Echo, so if you’re looking to play YouTube Music on your Echo, here’s how to do it.
Connecting to YouTube Music from your phone via Bluetooth
It may be annoying, but the only way to play music through YouTube Music on your Echo is by connecting via Bluetooth. If you are using an Android device or an iPhone, the steps are similar.
- On your device, open the Settings menu and select Bluetooth from the list of options.
- Select Pair new device, or find the pairing menu if it is already active. If you don’t see your Echo automatically, say Alexa pairing device to start searching for devices.
- Select your Echo device from the list of devices. I should say Eco-XXXwith the X’s replaced by numbers or letters to identify the device.
- Once connected, your Echo will announce that it has successfully connected to a device.
- Now, to play YouTube Music, simply open the app on your phone and select a song or mix you want to play.
While you can’t request specific songs using your voice, you can use basic commands like pause, play, next, and previous to control your playback without having to use your device.
To disconnect from your device, simply say Alexa, disconnect. Once you’ve paired your device for the first time, you can automatically reconnect to your phone by saying, “Alexa, connect to my phone.”
Having trouble connecting?
If for some reason you are having difficulty pairing the two devices, there is another method.
- From the Alexa app on your phone, tap Devices at the bottom.
- Tap Echo and Alexa, then tap your Echo device.
- Next, tap Bluetooth Devices so we can search for Bluetooth-enabled devices and pair them directly to your Echo.
With this method, we connect a specific Echo device to our phone. If you have multiple Echo devices and want to set up all of them, you’ll need to do the same process for each device.
Connecting to YouTube Music from your computer
You can also connect to your Echo using your Windows or Mac computer. However, you must make sure that both devices are Bluetooth enabled.
- Go to the Settings menu in Windows or preferences menu on Mac.
- Look for the Bluetooth option.
- Make sure it is set to In.
- Grab your phone and give Alexa the following command. Connect to a new Bluetooth device
- Accept the Echo connection on your device when prompted.
Once you’re connected, simply load the YouTube Music web player and start listening to your favorite songs.
Just like with a phone, you can use basic commands like pause, play, next, and previous to control playback while you’re away from your computer.
How to stream from other sources
So after explaining how to stream music from YouTube on your Alexa device, you may be wondering what other services you can stream. If you have Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora, or even iHeartRadio, you can link your choice to your Echo device.
Using one of these built-in services means you can say commands like “Alexa, play my party playlist” and she’ll respond with your songs. If you want free music, both Spotify and Pandora give you the option. But, if you have Amazon Prime you can enjoy everything that Prime Music offers.
To set this up, all you need to do is tap the Plus icon in the bottom left corner of the Alexa app and tap Settings.
Now you can touch Music and podcasts under the Alexa preferences qualification. Click on New Service Linkand follow the directions.
Unlike YouTube, these services are a bit more compatible with your Echo and provide more feature-rich functionality.
Frequent questions
We have more answers to your questions about YouTube and Alexa here.
How can I play YouTube when my screen is locked?
This can be complicated depending on your operating system. You can go to your phone settings and activate Screen timeout disabled, or you can download a third-party app that supports YouTube music.
You can also use the Chrome or Mozilla browser app on your phone to use the YouTube desktop site, which will play YouTube music while the screen is locked.
Can I listen to music from YouTube on Echo Show?
Yes, but if you have a previous version it will be necessary to update it. Using Silk or Mozilla browser, visit the YouTube website and play your content. The Echo Show doesn’t have a designated YouTube app, but you can use a web browser.
Open the web browser of your choice and go to the YouTube website. Then, you can stream the content you’re interested in.
Final thoughts
Although the process may seem long, it’s worth it if you don’t want to switch from YouTube Music to something else. The streaming quality is good and you’ll be able to use basic Alexa playback controls. That said, if you want full control over your music, you might want to consider switching to a service that’s fully compatible with Amazon and Echo, like Apple Music or Spotify.
If you’re an Amazon Prime subscriber, you may even be able to stream over two million songs for free through Amazon Prime Music without paying an additional fee. But for YouTube Music, the best way to listen is over Bluetooth from a single device.
