Amazon Echo Club

[Blossom]

Does anyone have Alexa play samples for songs you already own? I'm tired of this happening. I have to go in the app and get it to play that way.

Sent from my XT1528

[Blossom]

Me: Alexa, Play Dolly Parton Home For Christmas

Alexa: I can't find Dolly Parton Home For Christmas but it's available on Amazon Unlimited Music would you like more info?

Me: No!

Really guys what am I am doing wrong? How do I get her to play an album I've uploaded years ago? What has changed?



Sent from my XT1528

[booklover6]

Try

Alexa, Play Dolly Parton Home For Christmas in my music

or, in my library

[ApK]

Originally Posted by Blossom

Me: Alexa, Play Dolly Parton Home For Christmas

Alexa: I can't find Dolly Parton Home For Christmas but it's available on Amazon Unlimited Music would you like more info?

Me: No!

Really guys what am I am doing wrong? How do I get her to play an album I've uploaded years ago? What has changed?


Sent from my XT1528

You don't, by any chance, have multiple profiles configured, do you? Like, Alexa is in your husbands profile, but the music is in your account, or something. I run into that all the time.

Originally Posted by Catlady

Sorry about your cold.

I think Alexa should be able to tell me without my asking that specific day. As a test, I tried telling Alexa in the morning to remind me to pill my cat at a certain time that evening, and the response I got was that it was added to my to-do list (or maybe it was my calendar; I don't remember). When the appointed time rolled around, Alexa did nothing. Bah.

On another front, I've been having some trouble lately with Alexa hearing me. In a silent room, with me maybe ten feet away, directly across from the Dot, it doesn't wake up when I say "Alexa" in a normal speaking voice. I've had to repeat several times. This is becoming annoying; it's even worse if I'm listening to music at a moderate volume.

I don't have a Google Calendar or anything else other than the GMail account, and I only have that because Android requires it. So whenever I got my first Android device I had to set up GMail. I have iOS and Mac OS devices, so no need, nor desire, for Google's junk. So I cannot set reminders or Calendar entries. What crap. Alexis should work with both of the major platforms. It is not like it was designed by the folks at Google.

As far as Alexa and her hearing, well I'm old and getting deaf, but I think I hear better than she does. I set all my Alexa devices to answer to "Echo" in order to avoid accidental activation during TV/radio commercials. But she is still awakened a lot by words that are not even close to "Echo". My voice rarely thows her off, but if the TV or a radio is on she constantly gets awakened and sometimes even mutters something. I think she was doing much better until a recent update. As far as getting her to awaken, I sometimes have to raise my voice at her. Very frustrating. Awakens when not addressed, ignores me when I do ask her something. Just like family!

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by Blossom

Me: Alexa, Play Dolly Parton Home For Christmas

Alexa: I can't find Dolly Parton Home For Christmas but it's available on Amazon Unlimited Music would you like more info?

Me: No!

Really guys what am I am doing wrong? How do I get her to play an album I've uploaded years ago? What has changed?

I had a problem like this last night; I had been looking through my music in the Alexa app on the tablet, found the album I wanted, and asked Dot to play it; the Dot repeated the full name of the album (including the subtitle, so there was no confusion) but said it couldn't find it.

I tried the same thing this morning with the same album and the Dot played it with no trouble. Temperamental little beastie.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by jswinden

I don't have a Google Calendar or anything else other than the GMail account, and I only have that because Android requires it.

FYI, Android does not require a Gmail account. You can easily set up a Google account without Gmail.

(I think you just use an existing email address, but instructions are ready available online if anyone cares. Just...um...Google it, or try this: https://accounts.google.com/SignUpWithoutGmail)

It's actually possible, or so I read, to use Android with out a Google account of any kind, but it does not seem practical for any but the tin-foil-hattiest of folks.

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by jswinden

I don't have a Google Calendar or anything else other than the GMail account, and I only have that because Android requires it. So whenever I got my first Android device I had to set up GMail. I have iOS and Mac OS devices, so no need, nor desire, for Google's junk. So I cannot set reminders or Calendar entries. What crap. Alexis should work with both of the major platforms. It is not like it was designed by the folks at Google.

I didn't set up anything and I think the reminder probably existed if I'd asked for what was on my to-do list, but I'm simply not in the habit of checking a calendar daily--I don't have a complicated life and keep most stuff in my head.

As far as Alexa and her hearing, well I'm old and getting deaf, but I think I hear better than she does. I set all my Alexa devices to answer to "Echo" in order to avoid accidental activation during TV/radio commercials. But she is still awakened a lot by words that are not even close to "Echo". My voice rarely thows her off, but if the TV or a radio is on she constantly gets awakened and sometimes even mutters something. I think she was doing much better until a recent update. As far as getting her to awaken, I sometimes have to raise my voice at her. Very frustrating. Awakens when not addressed, ignores me when I do ask her something. Just like family!

I have mine right next to the TV, but it doesn't seem to be alerted, even when there are Amazon ads. A couple of times the Dot has told me it didn't understand what I said, in response to absolutely nothing. The failure to hear is recent--just the last couple of days; it had been more sensitive when I first got it a few weeks ago.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by booklover6

Try

Alexa, Play Dolly Parton Home For Christmas in my music

or, in my library

No go. She can't find it.


Update: I got it!

Alexa, Play the album Home for Christmas by Dolly Parton




Sent from my Nexus 7

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by ApK

You don't, by any chance, have multiple profiles configured, do you? Like, Alexa is in your husbands profile, but the music is in your account, or something. I run into that all the time.

Nope. It's just my account.

Sent from my Nexus 7

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by ApK

FYI, Android does not require a Gmail account. You can easily set up a Google account without Gmail.

(I think you just use an existing email address, but instructions are ready available online if anyone cares. Just...um...Google it, or try this: https://accounts.google.com/SignUpWithoutGmail)

It's actually possible, or so I read, to use Android with out a Google account of any kind, but it does not seem practical for any but the tin-foil-hattiest of folks.

My stepdad has his Google linked to his email for simplicity's sake. He has AOL for email.

I just got an Amazon email with new stuff. One of them is for listening to rain sounds. To do so it says:

“Alexa, enable Rain Sounds skill.” Then just ask:

The email lists a bogus command, but the skill Rain Sounds says it can be activated by saying:

• "Alexa, open rain sounds."
• "Alexa, tell rain sounds to play."
• "Alexa, ask rain sounds for rain sounds."

I tried the first one and it works well. There doesn't seem to be anyway to set how long the rain sounds will play, and no way to select from different rain sounds. But it works and it is good for white noise. I've had it playing for a few minutes now. No clue how long it will keep playing though.

Originally Posted by ApK

FYI, Android does not require a Gmail account. You can easily set up a Google account without Gmail.

(I think you just use an existing email address, but instructions are ready available online if anyone cares. Just...um...Google it, or try this: https://accounts.google.com/SignUpWithoutGmail)

It's actually possible, or so I read, to use Android with out a Google account of any kind, but it does not seem practical for any but the tin-foil-hattiest of folks.

Several years ago it did require one, as I recall. I set one up way back when I got my first Android device. They might not require one now.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by jswinden

Several years ago it did require one, as I recall. I set one up way back when I got my first Android device.

At first there were only gmail accounts. They expanded to "Google accounts" quite a bit later, so you're likely right. I'm a late adopter of Android.

[tubemonkey]

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