Amazon Echo

tubemonkey · 01-02-2015, 04:48 PM

Amazon Echo --> updated 21 Jun 2017

This thread is for discussions about the Echo's use as an audiobook player. There's a thread in the Lounge for discussions related to its use for everything but audiobooks --> Amazon Echo Club

Quote:

Amazon Echo (shortened and referred to as Echo) is a smart speaker developed by Amazon.com. The device consists of a 9.25 inch (23.5 cm) tall cylinder speaker with a seven-piece microphone array. The device connects to the voice-controlled intelligent personal assistant service Alexa, which responds to the name "Alexa". This "wake word" can be changed by the user to "Amazon", "Echo" or "Computer". The device is capable of voice interaction, music playback, making to-do lists, setting alarms, streaming podcasts, playing audiobooks, and providing weather, traffic and other real time information. It can also control several smart devices using itself as a home automation hub.

Quote:

Alexa is an intelligent personal assistant developed by Amazon Lab126, made popular by the Amazon Echo. It is capable of voice interaction, music playback, making to-do lists, setting alarms, streaming podcasts, playing audiobooks, and providing weather, traffic, and other real time information. Alexa can also control several smart devices using itself as a home automation hub. Most devices with Alexa allow users to activate the device using a wake-word (such as Echo); other devices require you to push a button to activate Alexa's listening mode. Currently, interaction and communication with Alexa is only available in English and German.

$230 -- Echo Show
$200 -- Echo Look
$180 -- Amz Echo
$130 -- Amz Tap
$50 ---- Echo Dot
$30 ---- Remote

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tubemonkey · 01-02-2015, 04:48 PM

How to Listen to Audiobooks on Alexa Devices

Audiobook Sources

Spoiler:

Help Topics

Spoiler:

Listen to Your Audiobooks

Spoiler:

Read Kindle Books with Alexa

Spoiler:

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Janet54 · 01-07-2015, 09:48 AM

Thanks for starting this thread.

Right now I am streaming audio through blue tooth from my audible account. I have hundreds of books in there. I am hoping they incorporate audible.com with the whyspersync into it since they own it as well. I do love my echo!!

Tarana · 01-15-2015, 11:32 AM

I've had my Echo for a couple of days and have listened to about 8 hours of Dune on it and am very, very happy with it. My nano connects via Bluetooth far easier with the Echo than most of my bluetooth speakers. Changing between devices is also very smooth. The speaker quality is consistent with my other $100 Bluetooth speaker. It's not tinny at all and has some base (not enough if you want your bones thumping. It's not a boom box). I'm not an audiophile, so this is great!

I do prefer having my Nano controls next to me and that might be why Audible may/may not be included in future renderings. With music, you can't have it reverse the song or go forward in a song a few seconds. So, you really need to have the control of your Mp3 player right next to you. You can tell the Echo to change volume across a room which is handy. But, you can't tell the audiobook to pause, which would be nice. Perhaps they will change the app to work with Audible material although that could be challenging.

Tarana · 01-15-2015, 11:34 AM

Quote:

I am hoping they incorporate audible.com with the whyspersync

Janet, you can already do this if you have the HDX or other Fire with bluetooth. However, ultimate control of the audiobook still remains with your HDX (or other bluetooth device).

Janet54 · 01-16-2015, 11:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tarana

Janet, you can already do this if you have the HDX or other Fire with bluetooth. However, ultimate control of the audiobook still remains with your HDX (or other bluetooth device).

Thanks,
I should of been more clear. I would like to tell Alexa to play a book from audible.com and it would pick up where ever I would of left off on my Kindle.

tubemonkey · 01-16-2015, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Janet54

Thanks for starting this thread.

Right now I am streaming audio through blue tooth from my audible account. I have hundreds of books in there. I am hoping they incorporate audible.com with the whyspersync into it since they own it as well. I do love my echo!!

YW

Yeah, I'm hoping Audible gets added too. I'd also like to see OverDrive added for library audiobooks.

tubemonkey · 01-16-2015, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tarana

I've had my Echo for a couple of days and have listened to about 8 hours of Dune on it and am very, very happy with it. My nano connects via Bluetooth far easier with the Echo than most of my bluetooth speakers. Changing between devices is also very smooth. The speaker quality is consistent with my other $100 Bluetooth speaker. It's not tinny at all and has some base (not enough if you want your bones thumping. It's not a boom box). I'm not an audiophile, so this is great!

I'm very pleased with its quality; both build and sound. For what it does now (though very limited) and what I paid for it ($99), its money well spent.

Quote:

I do prefer having my Nano controls next to me and that might be why Audible may/may not be included in future renderings. With music, you can't have it reverse the song or go forward in a song a few seconds. So, you really need to have the control of your Mp3 player right next to you. You can tell the Echo to change volume across a room which is handy. But, you can't tell the audiobook to pause, which would be nice. Perhaps they will change the app to work with Audible material although that could be challenging.

I'm pretty certain they can add voice-controlled audiobook controls. It shouldn't be that difficult.

I'm finding that I use my computer more than a mobile device to change stations or songs within Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, and TuneIn Radio. For some uses, it's much quicker than voice commands.

BTW; audiobooks loaded into Amazon's Music Cloud, are played back like songs; each chapter treated like a separate song. Voice commands include: play, pause, resume, stop, skip, previous, etc.

Tarana · 04-03-2015, 09:39 PM

Echo now lets you pause, restart and stop an audiobook playing from an itouch. I can't get my older itouch to see my Echo but I assume its operator error.

tubemonkey · 06-05-2015, 09:32 AM

Audible has just been added to the Echo. It's a separate tab beneath TuneIn.

Listen to audiobooks from Audible

Quote:

You can now listen to audiobooks and other premium audio programming from Audible using your Amazon Echo. You can use Amazon Echo or the Amazon Echo App to play, pause, or go forward / back in the audiobook. Amazon Echo also supports Whispersync for Voice, which keeps track of the current playback position in the audiobook. You can start listening to an audiobook on Amazon Echo and pick up where you left off by reading (or listening to) the same title on a compatible Fire or Kindle device, Kindle reading app, or Audible app, without losing your place.

To get started, ask Amazon Echo to play an audiobook in your library (for example: "Alexa, play the audiobook Yes, Please"). If you're new to Audible, you can shop for audiobooks with your Amazon account on Amazon.com.If you're new to Audible, you can shop for audiobooks with your Amazon account on Amazon.com (https://www.amazon.com/audible).

To learn more about audiobooks on Amazon Echo, go to Listen to Your Audiobooks.

copyrite · 06-05-2015, 09:38 AM

Oh I hit the wrong thread, eh? ;-) it was the first one I saw.

Can you change the speed? I never listen at a normal speed.

tubemonkey · 06-05-2015, 09:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by copyrite

Oh I hit the wrong thread, eh? ;-) it was the first one I saw.

Can you change the speed? I never listen at a normal speed.

Huh? There are three threads for the Echo -- one in the News Forum, one in the Audiobook Forum, and one in the Lounge.

Discussions about audiobooks, TTS, and Whispersync belong in this thread. Discussions about all other uses for the Echo belong in the thread in the Lounge.

Controls at the moment are very basic. No speed increases available at this time. I would hope that this will change in the near future.

Tarana · 06-05-2015, 12:25 PM

On getting the email, I immediately asked Alexis to play Outlander (which I am currently listening to on another device). First, it told me that I had to switch to the primary accountholder for audible. Ok, that done, I asked Alexis to READ Outlander and it started right where I left off. So, this is perfect! If you pause and then just say Alexis, she starts playing again. Ideally, I would like to replay the previous 10 minutes (interruptions etc,), but haven't figured out how to do that.

copyrite · 06-05-2015, 01:12 PM

It looks like it only does a 30 second rewind / FF

Spoiler:

WT Sharpe · 06-05-2015, 01:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Audible has just been added to the Echo. It's a separate tab under TuneIn.

Listen to audiobooks from Audible

Huh! I just got the email at noon. Amazon loves you better than it loves me.

But this is great news. I'm going to give it a whirl now.

04-03-2015, 09:39 PM	#9
Tarana Wizard Posts: 3,976 Karma: 38840460 Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Minneapolis Device: PWSE, Voyage, K3, HDX, KBasic 7 & 8, Nook Glo3, Echos, Nanos	Echo now lets you pause, restart and stop an audiobook playing from an itouch. I can't get my older itouch to see my Echo but I assume its operator error. Last edited by Tarana; 04-03-2015 at 09:47 PM.

06-05-2015, 01:12 PM	#14
copyrite Wizard Posts: 1,814 Karma: 4985051 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Maryland Device: ...lots! ;) mostly reading on a Kindle Voyage	It looks like it only does a 30 second rewind / FF Spoiler: Listen to Your Audiobooks You can listen to audiobooks and other premium audio programming from Audible using your Amazon Echo. You can also listen to Audible audiobooks included with eligible books from Kindle Unlimited. Note: Newspaper and magazine audio subscriptions are not supported at this time. You can use your Amazon Echo or the Amazon Echo App to play, pause, or go forward / back in the audiobook. Amazon Echo also supports Whispersync for Voice, which keeps track of the current playback position in the audiobook. You can start listening to an audiobook on Amazon Echo and pick up where you left off by reading (or listening to) the same title on a compatible Fire or Kindle device, Kindle reading app, or Audible app, without losing your place. If you're new to Audible, you can shop for audiobooks with your Amazon account on Amazon.com.If you're new to Audible, you can shop for audiobooks with your Amazon account on Amazon.com (https://www.amazon.com/audible). To do this, say this... Or, use the Amazon Echo App... Listen to an audiobook “[Wake word], play the book [title].” “[Wake word], play the audiobook [title]." "[Wake word], play [title] from Audible." “[Wake word], read [title].” Open the left navigation panel, and then select Audible. Search for the title and then select it. Pause the audiobook "[Wake word], pause." Select the Pause icon from the Now Playing bar. Continue listening to your most recent audiobook "[Wake word], resume my book." Select the Play icon from the Now Playing bar. Go back or forward in the audiobook by 30 seconds "[Wake word], go back." "[Wake word], go forward." Open the Now Playing bar and select the Go Back or Go Forward icon. Skip chapters *Currently not supported with your voice Open the Now Playing bar and select Queue. from http://echo.amazon.com/#help/node/201813190

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01-07-2015, 09:48 AM	#3
Janet54 Connoisseur Posts: 81 Karma: 76992 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Oklahoma Device: Voyage, Fire HDX, Fire Phone, Galaxy Note 8,10.9	Thanks for starting this thread. Right now I am streaming audio through blue tooth from my audible account. I have hundreds of books in there. I am hoping they incorporate audible.com with the whyspersync into it since they own it as well. I do love my echo!!

01-15-2015, 11:32 AM	#4
Tarana Wizard Posts: 3,976 Karma: 38840460 Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Minneapolis Device: PWSE, Voyage, K3, HDX, KBasic 7 & 8, Nook Glo3, Echos, Nanos	I've had my Echo for a couple of days and have listened to about 8 hours of Dune on it and am very, very happy with it. My nano connects via Bluetooth far easier with the Echo than most of my bluetooth speakers. Changing between devices is also very smooth. The speaker quality is consistent with my other $100 Bluetooth speaker. It's not tinny at all and has some base (not enough if you want your bones thumping. It's not a boom box). I'm not an audiophile, so this is great! I do prefer having my Nano controls next to me and that might be why Audible may/may not be included in future renderings. With music, you can't have it reverse the song or go forward in a song a few seconds. So, you really need to have the control of your Mp3 player right next to you. You can tell the Echo to change volume across a room which is handy. But, you can't tell the audiobook to pause, which would be nice. Perhaps they will change the app to work with Audible material although that could be challenging.

06-05-2015, 09:38 AM	#11
copyrite Wizard Posts: 1,814 Karma: 4985051 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Maryland Device: ...lots! ;) mostly reading on a Kindle Voyage	Oh I hit the wrong thread, eh? ;-) it was the first one I saw. Can you change the speed? I never listen at a normal speed.

06-05-2015, 12:25 PM	#13
Tarana Wizard Posts: 3,976 Karma: 38840460 Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Minneapolis Device: PWSE, Voyage, K3, HDX, KBasic 7 & 8, Nook Glo3, Echos, Nanos	On getting the email, I immediately asked Alexis to play Outlander (which I am currently listening to on another device). First, it told me that I had to switch to the primary accountholder for audible. Ok, that done, I asked Alexis to READ Outlander and it started right where I left off. So, this is perfect! If you pause and then just say Alexis, she starts playing again. Ideally, I would like to replay the previous 10 minutes (interruptions etc,), but haven't figured out how to do that.

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