Why Alexa Not Playing Music and 11 Ways To Fix It

Alexa, the virtual assistant on Amazon Echo devices, can do activities based on your voice commands. Aside from the things Alexa can do, it can also play music from services like Amazon Music, Spotify, Apple Music, etc. The issue arises when you ask Alexa to play music, and it remains silent. 

This article will assist you in resolving any issues that you may be facing using Alexa while trying to play music from Amazon Music.

Why Alexa Not Playing Music & How to Fix It 

Congested Wi-Fi connection

Take your phone, tablet, or PC next to your Echo and check the Wi-Fi bars. The signals are powerful if the bars are packed. Examine the internet by downloading anything and keeping an eye on the download speed. Disconnect specific devices from the Wi-Fi if the rate is sluggish.

Check Internet Connection

Alexa-enabled Echo devices require a steady internet connection to function. It may become unresponsive and refuse to play music when asked if the signals are weak or the speed is not optimal. 

Restart Amazon Echo

It would be best to begin by restarting your Echo’s power cycle. Remove the power wire from the Echo to accomplish this. Then, wait at least 20-30 seconds before plugging it back in. After you’ve connected it in, use Alexa to play music from Amazon Music.

A few ways to restart Amazon Echo:

1. Disconnect the power cord, wait for a minute, and then connect it back to restart the Echo device’s power cycle.
2. Remove and reinsert the battery if it’s removable to restart battery-powered devices.
3. Switch off your iPhone, iPad, or any Android device, wait a minute, then turn it back on.

Check the Number of Devices Currently Streaming

When it comes to streaming music on several devices simultaneously, Amazon Echo devices have certain limitations. Check out how many Alexa devices are now playing music.

1. Members of the Amazon Family Plan can stream music to up to six devices at once.
2. Members of the Amazon Individual Plan can stream music to whatever device they desire, but only one device at a time.
3. Members of the Amazon Single Device Plan can only listen to music on the device they used to subscribe to.

Because of the streaming restriction, you won’t be able to stream music on other devices using the same Amazon account. Because Prime Music only permits streaming on one device at a time, this is the case.

Check Your Subscription

To use Alexa to play music, you must have an active Amazon Prime or Amazon Music Unlimited membership. Alexa will not play the chosen music if you do not have a current subscription. Take the following steps to get your current subscription details:

Step 1: Go to the Amazon website for your country and sign in with your Amazon account information.

Step 2: Select Memberships & Subscriptions from the drop-down menu under your name at the top. You will have other alternatives in some countries, such as Your Prime Membership.

Step 3: Here, you’ll discover a list of all your active subscriptions.

Put Alexa Device at Higher Place

An active internet connection is required for your Alexa device (such as the Echo, Echo Dot, or Echo Show). If the router and Alexa device are in different rooms, the signals will be faint, and Alexa will not reply. Here are some recommendations about where to put Amazon devices:

1. Always position Amazon Echo higher in order for it to obtain strong Wi-Fi connections.
2. Keep it away from metal items and solid walls.
3. It should never be placed on the ground since its signal reception may be compromised.

Check Network Firewall

It’s unlikely, but the built-in firewall on your router may be blocking the address from which Alexa is attempting to play the music.

1. Find the IP address for your router’s control panel. Some routers, for example, use the IP 192.168.1.1.
2. Give your login credentials.
3. Go to the options for settings or configurations.
4. Look for a section titled ‘Port Forwarding.’
5. Now look for the following open ports: 123, 33434, 4070, 443, 40317, 49317, and 5353.

Check and Update Your Country Settings on Amazon

Alexa’s services are aware of their surroundings. It’s possible that utilizing Alexa services in a country other than the one specified in your account can cause issues. If you travel regularly, make sure you update your Amazon country settings.

1. Launch your browser. Sign in to the Amazon website.
2. In the upper left corner, click the three horizontal lines.
3. Now scroll down the list and select the national flag that appears.
4. A drop-down menu will appear when you click the nation name.
5. Choose the nation in which you are now located.

Change Echo Location to Your Country

This is another option for frequent travelers. If you feel your Amazon Music country setting differs from where you are now, follow these steps to update it to the current country:

1. Sign in to your Amazon Music account.
2. Select ‘Your Amazon Music Settings’ from the settings icon.
3. Find ‘Amazon Music Account Country/Region’ and click ‘Move your Music account.’
4. Click ‘Select’ after selecting the new nation from the drop-down menu.
5. It will prompt you to login into your account once more.
6. After logging in, click ‘Add Address’ to update your address.

Disable Explicit Filter

Amazon Music has a function that prevents you from listening to songs with explicit lyrics. If you try to play such a song with the explicit filter setting enabled, it will not play. Follow these procedures to disable the setting:

Step 1: Open the Alexa app and touch the three-bar symbol on your phone.

Step 2: Select Music from the Settings menu.

Step 3: Select Explicit Filter from the drop-down menu. Then, on the following screen, turn it off.

Deregister Echo and Register Again

To listen to music using Alexa devices, you must have an active Amazon Prime or Amazon Music Unlimited membership. Amazon Music Prime is available to Amazon Prime users at no cost. Check to make sure your subscription hasn’t expired by following the instructions below.

1. Log in to your account on the Amazon website.
2. If you’re using a desktop, hover your mouse over your name next to your national flag at the top of the page to bring up a menu. If using a mobile device, tap on your name.
3. To access the PC version, go to ‘Memberships & Subscriptions.’ On your mobile device, choose ‘Your Memberships & Subscriptions.’
4. Make sure your subscriptions are up to date.

Summary 

We hope that the above solutions helped you understand the problem you’re facing and could efficiently resolve that using the above fixes.