Can Alexa Play SoundCloud? (Find Out Now!)
The convenience of smart home technology has taken the world of home design by storm. Often, the first smart home technology that many households adopt are smart speakers with AI assistants like Alexa. These small, yet powerful devices can answer your questions, set timers, and more. Most importantly, they can easily play your favorite music on command.
SoundCloud allows users to stream music, share their own music, and connect with an online community. It’s like a social media app made for music lovers! If you’re a SoundCloud lover with an Amazon Echo speaker, you might be wondering: Can Alexa play SoundCloud?
Unlike other music platforms and streaming services, SoundCloud is not integrated with the Amazon Alexa assistant. So, you can’t simply ask Alexa to play SoundCloud with a voice command. However, you can connect via Bluetooth, add an Alexa skill, or invest in a Sonos speaker with Alexa integration.
While you may not be able to use voice commands, playing SoundCloud on a smart speaker is easier than you’d think. Continue reading to learn more.
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Music Integration with Amazon Echo Smart Speakers
The Amazon Echo is Amazon’s brand of smart speaker that has seemingly endless capabilities. Its simple actions include playing your favorite music, setting a timer, and finding answers to your questions.
However, it can also be used for more advanced tasks like controlling your lights, security cameras, and thermostat. The ‘assistant’, called Alexa on the Amazon Echo, is the artificial intelligence that responds to your voice commands and requests.
The Alexa assistant will not respond to a request like ‘Alexa, Play [song name] on SoundCloud.’ This is because SoundCloud is not among the list of integrated music services on the Amazon Echo speaker. For music streaming services like Spotify and Pandora, you can link your account to the Alexa app. Once you do this, you can use voice commands to ask Alexa to play music from those services.
Unfortunately, when you go to the Alexa app and search for SoundCloud, you won’t find it on the list. That is why you’ll need to use one of the options below to play SoundCloud on your Amazon Echo speaker.
How to Play SoundCloud Music on Your Smart Speaker
While smart speakers and home assistants like Amazon Alexa are innovative and convenient, they’re certainly not perfect. Luckily, the versatile device allows users to find solutions to Alexa’s limits and errors.
How to Connect your Mobile Device via Bluetooth
The simplest way to begin playing Soundcloud on your Alexa speaker is by connecting your phone via Bluetooth. Follow these simple steps to begin playing SoundCloud in no time!
- Turn on your Alexa device and make sure you’re within range.
- Say the voice command, “Alexa, pair.’ The device will then go into pairing mode.
- Open your phone’s Bluetooth settings.
- Find your Alexa device among the list of available devices.
- Click on the Alexa device from the list to establish a connection between your phone and the speaker.
- Your Alexa assistant will notify you when there is a connection.
- Open your SoundCloud app on your phone and press play. The music should begin playing through your speaker!
How to Connect your Computer/Laptop via Bluetooth
If you’re using SoundCloud on your computer, you can also connect your computer to your Amazon Echo speaker via Bluetooth.
- Ensure your speaker is turned on and in range of your computer.
- Go to Bluetooth settings on your computer, and make sure Bluetooth is turned on.
- Visit alexa.amazon.com
- Log in to your Amazon account
- Go to ‘Settings,’ find your Alexa device on the list, and click on it to go to settings for the device.
- Select ‘Bluetooth’
- Click on ‘Pair a New Device’.This will bring up a list of available devices that are in range.
- Select your computer from the list of available devices.
- A notification should appear on your computer that will ask for permission to pair.
- Select ‘Allow,’ to pair your computer to your Alexa device.
- Go to Soundcloud.com.
- Log in to your SoundCloud account and begin playing music. The music should play through your Amazon Echo speaker.
Technically, this does not qualify as “Alexa” playing SoundCloud. This is because the speaker is being controlled by your phone, rather than your voice and the AI assistant. However, it achieves the same goal in simple steps.
Installing a Skill On Your Alexa
Another method of playing SoundCloud on Alexa is to install a new skill on your Alexa. This is a more advanced option that is not suitable for beginners. However, if you have knowledge about the Alexa Developer Console, then you might be able to make it happen. You’ll need an account at developer.alexa.com and a skill template from a site such as DabbleLab or Github.
Playing SoundCloud with Alexa on Sonos Speakers
One exception to the rule that Alexa cannot play SoundCloud using voice commands is with a Sonos speaker. Read below to learn more about this brand and how it could make it easy for you to enjoy your SoundCloud music.
What is Sonos?
Sonos is a popular brand that offers wireless speakers and sound systems, as well as smart speakers that connect to wifi, much like the Amazon Echo. Some of their smart speakers, including the Arc, Beam, One, and Move, are compatible with the Alexa assistant. To use Alexa with a Sonos speaker, you must also own an Amazon Echo speaker.
How to Play SoundCloud on a Sonos Smart Speaker
Sonos speakers offer SoundCloud integration, so they make it possible to play SoundCloud with your Alexa assistant. However, you will need the premium SoundCloud Go+ in order to add SoundCloud to your Sonos speaker.
Here are the steps to play SoundCloud through a Sonos One speaker with an Alexa Assistant:
- Go to the Sonos Controller app on your mobile phone.
- Tap ‘Settings’
- Tap ‘Services’
- Tap ‘Add a Service’ under Music & Content
- Select SoundCloud
- Tap ‘Add to Sonos’
- Follow the instructions provided to add your SoundCloud account.
Once SoundCloud has been added as a music service on your Sonos app, you can ask Alexa to play SoundCloud on your Sonos speaker.
SoundCloud Free vs. Paid Subscriptions
If you only use the free version of SoundCloud music service, then using a Sonos speaker won’t work for you. But, what is the difference between their free service and SoundCloud Go+?
Soundcloud’s free version allows you to record and upload sounds as a creator, and listen to music as a user. However, SoundCloud Go and Go+ offer additional features for a monthly fee.
SoundCloud Go:
- Cost: $4.99 per month
- Users can listen to music ad-free
- Users can save music to listen to offline
SoundCloud Go+:
- Cost: $9.99 per month
- Enjoy higher-quality audio
- Access their entire catalog of music and sounds
- Allows compatibility with a Sonos speaker
Related Questions
What Music Platforms Can Alexa Play?
Music services including Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora, iHeartRadio, and more are all integrated with Amazon Alexa. This means that once you connect your account, you can ask Alexa to play any song on these platforms.
Can Google Home Play Soundcloud?
Google Home, another leading smart speaker option, is not integrated with SoundCloud, either. Users can play SoundCloud by connecting via Bluetooth, but you cannot ask Google to play SoundCloud.
How Do I Group Sonos Speakers?
To group multiple Sonos speakers, simply press and hold play on your speaker until it groups with another Sonos speaker that is playing already. This will allow you to enjoy your Soundcloud music in multiple rooms of your home at one time.
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Conclusion
Playing SoundCloud with Alexa is not as simple as connecting your account and then asking Alexa to play it. However, Alexa and SoundCloud are not completely incompatible. There are plenty of options to work around this shortcoming of the Amazon Echo speakers. Whether you use Bluetooth or invest in a Sonos speaker, enjoying SoundCloud on a smart speaker isn’t too far out of reach.
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