How to Connect Apple Music to Alexa

Published on 03.03.2025 by TF

Alexa has become a pretty crucial part of almost every smart home out there. Amazon’s AI assistant comes with many exciting features. It’s like talking to an all knowing assistant that’s also going to do anything you ask it to do. 

Do you want to know what kind of weather to expect? Trying to stream a new song? Just ask Alexa! 

Alexa’s ability to connect with various music streaming services stands as one of its most underrated features. Amongst those streaming services, you’ll find another powerhouse that goes by the name of Apple Music.

Apple Music is a go-to app for many music lovers. The service stands as a leading option with millions of songs and easy access to plenty of radio stations. 

You see, when Alexa plays music, it always plays it from YouTube unless you’ve got a music streaming service linked to it. And with YouTube videos, you know you’ll run into official music videos which have super long intro scenes or even ads. 

So, why not connect your Apple Music account to your Alexa device?

By connecting Apple Music to Alexa, you can simply ask Alexa to play your favorite songs and control whether or not you want to be listening to the same stuff on repeat. 

It’s all hands-free! 

This creates a seamless setting, especially for those who already subscribe to Apple Music and have an Alexa device at home. 

As you read on, you’ll see how to link Apple Music to Alexa. You’ll also come across common problems that many have when trying to link their Apple Music accounts. Let’s see how you can make the most of this Alexa and Apple Music combo.

Going Over The Basics

Before we jump into the technical part of this guide, it’s helpful to understand the relationship between Alexa and Apple Music.

We all know about Alexa.

It’s Amazon’s smart assistant that can help control compatible devices, answer any random questions you come up with, and play music. Alexa is compatible with music streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music. Through a device that works with Alexa, such as your phone, an Echo, or a Fire TV Stick, Alexa makes it pretty simple to listen to music by just using your voice.

Like any other streaming service, you can find your favorite artists, songs, and radio stations on Apple Music. 

Already an Apple Music user? 

Connecting your account with Alexa lets you do a lot. Do you want to hear a song? Ask Alexa to play any playlist or song that you want. Use your voice to control the playback or even ask for new recommendations!

Linking the two platforms together lets you listen to music without the need for your hands. The combo of both platforms is ideal for those who find themselves doing multiple things at once way more than they’d like.

What You Need Before You Connect Apple Music To Alexa

Before you can attempt the connection, make sure you’ve got everything you’ll need.

Devices Needed

To start off, you’ll need a device that comes with an Alexa. This could be the Amazon Echo or Fire TV Stick. You’ll also need an Apple Music premium account. Without these, you can’t connect to stream your personal playlists.

Ensure Softwares Are Up To Date

Both your Alexa app and Apple Music need to be updated to the latest versions. Outdated or differing app versions can cause problems when you’re trying to set up. Make sure your Alexa app is updated from the phone and your Apple Music is working properly.

Amazon Account and Apple ID Set Up

To link the two together, you’ll need to be logged into your Amazon account and Apple ID. If these accounts aren’t set up yet, go ahead and create your accounts, then come back.

A Good WiFi Connection

Connect your phone and the Alexa device to the same internet connection. You can miss this one very easily and that becomes a problem later. Alexa relies on a stable connection to stream music smoothly, so go ahead and connect to the same network.

Step By Step Guide To Connecting Apple Music To Alexa

Step 1 – Open Up The Alexa App

Install the Alexa app. Once it’s open, log in to your Amazon account.

Step 2 – Linking Apple Music To Alexa

Once you’re all logged in, do the following:

  • Look for and press the “More” button on the bottom (Just look for the three horizontal lines).
  • When you’re on the menu, click on settings.
  • Go through the settings and press the “Music & Podcasts” option.
  • Click on the “Link New Service” option
  • Now, you’ll see many linkable services. Look for Apple Music and click on it.
  • The app will automatically open up a page where you’ll have to log in to your Apple account. Put in your Apple ID credentials.
  • Once you’re logged in, give Alexa permission to access your Apple Music Library.

Step 3 – Setting Apple Music As The Default

Linking the two platforms isn’t enough. You’ll have to switch out the default streaming service that’s already connected to your Alexa and replace it with Apple Music. To do this, you should:

  • Go to the Music and Podcasts section
  • Click on Default Services
  • Look for and pick Apple Music for both music and artist stations
  • Click on Save to confirm the choice

By doing this, it ensures that whenever you ask Alexa to play your favorite songs, they’ll automatically play from Apple Music. If at any point you don’t want it to play from Apple Music, just mention so after you’ve told Alexa what to do.

Step 4 – Testing The Connection

To ensure everything’s set up, run a little test. Go ahead and ask Alexa to play a song from Apple Music. Say something like:

  • “Alexa, play my (add in your special playlist’s name here) on Apple Music.”

If the music starts playing, you know you’ve done everything right.

Controlling Your Apple Music Through Alexa

Now that you’ve got both the platforms linked up, let’s see how you can control the music vibes. Just go ahead and say any of the following:

Playing, Pausing, and Skipping

  • “Hey Alexa, play "XYZ" song on Apple Music.”
  • “Alexa, pause the music.”
  • “Hey Alexa, skip to the next song.” Alternatively, you can also skip to a specific song number if you’ve queued things up or if you’re playing something from a playlist.

Controlling The Volume

  • “Alexa, set the volume to 5.”
  • “Alexa, increase the volume.”
  • “Alexa, mute the music.”

You can literally say anything you want to Alexa. As long as it makes sense, it'll do what you say. You can also say something like “Alexa, the music’s too loud.” It’ll automatically adjust the volume.

Shuffling Or Repeating

  • “Alexa, shuffle the playlist.” Or “Alexa, change up the playlist order.”
  • “Alexa, replay this song.”

Playlist or Genre Requests

  • “Alexa, play my (add in the name of your playlist here) playlist”
  • “Alexa, play some pop music.”

Bored of what you've been listening to? Alexa can give you recommendations when you ask it to! You can also ask Alexa to go through your listening history to give you something new to hear.

Some Common Issues

Usually, connecting your Apple Music to Alexa doesn’t come with any problems. But there are some common issues some people run into. Here’s how to fix them:

Alexa Not Recognizing Apple Music

If your Alexa isn’t working with your Apple Music account, try to:

Check your WiFi signal: Make sure that the Alexa device and what you’re controlling Alexa with are connected to the same internet connection.

Re-Linking Your Accounts: If changing the internet doesn’t solve the problem, then try reconnecting your Apple Music account. Unlink it first and then try again.

Music Not Playing Or Skipping

If your music starts playing only to stop after a few seconds or if Alexa starts skipping songs with you asking it to, try:

Restarting your Alexa: Unplug your Alexa device for a few seconds. Let it rest and then restart it.

Checking your Apple Music subscription: Make sure that you’ve still got a premium Apple Music account.

Alexa Playing Music From The Wrong Streaming Service

Sometimes, you’ll find that Alexa jumps from one streaming music service to another. This happens even after you’ve linked your Apple Music account. If you’re seeing this happen, try to:

Make Apple Music Your Default Service: Go to Alexa’s settings and find the Music and Podcasts section. Then select the Default Services option. Select Apple Music to be your default, then save your selection.

Alexa Not Responding To Anything You Say

If Alexa isn’t listening, you can try: 

Checking the Mic: Check if the mic feature is on. You'll find it on top of your Alexa device. 

Restarting Alexa: Restarting your Alexa device can fix that problem.

Trying Out Some New Things With Your Alexa

Alexa can be very fun to mess around with once your Apple Music is linked. Try out these things to see if it’s something you want to keep.

Customizing Your Playlists

Ask Alexa to add or remove songs from your playlist. You can also ask Alexa to create entirely new playlists depending on a certain vibe or genre.

Multi Room Audio

A fun feature about Alexa is that it can let you connect multiple Alexa devices together.

If you have many Alexas throughout your home, you’ll need to set up a multi room audio group. When you’ve done that, you can get Alexa to play music in certain rooms by mentioning the name you’ve given the rooms at the end of your command.

Create Routines

Trying to live an organized and structured lifestyle? Alexa can help with that! You can ask Alexa to create music routines. An example of this would be asking Alexa to play your favorite morning playlists as soon as you wake up.

Different Ways To Connect Apple Music To Alexa

Connecting your Apple Music to Alexa is the most efficient when done using the Alexa app. But there are also other ways to do it if needed.

Bluetooth

If you’re not using the Alexa app, you can connect Apple Music to Alexa through BT. Try:

  • Pairing your phone with your Alexa device from the Bluetooth settings.
  • Play Apple Music on your phone.
  • The songs will automatically play from the Alexa device.

The Bottom Line

Connecting Apple Music to your Alexa is a simple way to make listening to music a lot more fun. By following what’s been laid out above, you can control your music with just your voice. 

With the chance to control playback, mess around with music recommendations, and create special routines, the Alexa and Apple Music combo brings convenience and fun to your home.

Usually if you run into any problems, solving them is pretty easy. So whether you’re using the Alexa app or BT to connect to Apple Music, you’re bound to enjoy a hands-free experience. Let your voice be the DJ in your home!