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    Smart Home
    Beginner
    3 min read 5 stepsApril 19, 2026Verified April 2026

    How to Set Your Default Music Service on Alexa

    Connect Spotify, Apple Music, or Amazon Music to Alexa so voice commands like "Play jazz" always use the right streaming app automatically.

    At a Glance

    Category
    Smart Home
    Difficulty
    Beginner
    Read Time
    3 min read
    Steps
    5
    Topics covered
    alexa
    amazon echo
    spotify
    apple music
    amazon music
    music
    default
    settings

    In this guide (5 steps):

    1. 1.Open the Alexa app on your phone
    2. 2.Go to Music & Podcasts settings
    3. 3.Link a music service
    4. 4.Set your linked service as the default
    5. 5.Test your new default
    1

    Open the Alexa app on your phone

    ~21s
    Find the Alexa app on your phone. It has an orange icon with a dark circle and a white swoosh line inside. Tap it to open it. If you don't have it, download it free from the App Store (iPhone) or Google Play Store (Android). Sign in with the same Amazon account you used to set up your Echo speaker.
    2

    Go to Music & Podcasts settings

    ~15s
    In the Alexa app, tap the three horizontal lines (menu) in the bottom right corner. Tap "Settings." Scroll down and tap "Music & Podcasts." This is where all your music service settings live.
    3

    Link a music service

    ~31s
    In the Music & Podcasts settings, you'll see a list of available music services. Tap on the service you want to link (for example, "Spotify"). Tap "Enable to Use" or "Link account." You'll be taken to that service's login page — sign in with your Spotify, Apple Music, or other account credentials. Once logged in, you'll be redirected back to the Alexa app and the service will show as "Linked."

    Quick Tip

    If you have a free Spotify account, Alexa can still play music from it — though Spotify Free includes ads and limited on-demand control compared to Spotify Premium.

    4

    Set your linked service as the default

    ~15s
    Back in Music & Podcasts settings, tap "Default Services." You'll see options for default music, radio, and podcast services. Tap "Change" next to "Default music library" and select the service you just linked. Tap "Done" to save.
    5

    Test your new default

    ~28s
    Say to your Echo: "Alexa, play music" or "Alexa, play some country music." Alexa should now respond by playing from your chosen default service. You'll hear it announce the service name. If it plays from the wrong service, go back to Music & Podcasts settings and confirm your default was saved.

    Quick Tip

    You can still use other linked services by name: "Alexa, play jazz on Amazon Music" or "Alexa, play my Discover Weekly on Spotify." The default saves you from saying the service name every time for casual commands.

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    If you tell Alexa to "play some jazz" or "play my favorite playlist," Alexa needs to know which music service to use. If you haven't set a default, Alexa will usually default to Amazon Music — which is great if you use Amazon Music, but frustrating if you prefer Spotify, Apple Music, or another service.

    Setting your default music service tells Alexa to always use that service when you say a general music command. Instead of saying "Alexa, play jazz on Spotify" every single time, you can say "Alexa, play jazz" and it will automatically play from Spotify.

    You can link multiple music services to Alexa — for example, Spotify and Amazon Music — but only one can be the default. The others still work if you specifically ask for them by name.

    Services you can link to Alexa:

    - Amazon Music (comes built in — no link required) - Spotify (free or paid account works) - Apple Music (requires a paid Apple Music subscription) - Pandora - iHeartRadio - TuneIn Radio (free — internet radio, no subscription needed) - SiriusXM

    Linking and setting a default takes about 5 minutes in the Alexa app on your phone.

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    alexa
    amazon echo
    spotify
    apple music
    amazon music
    music
    default
    settings

    Official Resources

    Amazon Alexa HelpGoogle Nest HelpHow-To Geek — Smart Home

    Sources used to create and verify this guide. View all sources →

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