Smart speakers, like the Echo, bring Alexa into people’s homes so they can shop, control electrical devices, and accomplish dozens of other activities. Sometimes, you just want to listen to songs on your Mac computer or Macbook. Amazon’s Echo devices are also speakers. They require a simple setup to other electronics and can bring your music library to wherever Alexa is.
This simple guide to connecting a Mac and Alexa and syncing Alexa with Apple Music will give you the necessary instructions.
An Echo device has many underlying functions installed, but the simplest way to perform the Mac connection is also available. Essentially, Echo devices are good Bluetooth speakers and can play offline music without any problem.
Cable Pairing
Configuring your Mac to discover an Echo device is actually very simple and takes less time. Here’s what to do.
1. Plug the Echo device into your Mac Using the USB port.
2. To do this, navigate to the top of your desktop screen and look for the Apple logo. Click on it, and from the dropdown, click on System Preferences.
3. Select Bluetooth.
4. Click on the Turn Bluetooth On button.
5. Your Mac will give you a list of devices you can identify by Bluetooth. Your Echo device should be in front of you. If it does not, say Alexa, pair my device with the device.
6. When your Echo device is visible in the Bluetooth list, move your cursor to the dot next to it and click Connect.
7. Your Echo device will make a sound, and the two devices will be united. Play some music to test.
Pairing via Alexa Account
You can also link two of such devices to your Alexa account. To do this, you will need to open the settings of this application through your computer or device’s browser. Here’s how:
1. Click on the Alexa website and login with your account.
2. In the sidebar, go to Select Settings.
3. Locate the device on the list, then choose it.
4. In Windows, go to Bluetooth and click on the blue Pair a new device button.
5. Your Echo Device will soon look for nearby Bluetooth devices.
6. Now press on the Apple logo in your Mac’s top menu, then System Preferences.
7. Next, navigate to Bluetooth and check that your Bluetooth is on.
8. Devices is where you should find your Echo instance listed.
9. Click the Connect button. Your two devices should pair, and you’ll hear a tone confirming this on your Echo device.
Using the App
Alexa also has its own companion application, which can be installed on an iPhone or iPad for easier product connectivity. As of now, there is no Mac version of the app, but the iOS app can help facilitate the pairing of an Echo device with your Mac.
Now return to the home page of the iPad, click the iTunes App Store again and make a search in the bar for ‘Alexa’.
1. Download the app.
2. After installation launch the application and enter you login credentials.
3. On your app, you have to choose Echo Devices.
4. Choose the Echo proper to couple with your Mac.
5. Tap Connect a device.
6. In your Mac go to system preferences and click Bluetooth where you should see your Echo device listed.
7. Again click on Connect and your devices should be connected if it plays a tone.
8. Clicking these buttons should allow you to play music.
Pair Your Echo Device With Apple Music
Apple Music allows a good number of people to sync their music on Mac and in the case you often stream most of your music using the Apple Music membership, then you can also get your Echo device to sync with the particular service. It also mean it does not have to be left open for the Mac to play music in the background.
To this, you’ll require an Apple Music subscription and input, an iOS gadget with the Alexa application installed. You will first require setting up Alexa. Here’s what you need to do:
1. Open the alexa app-consumer on your smart device.
2. Click More and then choose Skills & Games.
3. Search for Apple Music on the web browser.
4. Press Enable To Use.
5. You’ll have to tie your Apple account to your Echo device.
6. Next to go to the account settings then select link account.
7. According to the instructions, enter your Apple ID.
To play Apple Music songs on favourable Echo device you need to wake up Alexa saying “play [song title] on Apple Music only”. You may also need the author to make sure you get the right results as rechecked in this example. If you want an even simpler way for it to work, you can always set Apple Music as your default music app. Here’s how:
1. On the most visible side, the More button can be tapped while using the Alexa application.
2. Tap the audio button at the top of the screen then go to Settings, Music & Podcasts.
3. Select Default Services and then chose Apple Music.
4. Your Echo device should now automatically play through Apple Music, if it does not, we move to the next step.
Linking Your Echo to Other Speakers
Perhaps you want to listen to music from another room of your house and so you want a second pair, or maybe you just want more bass out of your current pair. In either case, it is just as easy to connect Alexa to other Bluetooth speakers through either a cable or Bluetooth .
To connect via cable:
1. You will also need to get yourself a 3.5 mm male to male audio cable.
2. Connect one end in the Aux Out port in your Echo device.
3. Insert the other end into the Aux in port of your exterior loudspeaker.
4. Play music for a check on the connection.
Turn Up the Music
Music makes any task or chore better and it is quite simple to connect your Echo devices to Your Mac or Apple Music with Amazon. Although Alexa may not be able to integrate with your mac systems in the optimized full sense, one can use it as a Bluetooth speaker to play itunes offline or online.
