The fastest way: use the Alexa app on your phone
Open the Alexa app, tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the bottom right, then tap Settings. Scroll down and select Music & Podcasts, then tap Spotify. You'll see a button that says Link Your Account — tap it. A browser window will open asking you to log into Spotify. Enter your Spotify username and password, then tap Agree when Spotify asks permission to let Alexa control your account. That's it. You're linked.
The whole process takes about two minutes. Once you're linked, you can say "Alexa, play [song name] on Spotify" or "Alexa, play my Discover Weekly" and it will work on any Alexa device in your home that's signed into the same Amazon account.
If you don't have the Alexa app yet, read it from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. You'll need to sign in with the same Amazon account your Alexa device uses.
Key Takeaways
- You link Spotify through the Alexa app's Music & Podcasts settings, not through Spotify's app or website.
- Spotify will ask for permission to let Alexa control playback — you must tap Agree for the link to complete.
- Once linked, any Alexa device on your Amazon account can play Spotify without needing to link again.
- If you have a free Spotify account, Alexa can still play your playlists and saved songs, but some features like skipping may be limited.
What happens if you already have a different music service set as default
Alexa can work with multiple music services at once — Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and others. If you've already linked Amazon Music or another service, linking Spotify doesn't replace it. Instead, you now have both available.
When you give a voice command without naming a service, Alexa uses whichever one you set as your default music service. To make Spotify your default, go back to Settings > Music & Podcasts in the Alexa app and tap Default Music Service. Select Spotify from the list. Now when you say "Alexa, play jazz," it will play from Spotify instead of Amazon Music.
If you want to play from a non-default service, just name it: "Alexa, play jazz on Amazon Music" will use Amazon Music even if Spotify is your default.
Why the link might not work on your first try
The most common reason the link fails is that your Spotify password is wrong or your account has been locked. If you see an error message when you try to log in during the linking process, go to Spotify.com directly and log in there first. If that doesn't work, use Spotify's "Forgot Password" link to reset it, then try linking Alexa again.
A second reason is that your Alexa device and your phone aren't on the same Wi-Fi network. The Alexa app needs to communicate with your device to complete the setup. Check that both are connected to the same network before you start.
If you see a message saying "This account is already linked to another Amazon account," it means someone else has already connected that Spotify account to a different Amazon account. You'll need to unlink it from that account first. Sign into that Amazon account, go to Settings > Music & Podcasts > Spotify, and tap Unlink Account. Then try linking from your own Amazon account.
How to unlink Spotify if you want to switch accounts or stop using it
Open the Alexa app, go to Settings > Music & Podcasts > Spotify, and tap Unlink Account. Confirm when the app asks you to verify. The link is broken when ready, and Alexa will no longer be able to play Spotify on any of your devices.
Unlinking doesn't delete anything from Spotify itself — your playlists, saved songs, and listening history all stay in your Spotify account. You're only removing Alexa's permission to control it. If you link a different Spotify account later, you can do that the same way you did the first time.
What you can and cannot do once Spotify is linked
Once linked, you can ask Alexa to play specific songs, artists, albums, or playlists by name. You can also ask for Spotify features like "Alexa, play my Release Radar" or "Alexa, play my Liked Songs." You can pause, resume, skip forward, and adjust volume with voice commands or the Alexa app.
What you cannot do: you cannot create new playlists through Alexa, and you cannot add songs to existing playlists by voice. If you have a free Spotify account (not Premium), you also cannot skip backward — you can only skip forward. On free accounts, Alexa will also play ads between songs, just like the Spotify app does.
If you want to add songs to playlists or skip backward, you'll need a Spotify Premium subscription. Premium costs money, but it also removes ads and lets you read songs to listen offline in the Spotify app.
How to control Spotify playback across multiple Alexa devices
If you have more than one Alexa device in your home, they all share the same Spotify link as long as they're signed into the same Amazon account. When you play music on one device, you can pause or skip it from another device or from the Alexa app.
To switch playback from one device to another, open the Alexa app, tap the Now Playing card at the top, and select a different device from the list. The music will stop on the old device and start on the new one. This is useful if you're moving from your kitchen to your bedroom and want to keep listening without interruption.
If you want different people in your household to have their own Spotify accounts linked to Alexa, each person needs their own Amazon account. You can set up a separate Amazon account for a family member, link their Spotify account to it, and they can use their own Alexa devices or ask Alexa to play "on [their name]'s account."
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a Spotify Premium account to use Alexa?
No. Free Spotify accounts work with Alexa, though with limitations: you cannot skip backward, and you'll hear ads between songs. Premium removes both restrictions and costs about $11 per month, though family and student plans are cheaper.
Can I use Alexa to play Spotify on my phone or computer?
No. Alexa only controls Spotify on Alexa devices themselves — Echo speakers, Echo Dots, Echo Shows, and similar Amazon hardware. To play Spotify on your phone, use the Spotify app directly. Alexa cannot remote-control Spotify on non-Amazon devices.
What if I forget my Spotify password and can't link Alexa?
Go to Spotify.com and click "Forgot your password?" at the login screen. Spotify will send a reset link to the email address on your account. Create a new password, then try linking Alexa again using the new password.
Can I link multiple Spotify accounts to the same Alexa device?
No. One Spotify account links to one Amazon account, and one Amazon account controls one set of Alexa devices. If you want to switch Spotify accounts, you must unlink the current one first, then link the new one. The process takes about a minute.
Why does Alexa say "I'm not able to play that" when I ask for a specific song?
The song may not be available in your region, or Spotify may have removed it. Try asking for a different song or an artist's name instead. If the problem happens with most songs, check that Spotify is still linked by going to Settings > Music & Podcasts in the Alexa app and confirming Spotify appears there.