The basic steps to link your accounts
To connect Spotify to Alexa, you need a Spotify account (free or paid), an Amazon account, and an Alexa device or the Alexa app on your phone. The connection happens through the Alexa app, not through Spotify itself. Open the Alexa app, go to More (the three horizontal lines), select Music & Podcasts, then Spotify. Tap Link Your Account, sign into Spotify when prompted, and confirm that you want to allow Alexa to access your Spotify library.
Once linked, you can ask Alexa to play songs, artists, playlists, or podcasts from your Spotify account by voice command. You can also set Spotify as your default music service in the Alexa app under Music & Podcasts settings, so Alexa plays from Spotify when you don't specify which service to use.
The whole process takes about two minutes. If you have multiple Alexa devices in your home, you only need to link once — all your devices will use the same connection unless you change the default music service on individual devices.
Key Takeaways
- You link Spotify to Alexa through the Alexa app under Music & Podcasts, not through Spotify's settings.
- Both a Spotify account and an Amazon account are required; Spotify Free accounts work just as well as paid ones.
- When you link the accounts, Amazon receives information about your Spotify listening habits, which is covered in Amazon's privacy policy, not Spotify's.
- You can unlink Spotify from Alexa at any time through the Alexa app, and this does not affect your Spotify account or your Amazon account.
- If you use a shared Alexa device in a household, anyone with voice access can play music from your Spotify account.
What data moves between Spotify and Amazon when you connect
When you authorize Alexa to access Spotify, you are giving Amazon permission to see your Spotify account information and your listening history. This includes the songs you play, the playlists you create, the artists you follow, and your search history within Spotify. Amazon stores this information on its servers and uses it to improve Alexa's music recommendations and voice recognition.
Spotify does not receive new data about your Alexa usage in return — Spotify only sees that you played music through Alexa, the same way it sees that you played music through a web browser or phone app. However, Amazon's privacy policy allows Amazon to use your Spotify data for its own purposes, including showing you ads on Amazon.com or in the Alexa app based on your music taste.
You can see what permissions you have granted by opening the Alexa app, going to More, selecting Account Settings, then Alexa Privacy. This shows all the third-party services connected to your Amazon account, including Spotify.
How to set Spotify as your default music service
If you have multiple music services linked to Alexa (such as Amazon Music, Apple Music, or YouTube Music), you can choose which one plays when you give a voice command without naming a specific service. Open the Alexa app, tap More, go to Music & Podcasts, and select Default Music Services.
You will see options for Default Music Library (for songs you own or have saved) and Default Music Service (for streaming). Choose Spotify for whichever applies to you. If you set Spotify as the default, saying "Alexa, play jazz" will pull from Spotify rather than Amazon Music or another service.
You can change this setting at any time, and different Alexa devices in your home can have different defaults. For example, your bedroom Alexa could default to Spotify while your kitchen Alexa defaults to Amazon Music.
Controlling playback and managing your Spotify account
Once Spotify is linked, you can control playback using voice commands: "Alexa, play [song name]", "Alexa, pause", "Alexa, next song", "Alexa, play my [playlist name]", or "Alexa, play music by [artist name]". You can also adjust volume, skip tracks, and repeat songs using voice.
If you change your Spotify password after linking, your Alexa connection will stop working. You will need to unlink Spotify in the Alexa app and link it again with your new password. Changing your Spotify password does not automatically log you out of Alexa — you have to manually reauthorize.
Your Spotify account itself is not affected by the Alexa connection. You can still use Spotify on your phone, computer, or other devices normally. Listening through Alexa counts toward your Spotify listening history and affects your Spotify Wrapped year-end summary.
Unlinking Spotify from Alexa and what happens next
To disconnect Spotify from Alexa, open the Alexa app, go to More, select Music & Podcasts, find Spotify, and tap Unlink Account. Confirm the action. This removes Alexa's access to your Spotify account when ready.
Unlinking does not delete your Spotify account, change your Spotify password, or affect your music library. It only stops Alexa from being able to play Spotify music. You can link again later using the same process. Amazon may retain some data about your past Spotify listening for a period of time after unlinking, depending on its data retention policies.
If you unlink Spotify but have it set as your default music service, Alexa will show an error when you ask it to play music. You will need to either link Spotify again or change your default music service to a different option.
Shared devices and household access
If you have a shared Alexa device (such as an Echo in a common room), anyone in your household who can speak to that device can play music from your Spotify account. They can ask Alexa to play songs, create temporary queues, and skip tracks. However, they cannot change your Spotify password, delete playlists, or modify account settings — only play music.
If you want to prevent others from using your Spotify through a shared Alexa device, you can unlink Spotify from that device specifically while keeping it linked on your personal devices. Open the Alexa app, select the shared device, go to Music & Podcasts, and unlink Spotify from that device only.
Amazon also offers household profiles, which allow different family members to have separate Amazon accounts linked to the same Alexa device. Each person can have their own Spotify account linked to their own Amazon profile, so Alexa plays from the correct Spotify library based on whose voice it recognizes.
Troubleshooting common connection problems
If Alexa says "Spotify is not responding" or stops playing music, the most common cause is that your Spotify account has been signed out or your password has changed. Check that you can still log into Spotify on another device (your phone or computer). If you cannot, reset your Spotify password and then unlink and relink Spotify in the Alexa app.
If the link button does not appear in the Alexa app, make sure you are using the latest version of the app. Go to your phone's app store, search for Alexa, and update if an update is available. Also check that your Amazon account and Spotify account are both active and in good standing — if either account has been suspended or closed, the link will not work.
If you linked Spotify but Alexa still defaults to Amazon Music when you ask it to play something, you may not have set Spotify as your default music service. Return to Music & Podcasts > Default Music Services and confirm Spotify is selected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use Spotify Free with Alexa?
Yes. Spotify Free accounts work with Alexa the same way paid accounts do. You can play any song, playlist, or artist through voice command. The only limitation is that Spotify Free has ads during playback on the Spotify app itself, but this does not affect how Alexa plays music.
What if I have multiple Spotify accounts?
You can only link one Spotify account to one Amazon account at a time. If you have multiple Spotify accounts, you will need to unlink the current one and link a different one if you want to switch. Each person in your household can link their own Spotify account to their own Amazon account.
Does connecting Spotify to Alexa cost extra money?
No. Linking Spotify to Alexa is free and does not change your Spotify subscription cost. You pay Spotify for your account (or use Spotify Free), and you pay Amazon for your Alexa device or Alexa Plus subscription if you have one. The connection itself has no additional fee.
Can Alexa play Spotify offline?
No. Alexa requires an internet connection to stream music from Spotify. If your internet goes down, Alexa cannot play Spotify music. Spotify's offline read feature (available on Spotify Premium) works on the Spotify app on your phone or computer, but not through Alexa.
Will unlinking Spotify delete my playlists?
No. Unlinking only removes Alexa's permission to access your Spotify account. Your playlists, saved songs, and listening history remain in your Spotify account. You can relink Spotify to Alexa at any time and everything will still be there.