Smart devices are becoming an integral part of our homes.
There are smart assistants like the Amazon Echo and smart lights connected to AI platforms such as Alexa.
Given the convenience, it’s common to wonder how you can use these smart devices to make your home more enjoyable.
Alexa can light up to music through Alexa-enabled smart lights and related apps. Once you’ve got both the lights and the app set up, all you need to do is press a few buttons and get grooving!
In this article, I’ll cover three ways in which you can get your Alexa to light up to music.
Can Alexa Play Lights With Music?
Alexa can play lights with music, as long as they’re smart lights. The technology in smart lights enables them to connect to your Amazon Alexa and allows them to sync to the music you’re playing.
In addition, your music needs to be playing via speakers.
The way smart lights connect to music is by detecting the beats of the music.
So, they’ll be unable to do so if the music is only audible over headphones or earphones.
Getting Your Alexa To Light Up to Music
If you’re wondering how to use your Alexa to groove with the music you’re playing, here are three options:
1. Make Use of Philips Hue Lights
Philips Hue is one of the most popular smart bulbs out there, and they’re definitely my favorite.
You can buy them in a range of colors or opt for the white set.
If you’re looking to sync your lights to music, my preferred option is the Philips Hue Premium Smart Light Starter Kit.
Available on Amazon.com, this is the ‘colorful’ option in the range and allows you to access over 16 million light colors.
Once you have the lights, you need to set them up and link them to Alexa.
To do so, you’ll have to:
Set Up the Philips Hue Bridge
The Philips Hue Bridge comes included in most Philips Hue light packs and allows you to control over 50 lights. To set it up, you’ll need to:
- Plug in the Bridge.
- Connect it to your WiFi. You’ll need to use the included Ethernet cable to do so.
- Wait until the three lights on the Bridge turn on.
- Download the Hue App. This is available on both the App Store and the Google Play Store.
- Open the app using a phone that’s connected to the same WiFi network as the Bridge. Go to Settings, then to Hue Bridges, and then to Add Hue Bridge in the app.
- Follow the setup instructions.
Set Up the Philips Hue Lights
Once the Hue Bridge is set up, you can now set up the lights. To do so, you’ll have to:
- Open the Philips Hue App. Go to Settings, then Light Setup, then Add Lights.
- Plug in the serial mentioned on the light bulb. You can either search for this number on the app or add it manually.
- Follow the setup instructions on the app.
Sync Your Philips Hue Lights to Your Alexa
Now that you’ve got the lights set up, it’s time to sync them to your Alexa. To do so:
- Open the Alexa app on your mobile.
- Go to the Skills and Games section in the menu.
- Search for Hue in the search bar, and choose the Philips Hue result.
- Press the ‘Enable to Use’ button.
- Switch to your Philips Hue App and sign in.
- Select Discover Devices. This will allow your lights to connect to Alexa.
Sync the Philips Hue Lights to Music Using Hue Disco
Once you’ve got your Hue Lights set up, you can now sync them to music. You’ll have to download a third-party app that allows you to do so.
There are several options available, depending on which mobile device you use.
My favorite option is Hue Disco, which is available for both Android and iPhone users.
The app is among the only options that let you sync your lights to any music.
You’re not limited to only songs played on your mobile. This is the app’s advantage over its competitors.
The app setup is also relatively easy. Once you’ve got everything set up, you have complete control over the light effects.
You can adjust how fast the lights flash and how sensitive they are to audio.
Then, all you need to do is get your Alexa to play your favorite music and enjoy!
Check out: 3 Ways To Make Alexa Stop Playing Music at a Certain Time
2. Sync Your Ikea Trådfri Smart Lights
Aside from Philips, another prominent brand wading into the smart light market is Ikea.
The major advantage of Ikea’s lights is that they’re more affordable. However, their smart technology is newer and less sophisticated.
That said, these smart lights are just as effective if you’re looking for something that’ll light up with the music you play.
Before you can sync them to music, you’ll first need to set them up and sync them to your Alexa.
In order to do so, you’ll need to:
Set Up the Ikea Trådfri Gateway
The Gateway is what allows you to connect your smart lights to your Alexa. To set it up, you should:
- Download and launch the Ikea Home Smart App.
- Plugin your Gateway following the instructions.
- Tap Next on the app, and then tap Scan.
- Find the Security Code on the bottom of the Gateway, and scan it using your phone. Alternatively, you can type in the code manually.
- Follow the instructions to link your Trådfri products to the Gateway.
Link Your Trådfri Bulbs to Alexa
- Open the Trådfri App. It’s available for both Apple and Android users.
- Go to Settings, then choose Integrations. Then, pick the Amazon Alexa option and click Enable.
- Sign in with your Amazon account and click Allow.
- Switch to the Alexa app. Search for the Trådfri in the search bar, and click on the selection.
- Click on Devices, then Add Device. Then, choose Light and select Ikea.
- Follow the instructions on the screen. Once linked, click on Discover Devices. You should now be able to control your Trådfri with Alexa.
Sync to Music
The last step is to sync your Alex-enabled Trådfri smart lights to music. To do so, you’ll have to down a relevant third-party app.
As with the Philips bulbs, there are numerous options available.
My favorites are Tradfri Disco and Tradfri Melodi. Both are available on the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.
Like Hue Disco, they use your phone’s microphone to detect changes in the sound in the environment.
They then use it to help your Trådfri lights change color in time with the beat.
In addition, they allow you to control both microphone sensitivity and the intensity of the brightness.
It also offers multiple color options for you to choose from.
You might also want to know: Philips Hue vs Ikea Tradfri: 5 Main Differences Compared
3. Play With Light Rhapsody
While lights synced to your music is a fun concept, not everyone imagines them looking like lightbulbs.
That’s where Light Rhapsody comes in.
Light Rhapsody is a set of holiday light strings that can use Bluetooth to connect to your Amazon Alexa.
You can buy the Light Rhapsody Holiday String Lights on Amazon.com.
These bulbs offer 24 colors. You can also set them up to flash in 9 “color themes,” including Mardis Gras and Valentine’s Day.
To set these lights up, you’ll need to:
- Go to the Alexa app and open Settings.
- Select the device you want to pair your lights to.
- Select Bluetooth and click Pair a New Device.
- Select your Light Rhapsody lights.
- When the lights connect, they will change colors.
- Go to the Skills section of the app and select Light Rhapsody.
Once that’s done, you can command Alexa to “start beat detection.”
This allows the lights to start changing colors based on the beat of the music you’re playing.
You can also refer to this YouTube video for help on how to set up Light Rhapsody. It also includes a review of the product:
Final Thoughts
Your Alexa offers you a range of functionalities.
When synced with your smart lights, it can even help them flash in time to the music you play over your Alexa device.
However, you’ll need to have a set of Alexa-enabled smart lights and a relevant third-party app.
There are many options available in the market. However, the top choices are the Philips Hue lights, the Ikea Trådfri smart lights, and Light Rhapsody.
Learn more: How to keep Alexa from stopping music playback?