There’s a nostalgic feel to manually adjusting your Yamaha receiver’s knobs.
But let’s be honest…
Every now and then, it’s much better to control your audio device hands-free.
Especially if you’re busy or just too tired to get out of bed.
Luckily, Alexa can help you achieve this.
Keep reading to discover:
- 7 steps to connect Alexa to Yamaha receiver.
- Why you need to enable 2 Alexa Skills for this process.
- 3 genius tips to make this MusicCast & Alexa connection more convenient.
- And this is just the beginning…
How to connect Alexa to Yamaha receiver – 7 steps
#1: Download the apps needed
For this process, you need 2 mobile applications.
The first one’s the Amazon Alexa app (iOS/Android).
You’ll need it to control your AI later.
And the other one’s the MusicCast Controller application (iOS/Android).
It’s responsible for controlling the audio system built into many Yamaha products. Including your receiver.
So, install both applications if you haven’t already done so.
And log in before you go ahead and…
#2: Prepare your devices
Have your Echo device and Yamaha receiver near you.
And double-check that they’re connected to the Internet.
After all, that’s their only communication method.
Not sure how to do so?
No worries. I’ll show you exactly how to…
Ensure your Echo is online:
Step 1: Check if it’s connected to the Internet
Unmute your Echo device and say:
“Alexa, what’s the weather like today?”
If your AI doesn’t answer the question properly…
Your Echo doesn’t have access to the Internet.
Because it can only check weather updates if it’s online.
In that case, you should proceed to…
Step 2: Know your network’s credentials
You’ll need to input your WiFI password in the next step.
So, take this time to remember or get a copy of your network’s credentials.
After doing so…
Step 3: Connect your Echo to the Internet
- Launch your Amazon Alexa application.
- Tap Devices at the bottom of the screen.
- Click the Echo & Alexa tile at the top.
- Select your Echo device’s name from the list.
- Tap the Status tab near the bottom of your app.
- Click the Change option beside “Wi-Fi Network.”
- Follow the on-screen instructions.
Editor’s pick: 5 Things Alexa Can Do Without Internet (Updated Guide)
How to connect your Yamaha receiver to the Internet:
Connecting your receiver to the Internet is already a byproduct of:
Linking your Yamaha device with MusicCast.
So if your receiver isn’t online, just…
Follow this video to set up your audio device with the MusicCast app:
Once both your Alexa and Yamaha devices are online…
#3: Head to MusicCast’s settings
Open up your MusicCast Controller application.
Then on its home page…
Tap the Settings (gear) icon at the top-right corner.
In the new screen that appears…
#4: Start the Amazon Alexa setup
Click the “Amazon Alexa setup” option under the App Settings heading.
Then, select Start setup.
You’ll be asked to log in using your Connect ID.
So, follow further instructions and finish off this step by tapping Accept.
Note: If you don’t have a Connect ID, you may create 1 on this page.
Now, click the Start button, and when a new window appears…
Click Next.
#5: Open the Amazon Alexa application
The MusicCast app will ask you whether you’d like to open the Amazon Alexa application.
Simply tap Yes to give your permission for this action.
And once the Amazon Alexa app loads fully…
#6: Enable the MusicCast Smart Home Skill
First, let’s briefly talk about Alexa Skills.
Simply speaking, they’re like applications for your AI to use.
But unlike the mobile apps you’re already used to…
You can only interact with Alexa Skills through voice commands.
So, just imagine that…
Your AI is the one doing all the tapping and clicking for you.
Now, Alexa needs the MusicCast Smart Home Skill to interact with your Yamaha receiver.
Hence, you should…
Follow these steps to enable the MusicCast Smart Home Skill:
Step 1: On your Alexa app, click More
You’ll find this at the bottom-right corner of your screen.
Step 2: Select Skills & Games
It’s the option with the star icon.
Step 3: Click the magnifying glass
You’ll see this at the top of your screen.
Step 4: Search “MusicCast”
When the results show up…
Step 5: Select the Skill titled “MusicCast Smart Home”
There are 2 official MusicCast Skills.
And you’ll need to enable both of them.
But for now, let’s focus on the Skill titled “MusicCast Smart Home.”
So, select it from the results and proceed to…
Step 6: Click ENABLE TO USE
Note: It’s near the middle of your screen.
When a new window appears, press and Continue and…
Step 7: Fill in the necessary information
Follow further instructions to sign in using your MusicCast account’s details.
And at the end of the process, tap Accept.
You might also want to know: Why Is the Alexa App So Slow? 3 Reasons and Instant Fixes
#7: Turn ON the MusicCast Skill
As mentioned earlier…
This is the 2nd Alexa Skill you must enable for this process.
Now you may wonder:
“How are the 2 Skills different?”
Well, it all comes down to what they can control.
See, the first Skill, MusicCast Smart Home…
Allows you to control your Yamaha receiver with very basic functions.
For example:
- Volume control.
- Playing/pausing.
- Turning ON/OFF.
On the other hand, the MusicCast Skill focuses on music-related commands, including:
- Skipping or repeating songs.
- Playing a specific song/playlist.
- Asking what music is currently playing.
So, if you want to have fully hands-free control over your Yamaha receiver, you must also…
Enable the MusicCast Skill:
- Return to your Amazon Alexa app’s home screen.
- Click More at the bottom.
- Select Skills & Games.
- Tap the magnifying glass.
- Search “MusicCast.”
- Click the Skill that states “MusicCast.”.
- Tap ENABLE TO USE.
- Sign in using your MusicCast account’s information.
- Click Accept at the end of the process.
Read next: 10 Steps To Activate “Alexa Party Mode” (w. Video)
Bonus: Test your new home audio setup
It’s time for the fun part of this process.
And that’s to test your Alexa and Yamaha receiver connection.
All you have to do is unmute your Echo device.
Then, say voice commands using this template:
“Alexa, ask MusicCast to [name of specific action] my [Yamaha receiver’s name].
Now, to make the best out of your newly set up hands-free audio system, here are…
3 tips to make this MusicCast & Alexa connection more convenient:
#1: Familiarize the voice commands you can use
MusicCast allows you to utilize over a dozen Alexa voice commands.
So, to make your Yamaha audio experience as hands-free as possible…
Familiarize yourself with most, if not all, of them.
This way, more often than not, you won’t have to control your receiver manually.
“Where can I find the MusicCast voice commands I can use?”
Just head back to your Alexa Skill’s homepage by following these steps:
- Open the Amazon Alexa app.
- Tap More.
- Click Skills & Games.
- Search the MusicCast Skill you want to know more about.
- Select it from the results.
Then, scroll down to read the voice commands you may use.
#2: Put your Echo and Yamaha speakers in different rooms
If you’re like me, who likes blasting music so loud it almost makes my ears hurt…
I highly recommend putting your Echo and Yamaha speakers in different rooms.
Or at least 10ft (3m) away from each other.
This way, even if you play a very loud track…
Alexa can still hear your voice commands if you want to change the song or adjust the volume.
“Won’t doing this weaken the connection between Alexa and MusicCast?”
No. Those 2 communicate through the Internet.
So, as long as your Echo and receiver are less than 50ft (15m) away from your router…
It doesn’t matter how much the distance is between these 2 audio devices.
#3: Setup MusicCast playlists
MusicCast is compatible with many music platforms, including:
- Tidal.
- Spotify.
- Amazon Music.
However, when you ask this audio system to play a playlist through Alexa…
By default, it’ll search your MusicCast playlists first.
So, if the title you mentioned isn’t there…
Alexa might ask you to specify which app you’d like to play from.
This back-and-forth conversation with your voice assistant isn’t really time-efficient.
So, it’s best to just set up a MusicCast playlist:
- Launch the MusicCast Controller app.
- Click your Yamaha receiver’s name.
- Select your preferred streaming platform.
- Find and tap any song you want to add to your playlist.
- Tap the 3-dotted icon on your screen.
- Select Add to MusicCast Playlist.
- Choose the specific playlist you want to add the song to.
Now, when you want Alexa to play your newly made playlist, just say…
“Alexa, ask MusicCast to play .”