
Nowadays, there are so many subscriptions to keep up with…
And when it comes to music, you’d rather not pay for any.
But it’s inconvenient when you wanna play a song on your Alexa.
Now, you search for free ways to play music…
Well, you’re in luck.
Just…
Keep reading to find out:
- 5 sneaky ways to play music on Alexa for free.
- Whether it’s possible to play music on Alexa for free through radio.
- How to link another device or music streaming service on your Alexa in 3 easy steps.
- And many more…
How to play music on Alexa for free?
To play music on Alexa for free, you can link another device to your Amazon Echo. Another way is to listen to radio applications like TuneIn Radio or iHeartRadio. Then, you can also try free versions of music streaming services. Examples are Spotify Free, Free Amazon music, or Pandora.
5 ways to play music on Alexa for free
#1: Link another device
Get ready for a lifehack…
Treat your Amazon Echo just like how you treat a Bluetooth speaker.
Yep, you can do that…
You’ll just need to connect a device to your Echo…
It can be a smartphone or any Bluetooth-enabled device.
After that, you can stream music on YouTube.
Or, if you have downloaded songs on your device, you can also play those.
Note that you’ll have to have the Alexa app installed on your device to do this sneaky hack.
Linking Amazon echo to Bluetooth-enabled device
Step 1: Enable Bluetooth
- For iPhone: it’ll be on the control panel.
- For Android:smartphones, you can turn your Bluetooth on in the notification panel.
You can also open Bluetooth by going to your ‘Settings.’
Step 2: Open the Alexa app.
Step 3: Pair your device (phone) with Alexa
You can do this by saying these words out loud:
“Alexa, pair [name of your device].”
Make sure that your Echo will hear it.
Step 4: Pairing your Echo with your device (phone)
Now, select ‘Echo Dot’ on your phone to pair.
Step 4: Link the 2 devices
Now, it’s time to say this out loud:
“Alexa, connect to [name of your device].”
Step 5: Play any song from a source of your choice.
Select music from your smartphone using an app of your choice. Whether it be on YouTube or your downloaded music.
And with that, enjoy this free way of listening to your Amazon Echo.
Read also: 7 Steps To Use Alexa as a Speaker for a PC (No Bluetooth)
#2: Use Spotify Free
Spotify Free used to be inaccessible by Alexa.
In the past, Alexa could only summon music on demand if the Spotify user is a paying customer.
But now, that has changed.
You can now link your Spotify account on Alexa…
That’s whether you’re subscribed to Spotify Premium or not.
But, there are still limitations to this free access.
First of all, you can’t play any music that you wanna hear instantly.
That’s the thing about Spotify Free.
You’re only allowed to listen to a playlist. And it should be on shuffle.
You won’t have the treat of playing this particular song when you want it.
So, you’d still have to curate a playlist of your favorite songs at the moment.
If not, Spotify also creates playlists based on your listening activity. Some examples are:
- On Repeat.
- Discover Weekly.
With that, you can tell Alexa to play songs from those playlists. Then, you can enjoy music personalized according to your taste.
You can also avail of their free trial period
Spotify offers a 30-day free trial period to new users.
However, it’s only a one-time offer.
After the trial period expires, they’re gonna charge you every billing month.
So, if you use this trick and don’t wanna push through your subscription…
Take note that you should cancel your Premium before the trial period ends. If not, you’ll be automatically charged a $9.99 monthly fee.
How to link another streaming service on your Alexa
So, your Amazon Echo initially comes with Amazon Music. Then, it’s the default music player of the device.
But, you might prefer another music streaming service.
Or, you just want to use a free trial period on another provider.
Whatever it is, this is how you can link a 3rd-party music app to your Amazon Echo:
Step 1: Access the Alexa app using your phone or computer.
Step 2: Add another music streaming service
- Click on ‘Settings,’ then select ‘Music & Podcasts.’ You’ll find the latter under the section ALEXA PREFERENCES.
- Then, select ‘Link New Service,’ which you can find under SERVICES.
- Browse other music providers. Then, select the one you’re planning to add.
Step 3: Enabling and setting up
Click ‘Enable to Use,’ and just follow the instructions. It’ll include logging in to your account.
For further reading: Alexa Won’t Play Spotify: 15 Easy Ways To Fix It
#3: Listen through radio apps
Let’s kick it old-school…
Well, only by a little, though.
I’m talking about how you can enjoy free music on your Alexa by listening to the radio.
First, make sure that you’ve linked the radio app on your Alexa.
To do so, just follow the ‘How to link another streaming service on your Alexa’ above.
Then, enable Alexa’s skill by saying ‘Alexa, enable TuneIn skill’ aloud.
Moreover, you might be wondering which radio application to use.
Well, here are 2 of the best apps that I suggest:
TuneIn
This is a popular radio choice you can access through Alexa.
But first, let me clarify some things…
According to TuneIn, they offer 2 kinds of apps. Then, you can also avail a premium subscription.
Here are they:
TuneIn Radio
This is their free application. Its features are:
- Has 5.7M podcasts available.
- Can access up to 100,000 radio stations.
- With pre-roll advertisements and banners ads.
TuneIn Radio Pro
It’s an application that requires a one-time payment of $9.99 to install.
Features:
- Lets you choose to listen to 5.7M podcasts.
- Free from pre-roll and banner advertisements.
- Has up to 100,000 real radio stations available.
TuneIn Premium
This one’s a subscription that you can access from both TuneIn apps.
With this, you can enjoy these additional features:
- Access live NFL and NHL games.
- Tune in with college football and basketball games from 130+ schools.
- Access over 600 commercial-free music radio stations.
So, TuneIn doesn’t always require payment.
It’ll be up to you if you wanna purchase the last 2 types of service that they have.
But, their free application can get you what you want already…
You’d just have to endure the advertisements first. Then, your radio station will be for you to enjoy.
To do so, just say this near your Amazon Echo:
“Alexa, play [radio station].”
iHeartRadio
This is another great option that you can access for free.
Link iHeartRadio on your Alexa. Do so by following the ‘How to link another streaming service on your Alexa.’
After that, it’s time to enable the app. You can do so by saying:
“Alexa, enable iHeartRadio skill.”
Now, let me tell you what iHeartRadio has to offer.
First of all, you can access your preferred local radio stations.
Moreover, you’ll be able to listen to podcasts as well.
And most of all, listen to songs from music stations.
Plus, you can choose depending on your preference.
iHeartRadio has a lot of exclusives that are tailored to their listeners’ liking.
So, whether you like pop, country, or hip-hop…
Well, iHeartRadio’s got you.
Oh, and you can enjoy all of those for free.
You might also want to know: Why Won’t Alexa Play My Radio Station?
#4: Use Pandora

This is yet another free app where you can listen to music, podcasts, and radio.
Pandora lets you make your own radio stations.
You can base your own station on your favorite songs or artists. Or, you can build it around your fave music genre.
If you’re not set on making your own…
Oh, Pandora’s got you.
They also have numerous curated stations for you. You can browse different genres of radio stations and find one that fits your mood.
Not just that…
You can also listen to your preferred podcasts.
But since this is free, the app will be running with ads.
Regardless, you can still say:
“Alexa, play Today’s Hits on Pandora.”
And you can hear the most-loved songs at the moment. Maybe one can be your next fave.
But for that to happen, follow these simple instructions first:
Step 1: Link Pandora to your Alexa. Kindly follow the ‘How to link another streaming service on your Alexa’ earlier.
Step 2: Make sure that Pandora’s enabled on your Alexa. Just say, “Alexa, enable Pandora skill.”
Step 3: Enjoy your free music through demanding Alexa.
So, say that you enjoyed Pandora’s service the most…
With that, you can set it on default. Here’s how:
Setting a music streaming application as default on your Alexa
As I said, your Amazon Echo has an Amazon Music set.
With that, you’d need to specify to Alexa which music app it’ll play music on.
For example, if you wanna listen in Pandora, you’d say:
“Alexa, play [song/playlist/station] on Pandora.”
But, you can change that by removing Amazon Music as default.
Then, change its settings to whatever app you choose.
In this example, you’ll be setting Pandora as default.
Kindly follow these steps to do so:
Step 1: Head to your Alexa app.
Step 2: Select the ‘More’ tab on the lower right corner.
Step 3: Go to ‘Settings’ and click ‘Music & Podcasts.’
Step 4: Head to ‘Default Services.’
Step 5: Select your chosen music streaming app for all 3 category options.
And with that, you’d only need to say:
“Alexa, play [song/playlist/station].”
Then, it’ll automatically play from your default application.
You might also be interested in: How To Make Alexa Stop Playing Music at a Certain Time
#5: Free Amazon Music
The classic and default Amazon Music can also cater to your music needs.
You can always go back to it or endure its services.
With that, you can enjoy listening to music from curated playlists and stations.
Moreover, you’ll also be able to listen to podcasts.
But just like anything else that’s free, there are restrictions.
You’ll have to endure a few advertisements before hearing a song or podcast.
Then, you can’t select a particular song on a whim.
Unfortunately, you can only command Alexa to play you something from a playlist.
Whether it be one that you made for yourself or those preset playlists by Amazon.
So you’d be saying something along the lines of:
“Alexa, play [album/artist/playlist] station.”
With that, have fun listening to free music that fits your vibes at the moment.
Continue reading: 7 Steps To Play Amazon Music On Alexa