Amazon expanded its Alexa digital assistant to its Amazon Music app for iOS and Android in September last year. Users could access the assistant through a tap-to-talk function. Since then, one of the top requests by Amazon Music users has been for a hands-free listening experience and today, Amazon is granting them their wish. The company has confirmed that hands free music listening is coming to Amazon Music courtesy of Alexa.
Amazon Music users can now rely on Alexa wake word compatibility in the app. This gives users a full integration of voice capabilities so when they launch the app now, they can simply ask Alexa to play the music they want to listen to without having to use the tap-to-talk function.
Music playback in the app thus becomes completely hands free when it’s open and in the foreground on any iOS and Android smartphone. They can ask Alexa to play music by activity, mood, genre, artist, lyrics or song title. They can even create a playlist just by asking. Alexa can also control playback by pausing, playing, and moving back and forth between songs on command.
Amazon Music Unlimited and Prime Music listeners who want to take advantage of this feature should update the app today for both iOS and Android. The feature can be turned on and off through the app’s settings.
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