New multi-room music feature lets you group multiple Amazon Echo devices for synchronised music streaming in every room

New Alexa developer tools extend multi-room audio to other connected speakers and audio systems

SEATTLE—29th August, 2017—Amazon today announced an all-new Alexa feature that lets you control and synchronise music across multiple Amazon Echo devices in your home. Starting today, you can target music to a specific Echo device, or a group of devices—just ask. Soon, this ability will be extended to control multi-room music on other connected speakers using simply your voice.

“In just the last few months, we’ve added dozens of new features to Alexa that enhance your entertainment experience—control of Amazon Fire TV and your home entertainment systems via Echo; music lyrics, Amazon Video, and movie trailers on Echo Show; and activity-based music searches—and we’re just getting started,” said Toni Reid, Vice President, Amazon Alexa. “Today, we’re making Alexa even smarter with an all-new feature that lets you play music synchronised on multiple Echo devices to provide room filling music throughout your home.”

Multi-Room Music on Amazon Echo and Echo Dot
You can now synchronise your music playback across Echo devices to play songs from Amazon Music, and TuneIn, with support for Spotify coming soon. Customers in the US can also listen to iHeartRadio and Pandora, with support for SiriusXM coming soon. Simply use the Alexa App to create groups with two or more Echo devices by naming the group, such as “downstairs.” Once you’ve created the group, simply say “Alexa, play John Mayer downstairs.”

Customers in the US, UK, Germany and Austria can start using multi-room music today on their Echo and Echo Dot devices, and, also on Echo Show in the US.

New Tools Let Device Makers Create Additional Voice-Controlled Experiences with Alexa
Amazon also announced two new sets of tools for developers to bring multi-room music control to their speakers.

Alexa Voice Service (AVS) Multi-Room Music SDK
Amazon is introducing new tools that enable AVS device makers to integrate with Amazon Alexa Multi-Room Music. Doing so will allow customers to play their music across supported Echo and AVS devices—for example, a customer with three Echo devices and two standalone AVS speakers can play synchronised music across all five devices. These tools will be available early next year.

Connected Speaker APIs
These new tools enable device makers with connected audio systems to control music playback using Alexa. A customer can then use any Alexa-enabled device – for example an Echo Dot – to play music throughout their home on their connected audio systems. Amazon is excited to be working with leading brands on this offering, including Sonos, Bose, Sound United, and Samsung.

“Alexa set the standard for voice in smart homes, so working with Amazon to bring voice control to Sonos for the first time was an obvious choice,” said Antoine Leblond, VP of Software, Sonos. “This has been a close collaboration from the beginning as we’ve worked together to combine the magic of Alexa with the seamless multi-room audio capabilities that Sonos pioneered. We’re proud of the work we’ve done together as Amazon’s first multi-room partner – all you’ll need is an Alexa-enabled device and playing music out loud on Sonos will be as easy as saying ‘Alexa, play music in the living room.’”

“Sound United is constantly striving to provide consumers with the best possible user experience. With AI voice services simplifying how we control our home environments and products, we’re excited Denon, Marantz and HEOS customers will be some of the first to experience Alexa multi-room audio compatibility and the power of voice control,” said Kevin Duffy, CEO and president of Sound United. “Soon, users will be able to play their favourite song, alter the volume or change an input in any room where our connected products are placed, simply by asking Alexa to do so.”

“We’re thrilled to integrate Alexa multi-room audio with Samsung speakers,” said Jun Young Kim, Vice President of AV Business Team at Samsung. “With Alexa multi-room audio and Samsung, customers will simply be able to ask Alexa to play their favourite music in any room of the house – using only their voice. Listening to great music on Samsung speakers has never been easier.”

The Connected Speaker APIs are available in developer preview starting today.

Device makers can learn more about the new AVS developer tools here.

About Amazon
Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit www.amazon.co.uk/about and follow @AmazonNews.