It’s long been possible to say “Hey Google” to your Google smart speaker to request a playlist from, say, YouTube Music, Spotify, Pandora, and even Apple Music. But can you spot the major music service that’s missing?
Until now, Amazon Music had been conspicuously absent from the list of music streamers that Google Assistant could easily control on your Google Nest smart speaker or display. Recently, though, Google has begun changing its tune in regard to Amazon Music support on its Nest devices.
As spotted by 9to5Google, Amazon Music can finally be set as a default music service on your Google smart speakers. The other supported streaming services include the aforementioned YouTube Music (no surprise there), as well as Apple Music, Spotify, Deezer, iHeartRadio, and Pandora.
Google Nest devices such as the Nest Hub Max and the Nest Audio had previously been able to stream Amazon Music tunes via Chromecast casting. But if you wanted to use Google Assistant voice commands to tee up Amazon Music playlists on Nest devices, you needed help from a Bluetooth-connected phone.
Now, however, you can ask Google Assistant to fire up your favorite Amazon Music playlist directly on your Google smart speakers, no phone required.
To get started, fire up the Google Home app, tap Settings > Google Assistant > Music (you may have to tap “More Google Assistant settings” to get to the Music menu), then tap Amazon Music to link your account to Google Assistant.
Once that’s all set, you can say “Hey Google, play 1989 by Taylor Swift” to your Nest smart speaker to start playing the album, or say “Hey Google, play ‘Blank Space’” to play a particular track.
You can use the “Hey Google” wake phrase with music-centric commands such as “play songs like Taylor Swift,” “play happy music,” “shuffle,” or “play 1989 and shuffle.”
Some Amazon Music-specific voice commands include “play my songs” (which will queue up tunes from your Amazon Music library), “play ” (to play a particular playlist, including your own or one curated my Amazon), “skip forward [x] seconds,” “play it again,” and “repeat on” or “repeat off.”
Other “Hey Google” playback commands include “pause,” “stop,” and “skip,” as well as “set volume to 50 percent” or “louder.”
Finally, you can play tunes over a Google speaker group by saying (for example) “Hey Google, play Taylor Swift on downstairs speakers.”
Author: Ben Patterson, Senior Writer, TechHive
Ben has been writing about technology and consumer electronics for more than 20 years. A PCWorld contributor since 2014, Ben joined TechHive in 2019, where he has covered everything from smart speakers and soundbars to smart lights and security cameras. Ben's articles have also appeared in PC Magazine, TIME, Wired, CNET, Men's Fitness, Mobile Magazine, and more. Ben holds a master's degree in English literature.