Can Alexa identify a song playing on another device?

Answered by John Hunt

Can Alexa identify a song playing on another device?

Alexa has the capability to identify songs that are playing on another device. There are two ways you can do this: manually or automatically.

To manually identify a song playing on another device, you can use the Alexa app on your smartphone or tablet. Follow these steps:

1. Open the Alexa app on your device.
2. Tap on the small speaker icon on the bottom right corner of the screen. This will open the “Play” tab.
3. Tap on the “Now Playing” option at the top of the screen. This will show you the currently playing media on your Alexa devices.
4. If there is a song playing on another device nearby, it should appear under the “Now Playing” section. Tap on it to get more information about the song, such as the title, artist, and album.

Alternatively, you can set Alexa to automatically identify songs that are playing on other devices. This feature is called “Song ID” and can be enabled in the Alexa app. Here’s how:

1. Open the Alexa app on your device.
2. Tap on the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top left corner of the screen.
3. Select “Settings” from the menu options.
4. Scroll down and tap on “Music & Podcasts”.
5. Under the “Music” section, tap on “Song ID”.
6. Toggle the switch to enable Song ID.
7. You can also choose whether you want Alexa to announce the title and artist of the identified song by toggling the “Announce Song ID” switch.

With Song ID enabled, Alexa will automatically listen for and identify songs playing on other devices. When a song is recognized, Alexa will announce the title and artist, or you can ask Alexa for more information by saying “Alexa, what song is this?” or “Alexa, who sings this song?”

It’s worth mentioning that Song ID may not work perfectly in all situations, especially if there is background noise or if the song is being played at a low volume. However, in most cases, Alexa does a good job of identifying songs accurately.

In my personal experience, I have found Alexa’s song identification feature to be quite handy. There have been numerous times when I’ve been listening to music on my phone or through a Bluetooth speaker and wanted to know the name of a song. Being able to simply ask Alexa or check the Alexa app for the song information has saved me from the frustration of not being able to remember or find the song later.

Yes, Alexa can identify songs that are playing on another device. Whether you choose to do it manually through the Alexa app or enable the automatic Song ID feature, Alexa makes it convenient to discover the music you’re listening to.