Amazon just added a Sirius XM skill allowing users (All Access or Streaming Subscription required) to listen to SiriusXM channels on any of their Amazon Echo devices. SiriusXM joins existing music services Amazon Music, Spotify, Pandora, iHeartRadio, and Tunein Radio as music integrations that work on Amazon Echo devices.
SiriusXM offers online (web) and mobile (apps) as well as several device specific integrations. The Amazon Echo integration marks what may be Sirius’s best chance at reaching a mainstream home audience.
To enable Sirius XM Streaming On Amazon Echo Devices:
- From within the Amazon Alexa App, select Skills from the menu.
- Search for and Enable the SiriusXM Skill from the Music & Audio category.
- Select Link Account and enter your SiriusXM streaming username and password.
In order to play a Sirius XM channel on your Echo device you’ll need to memorize the channel name:
YES: Hey Alexa, Play 80s on 8 on Sirius XM
YES: Hey Alexa, Play CNN on Sirius XM
YES: Hey Alexa, Play Fox News on Sirius XM
YES: Hey Alexa, Play Howard Stern on Sirus XM (translates it to Howard 100)
NO: Hey Alexa, Play the 80s on Sirius XM
NO: Hey Alexa, Play channel 8 on Sirius XM
NO: Hey Alexa, Play the news on Sirius XM
The integration to Amazon Echo seems to work as described. In limited testing, multiple Echo devices were able simultaneously to use the same Sirius XM subscription.
We did notice some interruptions in service and can’t tell if that’s a limitation on the number of simultaneous listeners (online and mobile apps have always allowed just one person at a time to log into the same account) or if there is an initial glitch in the Sirius XM Echo Skill.
The Sirius XM integration can be enabled on your Alexa App or online.