The Amazon Echo can be the center of your home entertainment. And that includes listening to podcasts as well as music or the audio from your Fire TV. Podcasts are a great alternative to digital radio stations and on the Amazon Echo, you have a number of options on where to get them from.
If you also use an iPhone or an iPad, you may already be invested in Apple Podcasts. The company has been at the forefront of providing podcasts since they became a thing, with a number of third-party clients using the Apple Podcasts library.
If you have an Amazon Echo you don’t need to worry about third-party clients or skills, you can listen to Apple Podcasts directly on your smart speaker. Here’s how to do it.
How to listen to Apple Podcasts on the Amazon Echo
Like with Apple Music, there is official support for Apple Podcasts on the Alexa platform that powers the Amazon Echo. Unlike Apple Music, however, the support isn’t baked in by default. To get your Apple Podcast fix you’ll need to spend a minute getting set up.
There are only two steps you need to follow, though.
- In the Alexa app on your phone or tablet, search for the Apple Podcasts skill and enable it.
- Authenticate the skill with your Apple ID to link it to your Alexa account.
You will now be able to listen to Apple Podcasts through any Amazon Echo your account is linked to. But there’s an additional step you should follow to make listening to podcasts more convenient.
Once enabled you’ll need to specify “on Apple Podcasts” to direct Alexa to the right service. If you set Apple Podcasts as your default podcasting platform you won’t need to do this.
- Open the Alexa app on your phone or tablet.
- Tap on More.
- Open Settings.
- Tap on the Music and Podcasts option.
- Tap on Default Services and choose Apple Podcasts as your podcast provider.
Now you won’t need to specify “on Apple Podcasts” when you ask Alexa to play a podcast for you. It’s worth highlighting, also, that the Apple Podcasts skill is currently pretty basic. You can basically play podcasts and that’s it. If you ask for a particular show it will play the latest episode only then upon completion move through the older ones sequentially. You can’t, as yet, ask for specific episodes it seems.
What is nice is that since it syncs to your Apple ID, you can resume a podcast on the Echo you started on your phone, and vice-versa. So while it is basic, it’s an easy, hands-free way to enjoy your favorite podcasts around the home. With multiple devices, like an Echo Dot in every room, you can create a group and fill your entire home with the latest episodes from your favorite podcasters.
Amazon Echo (4th Gen)
- The Amazon Echo is the best all-around smart speaker for most people with a nice design, great sound and the immense power of the Alexa ecosystem at its disposal.
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