Play track using Echo?

Great post a little while ago for something that I couldn't figure out. How to trigger a custom sound on a smart speaker. In the video just posted Pete shows how to do it using Rule machine and a sonos. I don't have a sonos and am using an echo device. The echo says "I can find the song" that I uploaded to the hub and copied the link from.

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Maybe this is only possible with sonos speakers and not smart speakers like echo or google devices for some reason?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Un0Co7dVTlY

I was wondering the same thing. Also wondering if it's possible to integrate Plex or something for the file location. I would like to load up hours of sleep sounds to play locally instead of streaming through the echo.

For whatever reason my Echos have rarely worked for the last week or 2. I'm getting ready to scrap them and move to Sonos and maybe raspy for basic voice automations. Death to Alexa!!!

I have a version of Lannouncer running on a old android phone, the app supported two slots for MP3's but I was never able to get that working with their API calls. It works for TTS if you wire the phone to say a whole house audio intercom but that's about it.

Interesting, I have avoided the rabbit hole of local music accessible via voice using plex (although Iā€™m interested) because of my perception of the complexity. I use bt from my phone to my echos for local music.

My echos only become flaky when there is and internet issue. Otherwise they generally work well. Accept in those instances where it decides to turn all the house lights on when you only wanted the room you are in. Of course that only happens when the kids are already sleeping.

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I got this working on my Google Homes. You have to use 'Run Custom Action' in Rule Machine. It only works if you select 'Speech Device', instead of music player. Then right click on the file in the file manager, select 'Copy Link Address' and put that as the parameter for your Custom Action -> PlayTrack

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Ok, I'm getting closer. AL says it still can't find it though. I entered the location as a "string" in RM.

That looks like what I have set up. I don't know if it works the same way on Echos, but my Google Home speaker works with your current configuration.

One other note, with Google Home I usually initialize the speaker before playing, then have a 3 second wait. Does Echo have something like that?

Oh man. I've gone like all in on the AL's. Probably 12 already.

I used to have to GHM but gave them to a friend. I have a larger GH Insignia brand speaker, but I can not see how, if or where that would show up. I've linked the Google app to hubitat, but I don't get this speaker as an option in this rule.

@schultzey11

@stevenkandres is correct. Amazon doesnā€™t permit echos to be used to play random tracks.

Add the chromecast integration is what gets the speaker to show up.

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Thanks or thanks alot Amazon. Bummer.

Ok thanks for the help and preventing me from continuing to chase this, so close.

The google speaker shows up and I can confirm it does play the track :slight_smile: at least I didn't give this one away.

I am quicky tiring of Alexa. I find myself needing her less and less as I've replaced much of her functionality with actual automations. Music is still an issue so if Amazon won't let us do this let's discuss other speaker options. I'm aware Sonos is out there including the well priced one on Ikea but are there others? Please list known speakers that can work with Hubitat.

Well, there is a way to do this. But it is slightly complicated.

  1. You need a Raspberry Pi (or equivalent) with a bluetooth dongle.
  2. Pair your Echo to your RPi via BT.
  3. Use the RPi to play tracks using the BT speaker as output.

Curious if Home Assistant has already figured this out.

Is there a tutorial somewhere for this? I have a rspie but have never used it. Iā€™m not sure itā€™s worthy the effort for this, however for my compete music library it would be.

Not really.

Is there a way to get the music file to repeat within the rule?

None that I'm aware of. If that's a feature you want, maybe look into setting up VLC on your raspberry pi and connect it to Hubitat with the VLC Thing app. That might work for your purposes.

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