I thought I'd use Rule Machines functionality to play an mp3 file on an Amazon Echo device. I followed this tutorial:
I set up a rule using the URL to the local file I have uploaded to Hubitat and set the trigger to a button push. When I pressed the button the Amazon Echo played a song, but not my mp3 file (Instead it played a song with a band called 1000HP which I assume is the first band in some list).
Amazon Echo not supported and I should use the Echo speaks app instead?
How is your Amazon Echo currently integrated with Hubitat? If using the official Hubitat Skill for Alexa, I am not aware of any way to play a mp3 file using that integration. It is designed to expose Hubitat devices to Alexa, to allow voice control and Alexa Routines to utilize them.
I have an IKEA Symfonisk speaker (i.e. Sonos) which does work great locally to play back an mp3 file stored locally on the Hubitat hub. We have the Blue Clues "We just got a letter" song play every time the mailbox is opened.
Never tried this myself. But I believe in other threads, people have said it’s not possible to get an Amazon Echo device to directly play an mp3 file (regardless of how you integrate it with Hubitat).
When I was a Smartthings hub user years ago (before Hubitat), I used Ask Alexa to play mp3 files. I had a Lambda AWS Echo skill. But the developer of Ask Alexa is no longer supporting that great app. I have not tried to set up another Lambda AWS skill to play a local mp3. I suppose someone could. I just have not seen it. There is the Amazon My Media skill, but I have not checked that out.
Woa, I tried 'echo speaks' and oh no, what a cluster. They want your first born after a long install process. DELETE!
I use Google devices which integrate very nicely with HE, WHY can't Echo be the same integration?
YMMV, but once I set up Echo Speaks and adjusted some of the nuisances of the app, it has been working flawlessly for over a year now. And yes, I can get my Echo devices to play/speak/do all kinds of things.
I don't think that you can get an Echo to play an mp3 file. But someone here may have investigated that further. But you certainly can have it speak text. And you change choose from many different voice profiles. Here is one of my webcore examples...
So my house is mainly a google home home.. but seeing they aren't being sold now I wont be buying another one for outside annoucements.
So I have connected my fridge tablet (Android) to the echo via Bluetooth.
I have uploaded an MP3 to the hubitat hub.
Now wondering the best way for hubitat to make my tablet play an MP3 using a trigger in a rule.
I can think of some ways, but they need something like Tasker to intercept the notifications.. It's probably obvious but is there an efficient way to either playtrack through my tablet which then plays over Bluetooth, or trigger the tablet to play a song without using Tasker on the tablet...
Alternatively I could get a Sonos for outside I guess.. Use it as an outdoors speaker. But I usually use a Bluetooth speaker when in the yard so not super keen to buy a Sonos for outside.
There is an Alexa skill, "My Audio." You can create a routine to play an uploaded play list or a single mp3 file. I use it to play the old AOL "You've got mail." when my mailbox is opened.
Does this do the Alexa announcement before playing the sound? It may be obvious, but where does the MP3 sit? I don't think songs can be uploaded to Amazon music anymore?
I've been using iBroadcast but that accounces things before playing the mp3 I uploaded there which detracts from the experience.
Edit: Seems it's also a third party cloud storage? Curious about the announcement though as this skill seems more integrated than the iBroadcast skill?
This method works almost instantly with my Sonos speaker (my only one). If I had a Sonos outside I would choose this option from my limited testing. Just can't justify buying a Sonos just for announcments outside... Yet.
No sound other than the announcement. Try it, it's free. I use it for the mail because I thought it would be fun. I was able to find and upload the original "You've got Mail." My other Alexa announcements are routines for garage doors open and several other things using Alexa routines and voiced by Amazon.
