Device makers with a proprietary multi-room music protocol can connect their speakers to Alexa using a Connected Speaker Skill. Customers can play music by explicitly referring to the room name (e.g., “Alexa, play music in the Kitchen”) or by designating a speaker as the preferred speaker for any room. In this latter configuration, a customer can simply say, “Alexa, play music” and music will play on the preferred speaker automatically. Customers can also use Alexa Cast to cast music to any Alexa-connected speaker from any Alexa Cast compatible mobile app.
Once the music has started, no mention of room names is required for customers to seamlessly control music. Customers can request controls like “pause”, “resume”, “next” or “turn it up.” Customers can also use their voice to control music initiated in third party applications, including music from services not yet offered from Alexa.
Sonos PLAY:1 allows customers to use voice to control their entire Sonos home sound system, from specific rooms to curated groups. This mic-less speaker leverages a Sonos Skill to play music via voice using any device with Alexa built-in as the input. Customers can continue to choose to play music on PLAY:1 using the Sonos mobile application, which allows customers to stream music from their favorite supported music service provider and others, and synchronize the music across all of the users' Sonos devices.
The Sonos Skill was developed with the Connected Speaker Skill capability and allows Sonos to continue offering a multi-room home audio experience, something its customers have enjoyed for more than 15 years. The skill connects their custom, time synchronization cloud with the Alexa cloud. Users can play and control music from music services, such as Pandora, TuneIn, Amazon Music, and others, and control on-device features, such as volume and input control, on any Sonos speaker using a device with Alexa built-in. With the Connected Speaker Skill, Alexa passes any directives targeted at a Sonos device via the Lambda down channel to the Sonos cloud, where the request is executed or passed down to the device. The Sonos cloud also provides state information about the media playing back to Alexa so the Alexa App can display information about the media playing on the Sonos device in near instantaneous sync with the Sonos platform.
The Connected Speaker Skill offering is ideal for device makers with in-market offerings that have limited hardware capacity to run additional client-side software. By using a skill-based (a.k.a. “cloud-controlled”) implementation, a Connected Speaker Skill prototype can be built in just a few days, and some device makers can launch an offering with little or no modification to the client-side software on their speakers.
Solution components: Connected Speaker Skill
Note: Connected Speaker Skills are restricted to commercial device makers with multi-room protocols for music playback. Talk to your Amazon point of contact to learn more about the offering and request access to the Connected Speaker Skill APIs and Alexa Music Services.
Tech Docs and Tools
SDKs and APIs are only as good as the documentation! Read our technical docs and API reference, and learn about the solution components and tools to build this category of products.
Works with Alexa Badge Requirements
Certifying your products through the Works with Alexa program increases your customers’ confidence that they will have a great Alexa experience. Learn about the program and the requirements.
Works with Alexa Certification Program »
Badge requirements for Cloud-Controlled Speakers »
Security Guidance
We take privacy very seriously at Amazon, and we apply those same standards to our work with third-party device makers. You must comply with a set of security requirements that allow you to be proactive in identifying and resolving security defects, strengthen the security of your devices, and protect the privacy of Alexa end users.
See Works with Alexa Security Best Practices »
If you need to install/modify firmware on your device to enable Alexa functionality, you also need to comply with AVS best practices.
What's New?
Read the latest news, announcements, and updates from AVS.
Community
Post questions, share comments, and read about new ideas from other developers and engineers.
Self-Test
Amazon Alexa users expect a high-quality and consistent experience across all products. To help you meet this bar, we provide a series of checklists for self-testing before you submit your product for certification. See here for an overview of device testing requirements and here for skill requirements.
Applicable tests:
Music certification, Works with Alexa Badging certification, Smart Home Skill certification
Submit Product for Certification
After your product has passed all the self-test requirements, you must submit your device and skill to Amazon for review and certification prior to commercial distribution.
Music Certification:
Please contact us using the email form below, and we will help guide you through this process. Click here to get started.
Works with Alexa Badging:
Access the WWA submission form, complete the form, submit it to wwa-support@amazon.com.
Skill Certification:
Your skill must pass the skill certification and must be published in the Alexa Skills store for your Works with Amazon Alexa certification to be completed. Submit the skill for certification using the ASK developer console or ASK CLI.
Marketing and Branding Guidelines
Our marketing and branding guidelines provide you with an overview of how to integrate Amazon Alexa brand and messaging into your marketing, including packaging, promotional materials, and advertising.
AVS Marketing and Brand Guidelines »
Skills Marketing Guidelines »
Marketing Opportunities Overview
Amazon offers numerous ways to increase exposure for your device with Alexa built-in to the millions of customers who shop on Amazon.com every day. Whether you’re preparing to launch a new device on Amazon.com or looking to increase sales momentum throughout the year, we offer several solutions to help get you started.
We offer tools that make it easy to manage your product once it has launched, including an Analytics Dashboard and Product Capability settings. We continue to add new self-service tools that equip you with the knowledge to quickly update your product to support the latest features when available. You can see these features and many more in the AVS Developer Console.
Amazon Developer Services Agreement
All device makers building with AVS must adhere to our terms and agreements.
Works with Alexa Guidelines
To maintain eligibility for the Works with Alexa (WWA) badge for your products, you must at all times comply with these Program Guidelines, the Trademark Usage Guidelines, and the Branding Guidelines, which may be updated from time to time.
