Quick Reference: Play Audio in an Alexa Skill

The following resources help you add audio to your skill, whether it is in the form of sound effects from the Alexa Skills Kit Sound Library or streaming long-form audio using the AudioPlayer interface.

• Concepts and procedures
• API reference
• Sample code
• Blog posts

Concepts and procedures

• Include Short Pre-Recorded Audio in your Response – A description of how to embed short sound effects in Alexa's speech by using Speech Synthesis Markup Language (SSML).
• Alexa Skills Kit Sound Library – A set of sound effects that your skill can embed in Alexa's speech by using SSML.
• AudioPlayer Interface Reference – A description of how to configure your skill to stream audio, how to use built-in playback control intents, and how audio playback looks on Alexa-enabled devices with a screen.

API reference

• SSML audio tag – The tag that you use to embed sound effects into Alexa's speech.
• AudioPlayer Interface Reference – The API reference for the AudioPlayer interface, which provides directives and requests for streaming audio and monitoring playback progression.
• PlaybackController Interface Reference – The API reference for the PlaybackController interface, which notifies your skill when the user interacts with player controls such as the buttons on a device, a remote control, or the next/previous touch controls on an Alexa-enabled device with a screen.

Sample code

• Skill Sample Node.js Audio Player – A sample skill that demonstrates how to use the AudioPlayer interface to play pre-recorded and live audio streams within a skill programmed in Node.js.

Blog posts

• How to Enhance Your Alexa Skill with Audio Clips from the ASK Sound Library – Some best practices and examples of how to integrate sound effects into your skill.
• New Alexa Skills Kit (ASK) Feature: Audio Streaming in Alexa Skills – A detailed discussion about how to use the AudioPlayer and PlaybackController interfaces to stream audio and monitor playback progression.
• How to Handle Touch-Screen Controls for Audio Skills on Echo Show and Echo Spot – A description of how to add touch control support for your audio skills on Echo Show and Echo Spot.