PlaybackController 1.1

The PlaybackController interface of the Alexa Voice Service (AVS) exposes a series of events for navigating a playback queue with an on-client button press or GUI control, rather than through a speech request.

Version changes

Capability assertion

A device can implement PlaybackController 1.1 on its own behalf, but not on behalf of any connected endpoints.

New AVS integrations must assert support through Alexa.Discovery, but AVS continues support for legacy integrations through the Capabilities API.


{
    "interface": "PlaybackController",  
    "type": "AlexaInterface",  
    "version": "1.1"  
}

Events

PlayCommandIssued

The PlayCommandIssued event must be sent when a user starts/resumes playback of a media item using an on-client button press or GUI affordance.

Sample message

{
    "context": [
    // Use an array of context objects to communicate the
    // state of all client components to Alexa. See Context for details.
    ],   
    "event": {
        "header": {
            "namespace": "PlaybackController",
            "name": "PlayCommandIssued",
            "messageId": "{{STRING}}"
        },
        "payload": {
        }
    }
}

Context

The PlayCommandIssued event requires the client to send the status of all client component states to Alexa. See Context.

Header parameters

Parameter Description Type
messageId A unique ID used to represent a specific message. string

Payload parameters

An empty payload should be sent.

PauseCommandIssued

The PauseCommandIssued event must be sent when a user pauses the playback of a media item using an on-client button press or GUI affordance.

Sample message

{
    "context": [
    // Use an array of context objects to communicate the
    // state of all client components to Alexa. See Context for details.
    ],    
    "event": {
        "header": {
            "namespace": "PlaybackController",
            "name": "PauseCommandIssued",
            "messageId": "{{STRING}}"
        },
        "payload": {
        }
    }
}

Context

The PauseCommandIssued event requires the client to send the status of all client component states to Alexa. See Context.

Header parameters

Parameter Description Type
messageId A unique ID used to represent a specific message. string

Payload parameters

An empty payload should be sent.

NextCommandIssued

The NextCommandIssued event must be sent when a user skips to the next media item in their playback queue using an on-client button press or GUI affordance.

Sample message

{
    "context": [
    // Use an array of context objects to communicate the
    // state of all client components to Alexa. See Context for details.
    ],     
    "event": {
        "header": {
            "namespace": "PlaybackController",
            "name": "NextCommandIssued",
            "messageId": "{{STRING}}"
        },
        "payload": {
        }
    }
}

Context

The NextCommandIssued event requires the client to send the status of all client component states to Alexa. See Context.

Header parameters

Parameter Description Type
messageId A unique ID used to represent a specific message. string

Payload parameters

An empty payload should be sent.

PreviousCommandIssued

The PreviousCommandIssued event must be sent when a user skips to the previous media item in their playback queue using an on-client button press or GUI affordance.

Sample message

{
    "context": [
    // Use an array of context objects to communicate the
    // state of all client components to Alexa. See Context for details.
    ],     
    "event": {
        "header": {
            "namespace": "PlaybackController",
            "name": "PreviousCommandIssued",
            "messageId": "{{STRING}}"
        },
        "payload": {
        }
    }
}

Context

The PreviousCommandIssued event requires the client to send the status of all client component states to Alexa. See Context.

Header parameters

Parameter Description Type
messageId A unique ID used to represent a specific message. string

Payload parameters

An empty payload should be sent.

ButtonCommandIssued

Use the ButtonCommandIssued event to notify Alexa when a user presses a button on the device or GUI, such as skip forward or skip backward. Use the provider or Alexa skill to determine skip duration. Each ButtonCommandIssued event is additive. For example, a scenario where each button press skips forward playback by 30 seconds. If a user presses the skip forward button three times in a row and sends three ButtonCommandIssued events to Alexa, the additive effect is to skip forward a total of 90 seconds.

Sample message

{
    "context": [
    // Use an array of context objects to communicate the
    // state of all client components to Alexa. See Context for details.
    ],
    "event": {
        "header": {
            "namespace": "PlaybackController",
            "name": "ButtonCommandIssued",
            "messageId": "{{STRING}}"
        },
        "payload": {
            "name": "{{STRING}}"
        }
    }
}

Context

The ButtonCommandIssued event requires the client to send the status of all client component states to Alexa. See Context.

Header parameters

Parameter Description Type
messageId A unique ID used to represent a specific message. string

Payload parameters

Parameter Description Type
name Specifies the command triggered by an on-client button press or GUI affordance. Accepted values: SKIPFORWARD, SKIPBACKWARD. string

ToggleCommandIssued

Use the ToggleCommandIssued event to notify Alexa that a user has selected or de-selected an option or feature using an on-client button press or GUI control. Supported options include: shuffle, loop, repeat, thumbs up, and thumbs down.

Sample message

{
    "context": [
    // Use an array of context objects to communicate the
    // state of all client components to Alexa. See Context for details.
    ],
    "event": {
        "header": {
            "namespace": "PlaybackController",
            "name": "ToggleCommandIssued",
            "messageId": "{{STRING}}"
        },
        "payload": {
            "name": "{{STRING}}"
            "action": "{{STRING}}"
         }
    }
}

Context

The ToggleCommandIssued event requires the client to send the status of all client component states to Alexa. See Context.

Header parameters

Parameter Description Type
messageId A unique ID used to represent a specific message. string

Payload parameters

Parameter Description Type
name Specifies the option/feature that a user toggles by an on-client button press or GUI control. Accepted values: SHUFFLE, LOOP, REPEAT, THUMBSUP, THUMBSDOWN. string
action Indicates if the toggle has been selected or deselected. Accepted values: SELECT, DESELECT. string