What Is Alexa Skills Charge?
What Do Alexa Skills Cost? – Alexa Skills are completely FREE, however, some Skills may have a subscription fee associated with them. Enabling the skill itself will be free, and using its most basic features may be free, but it might cost money to use a particular skill to its full potential.
- You will find plenty of Skills, though, without any fees involved.
- An example of a Skill with potential fees would be Spotify*.
- It’s free to enable the Spotify skill.
- You can also play music with this skill for free.
- There will be advertisements, though, and you won’t be able to pick specific songs without the Premium Subscription.
*A bonus of using Spotify with Alexa, is that Alexa works with Spotify Connect,
Do you have to pay for Alexa Skills?
What are Alexa Skills, and how can I enable Alexa Skills? – Amazon Alexa is a digital assistant, but it’s also a platform like iOS or Android. Like those more full-fledged systems, Alexa has apps that can extend its usefulness–Amazon calls those apps Skills.
Alexa Skills come in a variety of categories, including business & finance, productivity, news, and weather, all of which can be found on Amazon’s Alexa Skills page, All Alexa Skills are free, though some require a subscription service to unlock their full functionality. Unlike Google Home, which has a limited number of skills that are enabled on all units by default, Alexa Skills don’t come preinstalled.
In order to gain access to a particular Skill, like CNET News, you have to ask Alexa to enable the particular skill, or click Enable on Amazon.com or in the Alexa mobile app. You can ask Alexa about particular categories of skills to have it list applicable popular ones, which is a good option if you’re exploring what’s available.
SEE: Smart office technology: What’s working, what’s failing, and what users want out of it (TechRepublic Premium) Alexa Skills can also be used in a completely different way–as part of Alexa for Business, Designed to integrate Alexa-controlled Amazon Echo units into offices, Alexa for Business comes with the tools needed for businesses to build custom skills to suit the needs of their environment.
Alexa Skills can be built to control meeting rooms, adjust smart thermostats, turn on lights–essentially any smart device that can be connected to Alexa can have a custom skill built for it. Additional resources
Voice in the enterprise: 3 current use cases (TechRepublic) Alexa wishlist: Six features we’d like to see added to Alexa’s core capabilities (ZDNet) Amazon Echo: Your Alexa skills just got a whole lot smarter (ZDNet) Top 5: Ways Alexa can help you get work done (TechRepublic) Amazon Alexa adds ability to send SMS messages by voice (ZDNet) Hey, Cortana: What do you think of Alexa for Business? (ZDNet) How we learned to talk to computers, and how they learned to answer back (cover story PDF) (TechRepublic)
What is Alexa Skills?
The Alexa Skills Kit (ASK) is a software development framework that enables you to create content, called skills, Skills are like apps for Alexa. With an interactive voice interface, Alexa gives users a hands-free way to interact with your skill. Users can use their voice to perform everyday tasks like checking the news, listening to music, or playing a game.
How do I find out what Alexa Skills I am paying for?
You can check your subscription status for subscriptions created through Alexa by going to Amazon.com’s Memberships & Subscriptions section.
Is Alexa free with Amazon Prime?
No, you don’t have to pay for using an Alexa smart speaker device. You can use the Alexa app and Amazon website for free. However, if you want to use some of the more advanced features, you may need to sign up for a paid subscription. For example, if you want to use Amazon Music Unlimited, you’ll need to pay $9.99 per month or $8.99 per month if you are Amazon Prime member.
- Otherwise, you can still listen to music through Amazon’s Music Service – you just can’t get every song you may want to hear.
- I love my Echo devices and they truly do make my life easier and frankly, a bit more fun.
- I do pay for the premium services of Amazon’s Music Unlimited because I love listening to all kinds of music, depending on the energy of the day.
The other cost to consider is the amount of electricity that an Echo device uses. It’s estimated that one device uses about 15.2 killowatt hours for an entire year which for most homes tallies up to about $2.00 per year. ( source cnet.com ) There are several questions that my friends and neighbors (who don’t yet have an Alexa device) ask me so I thought it would be a good idea to write a blog post about these questions.
Just in case you aren’t quite sure what an Alexa (Echo) device is, let’s start with that. An Amazon Echo (aka Alexa speaker) is a hands-free, voice controlled device that uses the Alexa Voice Service to play music, provide information, news, sports scores, weather and more. All you have to do is ask. The Amazon Echo has seven microphones and noise cancellation so it can hear you from across the room even while you’re watching TV or listening to music.
It also has far-field voice recognition so it can hear you from a distance. The Echo is always on and connected to the cloud so it can respond instantly when you say “Alexa”. No, there is no monthly charge for Alexa. You may incur charges for using certain skills or services, such as music subscriptions, but there is no monthly fee to use Alexa.
However, there is a fee for Wi-fi which you get through your Internet Service provider and you do need Wi-fi to use an Alexa device. No, there are no hidden costs associated with Alexa. You don’t need to pay anything extra to use Alexa, and there are no monthly fees. However, keep in mind that some of the third-party skills and services that you can access through Alexa may have their own fees.
For example, if you use a skill that orders a product for you, you may be charged for the cost of that product. Also, if you want to have the ability to call 911, you’ll need the paid version of the Buddy Skill to do that. To get started with Alexa, you’ll need an Amazon account and an Alexa-enabled device,
- Once you have those set up, you can start using voice commands to interact with your device.
- For example, you can ask Alexa to play music, provide information about the weather, or add items to your shopping list.
- There are also a number of skills that you can enable, which will allow you to do things like order a pizza or play games.
With Alexa, you can easily provide hands-free voice control of your compatible devices. This means doing things like turning on a light, opening your garage door, turning on the television, etc. Yes, you do need an Amazon account to use Alexa but it does not cost you anything.
You just need to sign up for a free Amazon account to use Alexa. There is a paid Amazon account (known as Prime), but you don’t need to be a Prime member to use Alexa. To set up your device, download the Amazon app to your smartphone, connect it to a Wi-Fi network and then follow the instructions in the Amazon Alexa app.
Once your device is set up and connected to a Wi-Fi network, you can start using it. You can also use your Echo to control smart home devices like smart lights and thermostats, Just say ” Alexa, turn on the light ” or ” Alexa, set the temperature to 72 degrees,” Yes, an Amazon Alexa-enabled device requires a Wi-Fi connection in order to work properly.
- Without Wi-Fi, the device will not be able to connect to the internet and thus will not be able to perform its many functions, such as playing music, providing information, and controlling smart devices.
- The first time you set up an Alexa device you’ll have to connect to your home’s Wi-Fi account so you should have the information on hand.
Yes you can enjoy free music on Alexa with Amazon Music Free Tier. With this, you can stream hundreds of playlists and stations without any ads. If you want to upgrade to ad-free listening or download songs for offline playback, you can sign up for Amazon Music Unlimited (aka Prime Music or Amazon Music Prime) or other music streaming services.
- You can also listen to music from other streaming music services such as apple music and more.
- The specific services are dependent on where you live.
- Here’s some information about some of the most popular music streaming services that you can play on Alexa: Amazon Music Unlimited is a streaming music service that offers ad-free listening and unlimited downloads of songs.
You can listen to any song, album, or playlist on demand. You can also download songs for offline playback. Amazon Music Unlimited costs $9.99 per month for individuals, or $14.99 per month for families (up to 6 family members). You can cancel anytime. If you have an Amazon Prime membership, your cost is $8.99 per month for individuals.
- Spotify is a subscription music streaming service with over 30 million tracks and counting.
- You can access Spotify on your computer, mobile device, or through any Amazon device.
- There is a paid subscription and a free version as well.
- With Spotify premium (the paid version) on Alexa, you can ask to play music from any artist, album, playlist, or genre.
You can also search for specific songs, albums, and artists using voice commands. The free Spotify version allows you to choose music from playlists only, not specific songs or artists, etc. To set up Spotify (or any of the following music stream programs on Alexa), follow these steps.
- But if the program requires an account, it’s a good idea to go ahead and make sure you have an account with that service before you go through these steps.
- Once you’ve linked your streaming account, you can start streaming music right away.
- Just say ” Alexa, play some music ” or ” Alexa, play my Discover Weekly playlist,” This is a free, all-in-one digital radio service that lets you listen to thousands of live radio stations or create your own custom stations based on your favorite artists and songs.
iHeartRadio is available on Alexa-enabled devices, like Amazon Echo, Echo Dot, and Tap. To start listening to iHeartRadio on your Alexa-enabled device, just say “Alexa, play iHeartRadio.” There’s no need to sign up and create an account. You can also ask Alexa to play a specific station or genre of music.
- For example, you can say ” Alexa, play Hits 1 on iHeartRadio ” or ” Alexa, play pop on iHeartRadio,” If you have an iHeartRadio account, you can sign in with your username and password to access your custom stations.
- To do this, just say ” Alexa, sign in to iHeartRadio ” and follow the prompts.
- If you don’t have an account, don’t worry! You can still create custom stations based on your favorite artists and songs.
Just say ” Alexa, create a new station on iHeartRadio. ” Alexa will also keep you up to date on the latest news, sports, weather and more with the iHeartRadio Flash Briefing. To listen, just say ” Alexa, what’s in the news? ” or ” Alexa, play my flash briefing.
” You can also listen to live radio stations from across the country on iHeartRadio. Just say ” Alexa, play (station name). ” Whether you’re a longtime iHeartRadio user or just getting started, there’s plenty to explore with our Alexa skill. So get listening! Sign up for a free account on TuneIn and you’ll have access to free Internet radio, live news, music, sports and podcasts.
You can ask Alexa to play any of the millions of songs, stations, and shows on TuneIn. Just say ” Alexa, play _ on TuneIn ” to get started. Yet another music video streaming service is Vevo. It offers on-demand access to tens of thousands of music videos.
And now with the Vevo skill for Alexa, you can ask Alexa to play any artist, album, or song from Vevo’s massive catalog of music videos. There’s no set up (meaning you do not have to set up an account) and no cost. You can just ask Alexa to play a specific music video by a specific artist, title or genre.
If you enjoy listening to live radio, then you’ll love Amp. With this skill, you can ask Alexa to play popular stations like BBC Radio 1 and Capital FM. Just say ” Alexa, enable Amp ” to get started. To start listening to a radio station, just say ” Alexa, ask Amp to play “.
You can also ask for a specific song or artist by saying ” Alexa, ask Amp to play on “. If you want to hear the latest news, weather, or traffic update, just say ” Alexa, ask Amp for the news ” or ” Alexa, ask Amp for the weather “. No subscription and no cost to use the Amp skill on Alexa. These music services (and others) can help to bring all kinds of music into your life.
And just in case you’ve forgotten, music can play a very important part in alleviating depression, anxiety, etc. There are plenty of free services that Alexa comes equipped with right out of the box. Here are some examples: There is so much Alexa can do for free.
- She’s always expanding her skills and abilities, so the possibilities are endless! To put it simply, Alexa is the voice assistant that powers Echo.
- Amazon Echo is the physical device that Alexa works on.
- Culturally, we’ve just all gotten used to calling these devices “Alexa” but if we want to be technically correct, when we refer to the device, it’s called Echo.
If we want to refer to the voice from the device, then we call it Alexa. Echo also has seven microphones and beamforming technology so it can hear you from across the room—even while music is playing. Echo is also an expertly tuned speaker that can fill any room with immersive sound.
When you want to use Echo, just say the wake word ” Alexa ” and Echo responds instantly. If you have more than one Echo or Echo Dot, Alexa responds intelligently from the Echo device you’re closest to with ESP (Echo Spatial Perception), For families and seniors, I recommend a combination of Echo Dot devices as well as the Echo Show, which are Alexa enabled devices with smart displays.
I recommend a device in every room of the house, especially for seniors. The reason is that each device can be configured slightly differently to meet the needs of each individual. example, in the kitchen, you might want a device that can help with recipes, while in the living room, you might want a device that can play music and control the TV.
By having an Alexa enabled device in every room, seniors will have access to the information and assistance they need, no matter where they are in the house. But most importantly, if they were to fall or get injured, a voice command can bring them some help. Additionally, having multiple devices ensures that there is always a backup in case one device malfunctions.
I also recommend any of the Fire TV devices such as the Fire TV stick or the Fire TV Cube, These two devices can connect your Alexa to your television giving you voice control over your television. The Echo Auto device can be plugged in to your car’s cigarette lighter and it’s fairly easy to set up.
- It’s a way to have Alexa with you while you are on the road.
- But is there a cost? Well, once you purchase the Echo Auto device, there’s no cost for Alexa.
- But, remember, it does need some type of Wi-Fi connection.
- So, if your smartphone has unlimited data, then no, you won’t pay any additional charges to use Echo Auto in your car.
But if you do not have unlimited data on your cellular plan, then you probably will end up paying overages. Here’s a great video about the Echo Auto. Echo Auto With Setup And In-Car Demo – YouTube Tech Steve 150K subscribers Echo Auto With Setup And In-Car Demo Watch later Share Copy link Info Shopping Tap to unmute If playback doesn’t begin shortly, try restarting your device.
Does Alexa track your conversations?
You may wonder if Alexa is listening to conversations, or listening to everything you say. You may want to know whether Alexa listens to you when you’re not directly interacting with an Echo device. The answer to those questions is no. Alexa and all of our Echo devices are designed with your privacy in mind.
How do I unregister Alexa from my account?
The short version –
- Delete using smartphone
- Delete using a computer
- Removing non-Echo devices
Open the Amazon Alexa app, tap on the Devices icon in the bottom navigation bar, and then tap “Echo and Alexa” near the top of the screen. Tap on the name of the Echo device you wish to remove from your account, then tap the Settings icon in the top right corner.
Open a web browser, head to Amazon and log in to your account. Then go to the webpage. Click on the Devices tab near the top of the screen, then click on Echo. This will reveal all the Echo devices associated with your account. Click on the one you want to remove.
On the new screen that appears, click Deregister on the right. A pop-up will appear asking if you’re sure: click Deregister. You can also deregister a device through the, Once you’re logged in, click “Settings” on the left navigation bar, then click on the name of the device you want to deregister. Scroll down to the bottom of the new page that appears, and click Deregister.
A pop-up will appear asking if you’re sure: click “Deregister”. You’re now free to unplug your Echo and sell or give it away.
What does deregistering do? It removes the device from your Alexa account, so that it can’t access your private information or smart home devices again. : How to remove Alexa devices from your Amazon account