Amazon is launching a new feature for devices powered by the Alexa AI, giving users the option of changing the standard alarm sounds to their own choice of music from a variety of streaming services including Amazon Prime Music. Following the release of the new feature, Amazon Alexa users will be able to set music alarms similarly to how they would request music playback, i.e. by issuing voice commands to set an alarm time and specify the desired music genre, playlist, song, or music streaming service.
The new alarm feature works not only in conjunction with Amazon’s own Prime Music and Amazon Music Unlimited services, but also supports streaming platforms like Pandora, Spotify, TuneIn, iHeartRadio, and SiriusXM. However, when used alongside Amazon’s own streaming services, the new alarm provides a few additional features such as the ability to search for a particular song by reciting lyrics or search for a specific music genre to use as a wake-up call. According to Amazon, the new alarm feature is now available on any device powered by the Alexa AI, with the exception of the Amazon Fire TV. This means that the feature should also be available on smartphones featuring Amazon’s Alexa, and won’t be limited only to Echo devices which seem to be the most natural place for a customizable alarm clock function to exist.
The Amazon product which could benefit from this new feature the most might be the Amazon Echo Spot, a device that was introduced in September with a focus on its alarm clock functionality. But despite the fact that the Echo Spot is technically an Echo Show repackaged in a much smaller, spherical design appropriate for a nightstand, up until now the product didn’t offer much in regards to alarm functionality, aside from the usual alert sounds. Though it may only seem like a minor addition, Amazon claims that a customizable alarm clock permitting music playback was one of the most requested features from Alexa users. As for prospective customers that may have previously skipped the purchase of an Amazon Alexa device due to this lacking feature alone, keep in mind that Amazon is currently offering various Echo products at a discounted price over the holiday season.