If you think about it, Alexa and SiriusXM can be a deadly combination that will offer music lovers unlimited entertainment. But the exciting thing is that SiriusXM is way more than just music. Celebrity interviews, sports, nonstop laughs – everything live and on-demand, this is SiriusXM. You will never get tired of this service that has something for everyone.
When it comes to Alexa, she can play SiriusXM and even the SiriusXM Xtra channels. With a SiriusXM account and SiriusXM skill enabled in Alexa, you can play any channel from the service on Alexa-enabled devices.
Further reading: What Is Alexa And What Does Alexa Do?
What Are SiriusXM Xtra Channels?
SiriusXM has hundreds of channels that delight its followers every single day. Recently, SiriusXM announced the addition of more than 100 new Xtra channels that can be accessed by subscribers having the SiriusXM app, web player, or certain connected devices.
Xtra channels are the combinations of the SiriusXM channels already available to listeners. These new channels elevate the listening experience to a new level where the old channels are mixed and matched to provide a wholly unique experience altogether. This makes the streaming service more popular among its users.
Listeners can now dig deep into music by decades, hear the latest music style, and more on the news channels.
Streaming SiriusXM To Alexa Enabled Devices
The prerequisite to listening to SiriusXM is to have a SiriusXM account. With this condition satisfied, you can easily stream the channels to Alexa-enabled devices. Now follow the steps to enable the SiriusXM skill in Alexa.
- Using your Amazon ID, log in to your Alexa app.
- Navigate to the ‘Skills’ screen
- Search for SiriusXM skill
- On finding the skill, you can tap the ‘Enable to use’ button to enable the skill.
- Sign in to your SiriusXM streaming account and link your Amazon device to SiriusXM.
Now Alexa will play from SiriusXM at your request. For example, you can say, ‘Alexa, play [any genre] on SiriusXM’ or ‘Alexa, play [channel name or number] on SiriusXM.’ Alexa will fetch whatever you ask for and play it.
There is an option in SiriusXM called Artist Search, using which you can give the name of the artist to get channels that play specific artists. You can even make SiriusXM the default option once the SiriusXM skill is enabled. If this is done, you don’t have to specify ‘on SiriusXM’ every time you give a voice request for songs. Here are the steps to do it.
- Open the Alexa app and press the menu button seen on the top left corner.
- Tap settings and then on Music under Alexa Preferences
- Go to Account Settings, under which you can see Default Services. Tap on this option.
- Set SiriusXM as your Default Music Library & Default Station.
Using the SiriusXM app, you can enhance your listening experience on Amazon devices. You can pause what you were listening to by just a voice request and then resume whenever you are ready. You can say ‘Alexa, resume [name of the show] on SiriusXM’ or ‘Alexa, skip ahead 10 minutes’ or ‘Alexa, go back to the beginning.’
Remember that streaming from SiriusXM can be done to only one Amazon device at a time. When you try to stream to a second device, the first device will stop playing.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do I set SiriusXM as Alexa’s default music app?
Making SiriusXM the default music service makes things easier as you don’t have to say ‘on SiriusXM’ while giving music commands. For this, open the Alexa app, tap Menu, and then Settings. Under Alexa Preferences, tap Music and Default Services under Account Settings. You may then select SiriusXM as the default music library and default station.
How do I get Alexa to play my favorite SiriusXM channel?
For playing your favorite channel, you just need to say, ‘Alexa, play [channel number or name] on SiriusXM. If you have set SiriusXM as default, you can say, ‘Alexa play [channel number or name].’
What channels and features are available with SiriusXM on Fire TV?
Fire TV supports most of the features of the SXM app like video, on-demand, rewind, fast forward, etc. But live video and downloads are currently not supported.
Why do I get a ‘You’re logged in somewhere else? Continue listening on this device?’ message when I try listening on my computer or mobile devices with the SXM app?
You must probably be aware that your username and password can be used on any Amazon device but not simultaneously. At a time, only one device works. If you have shared your username and password with a friend or family member, the chances are that they are currently logged in.
What should I do if I cannot link the SiriusXM and Amazon accounts?
To make the linking of the SiriusXM and Amazon accounts smoother, you require a qualifying streaming subscription. You should never forget that logins are case-sensitive. So be careful while entering the username and password. Check whether you have omitted spaces or added extra spaces. You can also try reinstalling the Alexa app to resolve the issue.
How do I reset my SiriusXM username and password using the app or web player or via the online account center?
The following steps let you reset the login credentials.
- Open the Alexa app and go to the SiriusXM skill.
- Disable the SiriusXM Alexa skill
- Re-enable the SiriusXM skill
- Enter the SiriusXM username and password that are currently valid. Now the resetting is successful.
Conclusion
If you are a regular user of Alexa-enabled devices and love giving voice requests to her, it is definitely worth giving a try to SiriusXM Xtra channels that provide entertainment like never before. With more than 100 new channels, it will keep you busy exploring them and having fun in the process.