One of the most useful pieces of technology that has come out in recent years are smart devices, such as the Google Home, Apple Homepod, and perhaps the biggest smart device on the market, the Amazon Echo. Devices like the Amazon Echo are capable of doing a variety of tasks, including keeping timers, controlling other devices, and playing music. One problem some Alexa users have reported, however, is that their Echo device cuts out while playing music. But why does this happen?
One of the most common reasons why the music keeps cutting out when being played is because of poor Internet connection. This can be due to your Wi-Fi connection needing to be reset, dealing with too many problems at once, or your Amazon Echo being too far away. It may also be temporary interruptions, such as alarms or timers.
But what other things may cause Alexa to cut out when playing music? And does it only happen when playing music?
Why Does My Alexa Keep Cutting out When Playing Music?
There are a variety of reasons why Alexa keeps cutting out, with some being easier to address than others.
Your Wi-Fi connection is experiencing congestion
A common reason why your music may be cutting out is due to the struggling Wi-Fi connection. If this is happening, your Wi-Fi router may be connecting to too many devices simultaneously, or you are doing too many intensive tasks all at once. Your Wi-Fi connection is only able to do so much at any one time, and stronger connections are more capable of handling more at once. Even then, however, most people will have a connection with a level of quality that requires you to limit what you do at once.
You can check to see if there is a problem with your device or your connection in general by testing music playing on other devices. If the music is similarly cutting out when streaming the music on other devices, you can verify that the problem is to do with your Wi-Fi connection. Try to limit what you are doing online at any one time, as this can significantly improve your audio playback on the Alexa device. If the connection is poor despite few things being done over Wi-Fi, however, it may indicate that the connection needs to be reset. You can do this by unplugging your router, waiting 30 seconds, and then plugging it back in.
Your Alexa has weak Wi-Fi signal access
This is a common case for any device that connects to Wi-Fi, that your Alexa device has a weak connection to your Wi-Fi router. This is typically the case when your Alexa device is too far away from your router. On top of distance being a concern, you also need to take into account how much you have in the way between your router and Alexa device. For example, walls, ceilings, and floors can all obstruct the Wi-Fi signal of your router, causing your Echo device to have a weaker connection than if there were no obstructions.
There are two common methods people employ to fix this problem, though neither are particularly convenient. The first is to reposition your Alexa device, which can be a hassle depending on how much you have to reposition it. If you have to move it completely out of the room, that is going to be pretty annoying, especially if that is a deal killer. However, if the quality isn’t improving in your room, what else is there? Well, your best option may be to get a Wi-Fi extender.
A Wi-Fi extender is an electronic that you plug into a solid midpoint between the router and the device you’re trying to connect to. Basically, instead of connecting to the router, you connect to this device, which is connected to the router. You can also use an Ethernet cable to plug the Wi-Fi extender directly into the router, allowing you to get an even better connection with the Wi-Fi extender than you would normally. Some devices can connect to either your Wi-Fi extender or Wi-Fi router using an Ethernet cord, though Echo devices themselves do not have an Ethernet port.
If your Wi-Fi connection goes down, so too will the audio drop out. In this case, you will have to wait for the connection to be repaired. You can also inform your Internet service provider (ISP) that you have lost your connection. This may help your ISP fix the problem more quickly than it otherwise would.
Alexa is listening for your voice
It is possible that your Alexa device heard the wake word (or thought it did), and is now trying to hear what instructions you may have. When this happens, the audio level of your music will be lowered significantly, even to the point of being indecipherable. Alexa will then either wait for a few moments until she hears a command, or will turn off, which should cause the music to play again.
The music is being interrupted by a reminder, timer, or alarm
If your Amazon Echo device suddenly cuts out while playing music, one possibility is that it is doing so because a reminder, timer, or alarm went off. When this is the case, it is usually easy to tell, as Alexa will play a sound. The timer and alarm each have their own specific sound that will play until you turn them off. Meanwhile, a reminder will have a two-tone notification, followed by Alexa speaking out about the thing you asked her to remind you about. Unlike the timer and alarm, the reminder will only be played twice, and does not need you to tell Alexa to stop.
Your Alexa needs to be restarted
It is possible that your Alexa device is struggling to play audio due to a glitch with your device. There are multiple ways to address such device problems, including merely unplugging your Alexa device and plugging it back in.
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