iBroadcast supports voice commands through Alexa and Siri, with a wide range of options for playback control and browsing your library (see a full list of supported commands below). Google Assistant support was discontinued after Google removed key features, but casting to Chromecast-enabled devices is still supported.
You must link the Alexa skill with your iBroadcast account using the Alexa app.
- Open the Alexa app. Tap Menu → Skills & Games
- Search for the iBroadcast skill, select it, and tap Enable to Use
- Login to iBroadcast to finish linking.
You must launch the skill to begin using it. The skill will then ask what you want to hear. Commands for launching include:
- "Alexa, launch iBroadcast"
- "Alexa, open iBroadcast"
- "Alexa, start iBroadcast"
- "Alexa, launch iBroadcast and play playlist [playlist name]"
You must launch the skill each time you want to use it, except for basic player commands such as:
- "Alexa, next song"
- "Alexa, previous song"
- "Alexa, turn shuffle mode on/off"
- "Alexa, turn loop on/off"
- "Alexa, pause"
- "Alexa, stop"
- "Alexa, start over"
¶ Use the Skill Name in Your Command
Because iBroadcast can't be made the default music service for Alexa, it is best to use the skill name (iBroadcast) in your command to ensure Alexa directs it to iBroadcast.
For example:
- "Alexa, tell iBroadcast to play tracks by [artist name]"
- "Alexa, tell iBroadcast to play the album [album name]"
Some commands require the skill name specified:
- "Alexa, ask iBroadcast to turn on repeat mode"
- "Alexa, ask iBroadcast to turn off repeat mode"
- "Alexa, ask iBroadcast what song is playing"
❓ Why isn't iBroadcast a default music service for Alexa?
Amazon isn't currently accepting new default music players for Alexa. This is controlled by Amazon, and something we have petitioned them for.
Alexa maintains a persistent play queue for iBroadcast. When you exit the skill, the queue is saved and can be resumed later.
Resume playback with:
- "Alexa, launch iBroadcast"
- "Alexa, resume play"
Alexa’s iBroadcast queue cannot be managed directly. Voice commands are the only way to control it.
¶ Full List of Common Alexa Commands
- "Play playlist [playlist name]"
- "Start playlist [playlist name]"
- "Play album [album name]"
- "Play soundtrack [album name]"
- "Play artist [artist name]"
- "Play tracks by [artist name]"
- "Play songs by [artist name]"
- "Play music by [artist name]"
- "Play genre [genre name]"
- "Play song [song name]"
- "Play song [song name] by [artist name]"
- "Shuffle my library" (picks 500 random songs and shuffles them)
- "Resume" / "Resume play" (resumes queue)
- "What are my playlists" (lists all playlists; you can interrupt with "Alexa, stop")
- "What are my genres" (lists all genres; you can interrupt with "Alexa, stop")
- "Play [name]" (Alexa will ask if it’s a song, artist, album, playlist, or genre)
The commands above have been tested for functionality and consistency, but Alexa may sometimes misunderstand. This is a limitation of Alexa’s recognition.
¶ Language and Regional Availability
- The iBroadcast Alexa skill is currently available only in English.
- The skill is available in the US, Canada, Australia, India, and the UK.
- We hope to provide additional languages and more regional support in the future.
The iBroadcast Alexa skill works with multiple types of Echo devices that provide access to the Alexa voice assistant, including smart speakers like the Echo, Echo Dot, and Echo Studio, and smart displays like the Echo Show and Echo Hub.
¶ iBroadcast and Siri
The iBroadcast iOS app works with Siri through voice commands. The commands below have been tested for consistency and functionality, but Siri may sometimes misunderstand due to limitations in its speech recognition.
¶ Supported Siri Commands
Below is a list of supported commands. Note: Following commands exactly as written will yield best results.
- "Play playlist [playlist name] using iBroadcast"
- "Play album [album name] using iBroadcast"
- "Play album [album name] by [artist name] using iBroadcast"
- "Shuffle play album [album name] using iBroadcast"
- "Play artist [artist name] using iBroadcast"
- "Play songs by [artist name] using iBroadcast"
- "Play music by [artist name] using iBroadcast"
- "Shuffle play artist [artist name] using iBroadcast"
- "Play genre [genre name] using iBroadcast"
- "Shuffle play genre [genre name] using iBroadcast"
- "Play song [song name] using iBroadcast"
- "Play song [song name] by [artist name] using iBroadcast"
- "Pause"
- "Resume"
- "Turn shuffle on/off"
- "Turn repeat on/off"
- "Repeat this song"
- "Next"
- "Previous"
- "Shuffle play using iBroadcast" (picks 500 random songs from your library and shuffles them)
Unfortunately, Google Assistant is no longer supported as of 2023 because Google removed support for functionality that our app needs. Google removed Conversational Actions, which iBroadcast relied on to function. As a result, iBroadcast cannot work directly with Google Assistant. More information on its sunset is available on the Conversational Actions developer site.
iBroadcast can still cast from the mobile app to Chromecast-enabled Google Home and Nest devices, but voice commands are not supported.