Workflow Question: WiiM Mini (or any streamer) with Alexa Integration

[Michael Rose]

I must be having an early senior moment.

I have a room in my house set up with an amplifier, speakers, DAC, and WiiM. I've downloaded the Amazon Alexa and WiiM apps and have them sync'd (via WiFi and BlueTooth) with the respective devices. I've sync'd (via WiFi) my WiiM with my Amazon Echo Show in the WiiM app. I've added (via WiFi) my WiiM as a speaker "Group" in the Amazon Alexa app.

Now, how do get Alexa-sourced music to my WiiM. Currently, I'm only able to do it through digging around on the Alexa app after first getting a song to play on my phone or on the Echo Show device; then by chance, I find the setting to switch the location to the WiiM. I can't easily repeat this process each time for some reason though. Or, I can select a previously played song in the Alexa app and then it'll automatically ask me to select the location (WiiM).

Anyway, I must be missing something. Shouldn't I be able to simply open the Amazon Alexa app and tell Alexa to "Play Scorpions in the Listening Room" or "... on The WiiM" or something like that? Can someone share how the process should work (workflow), or any lessons learned for app setup?

 

[chicks]

In the Alexa app, go to Devices, Echo & Alexa, select your Show. Click on the gear at top-right. Under Connected Devices, select your WiiM as the Speaker.

 

[Michael Rose]

In the Alexa app, go to Devices, Echo & Alexa, select your Show. Click on the gear at top-right. Under Connected Devices, select your WiiM as the Speaker.

I just walked through those steps, and when I get to Connected Devices, then Speaker, it only shows “Built-in speaker” and “Bluetooth” as options. “Built-in speaker”, probably meaning the Echo device’s built-in speaker, was selected. The WiiM wouldn’t be a Bluetooth option I don’t believe. I just went down that rabbit hole and couldn’t get the Echo to recognize anything to pair.

 

[chicks]

Have you set up Alexa in the WiiM app?

 

[Michael Rose]

Yes, I did that.

 

[chicks]

Weird. It should just show up as a device in the Alexa app that you can interconnect to any other Alexa-enabled device.

 

[Michael Rose]

Weird. It should just show up as a device in the Alexa app that you can interconnect to any other Alexa-enabled device.

This is so confusing to describe in writing, but it (WiiM) shows up in the Amazon app. Just not where you said it would be. This is maddening. I’m about to just uninstall both the Amazon Alexa and WiiM apps and try again from scratch.

 

[uofmtiger]

Seems like I had to put it in a room or something like that in the Alexa app. I don't remember exactly, unfortunately, but I had to do something in addition to the above.

 

[imral3]

Create a Group including your Echo device and the Wiim. When you tell that particular Echo device to play music, it will automatically default to the Wiim. Regular Alexa responses (time, weather, etc.) will continue to play from the Echo device's internal speaker. Just expanding a little on what @uofmtiger mentioned.

 

[uofmtiger]

Create a Group including your Echo device and the Wiim. When you tell that particular Echo device to play music, it will automatically default to the Wiim. Regular Alexa responses (time, weather, etc.) will continue to play from the Echo device's internal speaker. Just expanding a little on what @uofmtiger mentioned.

Thanks for filling in the missing pieces. I only tested to see if it would work, but vaguely remember having to do what you mentioned above.

 

[imral3]

Thanks for filling in the missing pieces. I only tested to see if it would work, but vaguely remember having to do what you mentioned above.

I actually just did it for my Echo Link when I moved it out of my main system and into the bedroom system. Main system now has a Wiim Mini.

 

[uofmtiger]

I actually just did it for my Echo Link when I moved it out of my main system and into the bedroom system. Main system now has a Wiim Mini.

I may get Amazon when it gets lossless on Wiim. Still deciding. Right now I have Qobuz which is working well alongside Apple Music, but with the price of Amazon Music, I will consider using it instead of Qobuz. We will see, but the WiiM with an Echo for voice control is a nice combination.

 

[imral3]

I may get Amazon when it gets lossless on Wiim. Still deciding. Right now I have Qobuz which is working well alongside Apple Music, but with the price of Amazon Music, I will consider using it instead of Qobuz. We will see, but the WiiM with an Echo for voice control is a nice combination.

I only just subscribed to Tidal HiFi to get me through to when Wiim supports Amazon lossless. I'd be happy with 16/44 to start. AMHD sounds fantastic and is the lowest price, even though they're about to increase monthly rate by a dollar'ish.
P.s., I just subscribed to your YT channel.

 

[uofmtiger]

I only just subscribed to Tidal HiFi to get me through to when Wiim supports Amazon lossless. I'd be happy with 16/44 to start. AMHD sounds fantastic and is the lowest price, even though they're about to increase monthly rate by a dollar'ish.
P.s., I just subscribed to your YT channel.

I could live with lossless, too, but will take hi res if I have access to it.

Thank you! I don’t post very often, but it’s there when I do feel like posting something.

 

[chicks]

Just looked; my Echo Dot and the WiiM are in the same “room” in the Alexa app, so I obviously configured that at some point. So, yes, that’s no doubt the missing step required to get this working.

 

[Zonker92]

I hope no one minds if I use this thread to ask a similar, but I don’t think identical, question:

What I am trying to do is cast Apple music using Airplay from my phone to my WiiM mini (that works fine), AND from there, have the WiiM “share” the music with all my Alexa devices throughout a given group. That would allow me to send/control my Apple music from my phone throughout the group.

I’ve tried the WiiM app and the Alexa app and I just haven’t been able to figure out a way to use the WIIM device as the source when it’s running Apple music off my phone using Airplay.

(I’m particularly interested in doing this today, because for some reason, Alexa is not syncing to my correct Apple account, so I am unable to access Apple Music through Alexa. It keeps linking up to another Apple account I have that does not have a subscription to Apple Music.)

Any ideas? Thanks.