
I’m sorry to say this…
But your Echo Dot has officially gone over to the dark side.
It refuses to play music because someone or something must’ve corrupted it.
Poor Echo Dot.
Can you still save it? Heck yes.
Just don’t give up on it easily.
So…?
Continue reading to learn…
- 5 quick fixes to get your Echo Dot working again.
- How to save your Echo Dot from its corrupted dark side juju.
- Why troubleshooting is the first step before performing any fix.
- 3 reasons why your Echo Dot connects to Alexa but doesn’t play music.
- And so much more…
Why is my Echo Dot not playing music?
Your Echo Dot isn’t playing music for several reasons. One, your WiFi network might be congested or there’s a lot of signal interference in your area. Second, it could be an app glitch or bug you downloaded along with the Alexa update. And third, your Echo Dot is malfunctioning and needs a reboot.
Echo Dot not playing music: 5 ways to fix it
#1: Troubleshoot your Echo Dot, WiFi, and mobile device
A lot of guides online will tell you to head straight for the fix. But here’s the problem.
How do you fix something if you don’t know what’s causing the problem?
Most end up trying a bunch of fixes and then end up lost because it didn’t solve their problem.
I don’t want that for you.
So here’s what we’re going to do. If your Echo Dot isn’t playing music, it doesn’t always mean your Echo Dot is the problem.
So, troubleshoot first. Here’s how to find the culprit behind your Echo Dot’s weird dark-side behavior:
- Disable explicit filter.
- Check your internet connection.
- Make sure your subscription is still active.
- Play music through another music service.
Disable explicit filter
If your Echo Dot isn’t playing music, it might simply be a certain song that it refuses to play. This clearly means it’s not an Echo Dot issue, but an app issue.
As stated in the Alexa app:
“Some music services will not be playable when the explicit filter is on. AM/FM radio stations and some podcasts will still be available.”
Reading tip: Alexa vs Echo: What’s The Difference & Do You Need Both?
See what I mean?
Here’s how to disable the explicit filter:
Step 1: Open your Alexa app.
Step 2: Tap More. (3 horizontal lines icon at the bottom-right of your screen).
Step 3: Under Alexa Preferences, tap “Music & Podcasts”.
Step 4: Under Settings, you should see Explicit Filter.
Step 5: If your Alexa app is updated to its latest version, it will say “Profanity Filter.”
Step 6: Make sure the Explicit or Profanity Filter is disabled.
Step 7: Try playing music on your Echo Dot.
Check your internet connection

Even if the green light in your WiFi is blinking, that doesn’t mean its speed is fast enough to stream music.
If you have more than one Echo dot at home, one WiFi router might not be enough. You also might be having a lot of signal interference due to your neighbor’s WiFi (more on this later).
Before we get into any deep WiFi network fixes, here’s what you should do:
Step 1: Check if it’s a WiFi issue by doing the following:
Step 2: Try firing up Google Chrome.
Step 3: Search for anything like cat memes or whatnot.
Step 4: Check YouTube if any of the videos load.
If you notice that Google or YouTube takes long to load or buffers constantly, then it’s a WiFi issue.
Step 5: Unplug your router for roughly a minute then plug it back. If that doesn’t work, you can check out fix #4.
Make sure your subscription is still active
I remember Spotify sending me an email that I wasn’t subscribed to Spotify Premium out of the blue.
This was a day after seeing I couldn’t access my Liked Songs unless I was connected to the internet.
As it turns out, Spotify sent me an email that my card was declined for the Spotify Premium payment.
When I resolved the issue, my Spotify worked again.
Sometimes, the issue is that you currently don’t have an active subscription. In my case, it was a credit card failure or glitch that rendered my subscription inactive.
This might be your case too, or it might be that you subscribed for 3 months only and forgot to subscribe again.
Either way, it doesn’t hurt to check if you’re actively subscribed to each music service you have linked to your Echo Dot.
Play music through another music service

Let’s say you tried playing Amazon Music on your Echo Dot. Now, try playing Spotify on your Echo Dot.
If your Echo Dot plays Spotify, then the problem could be the Amazon Music app. So, simply close the app and then open it again.
Or, you can disable the music service and register it again. Here’s how it’s done:
Step 1: Open your Alexa app.
Step 2: Tap More (3 horizontal lines icon at the bottom-right of your screen).
Step 3: Under Alexa Preferences, tap “Music & Podcasts”.
Step 4: Under Services, tap the music service that didn’t work.
Step 5: If Amazon Music wasn’t working, tap Amazon Music. If Spotify wasn’t working, tap Spotify.
Step 6: Tap “Disable Skill”.
Step 7: Wait for the “Enable to Use” button to appear and tap it.
If that didn’t work, check out #3 in this guide as an additional fix.
Check out: 3 Steps To Connect Amazon Music To Echo Dot
#2: Unplug your Echo Dot
Ran through all the troubleshooting methods, and your Echo Dot still doesn’t play music?
Then here’s the quickest fix…
Unplug your Echo Dot and plug it back in. Here’s how to do it:
Step 1: Turn off your Echo Dot.
Step 2: Unplug your Echo Dot from the power source.
Step 3: Wait for 1 to 2 minutes (Don’t be impatient).
Step 4: Plug your Echo Dot back into the power source.
Step 5: Try playing music on your Echo Dot.
#3: Check if your Echo Dot is linked to the right account
How many Echo Dots do you have at home? How many active Amazon accounts are linked to your Echo Dot?
Because here’s what might be happening.
The Echo Dot you’re trying to play music with is linked to someone else’s account. In effect, your Echo Dot will play music from that account, or it won’t play music at all.
Another reason is that your “Guest Connect” feature is turned on. As a result, your neighbors can easily connect to your Echo Dot
To check if your Guest Connect feature is on, follow these steps:
Step 1: Open your Alexa app.
Step 2: Tap More (3 horizontal lines icon located at the bottom-right of your screen).
Step 3: Tap “Account Settings”.
Step 4: Tap “Guest Connect”.
Step 5: Check if the “Allow Guests to connect” function is turned on.
After, tell Alexa, “Alexa, identify account”. If Alexa responds and says an account name that isn’t you, you can also change it in your Alexa app’s “Account Settings.”
#4: Get a WiFi extender or talk to your Internet Service Provider (ISP)
If you live in a high-density area with people who use WiFi in their own homes, then…
Your WiFi network might have signal interference. The best way to find out is to call your Internet Service Provider (ISP). Then, ask them to check if you have signal interference.
You can also request your ISP to put you on a different channel, so you don’t get any interference.
But wait – what does signal interference have to do with my Echo Dot not playing music?
Good question.
Your Echo Dot is connected to your WiFi network. If there’s another WiFi or several networks in the area that interfere with your WiFi signal, well…
How will your Echo Dot be able to function properly? Or, think of it this way.
Can you hear your friend over the phone when there’s static noise in the background? You could, but not 100%, right? Probably 50% to 60% only.
And that’s what’s happening to your Echo Dot in the event of signal interference.
Do I need a WiFi extender?

If your WiFi network is weak and you have a lot of devices using one Echo Dot, get a WiFi extender.
However, get a WiFi extender that extends your existing WiFi network. Don’t get the WiFi extender that creates a new WiFi network at home.
But, why do you need a WiFi extender?
Let’s say multiple devices are connected to your Echo Dot and WiFi.
This can lead to a congested WiFi network.
Imagine trying to open 30 MS Word doc files all at once. The MS Word Doc app would hang, right?
The same goes for your Echo Dot…
It’s possible that with so many devices connected to the WiFi, your Echo Dot slows down too. As a result, playing music becomes incredibly slow, or it doesn’t play at all.
#5: Deregister then register your Echo Dot
Last option. Deregister then register your Echo Dot to solve any minor errors or glitches. Think of this as a refresh.
You know the feeling you get when you splash cold water on your face when you’re sleepy? Then, feeling awake or refreshed after?
Think of deregistering and registering your Echo Dot in that way. Here’s how it’s done:
Step 1: Open your Alexa app.
Step 2: Tap “Devices” (The home icon located at the bottom of your screen).
Step 3: Tap “Echo & Alexa”.
Step 4: Tap your Echo Dot device.
Step 5: Scroll down until you see “Registered to”.
Step 6: Beside it, you should see a blue icon “Deregister”.
Step 7: Tap “Deregister”.
Step 8: Don’t close the Alexa app.
Step 9: Register your Echo Dot.
If you want to take this a step further, you can also do a factory reset. Here’s a quick 5-minute video tutorial on how to do a factory reset on your Echo Dot:
Why is my Echo Dot connected but not playing music?
#1: Your Echo Dot caught the common colds bug
What do I mean by that?
Let’s say you caught a common cold. How did you get it? Most likely through a viral infection.
The best way to cure it? A few meds and a good night’s rest.
Your Echo Dot is the same. It might catch a bug that causes it “sneeze.” In effect, it takes long to load, or it doesn’t work at all.
When this happens, it’s why you need to give your Echo Dot a soft reboot or hard reset.
#2: WiFi interference or congestion
Microwaves, baby monitors, and Bluetooth devices. These are all examples of what could interfere with your WiFi signal.
Or, it could be your neighbor’s WiFi network. Another could be too many devices, leading to WiFi congestion.
When this happens, it’s harder for your Echo Dot to connect to your device. Let alone stream or play music.
There are several ways to troubleshoot your WiFi.
One way to troubleshoot it is by connecting to another device like your laptop. If it takes long to stream YouTube or load Google pages, your WiFi is the problem.
#3: Music service/app glitches
Sometimes, the issue lies with the app and not your Echo Dot. Think of app glitches the same way as what happens when you trip or stumble.
You hit a curb, and then your footing’s off, so you trip. App glitches are similar in a way. They can happen at random.
And when they do, it’s simply a matter of refreshing the app or disabling it on your Alexa app and then enabling it again.