Daniel J SaitYamaha has announced compatibility for its MusicCast platform with Amazon’s Alexa voice activation service.
Over 40 MusicCast products are included in the roll-out offering full compatibility with Amazon’s range of voice control devices.
Yamaha says the MusicCast Smart Home skill supports the most common, everyday voice commands users would chose to control a single MusicCast AV receiver, sound bar, wireless speaker or Hi-Fi component, Hi-Fi system.
These basic commands include power on/off, volume control, play/pause/skip/previous, mute/unmute and input selection. This skill also supports simple, Alexa-standardised commands such as ‘Alexa, volume up in the Kitchen’.
Yamaha adds however that the Skill does go beyond the basics, giving enhanced control of unique MusicCast functions such as room linking, multiple room control and playback of MusicCast Favourites/Playlists.
The commands are customised for MusicCast such as, ‘Alexa, ask MusicCast to link the Kitchen with the Living Room’.
Yamaha also points out that it already possible to use an Echo/Dot as a source for a MusicCast product connected via Bluetooth (all MusicCast products support a Bluetooth input).
So, when an Echo is used as a source, users can request a specific artist, album or song just as they would when using it as a standalone device.
MusicCast also lets the user redistribute a Bluetooth stream to multiple MusicCast products for simultaneous playback if desired.