Amazon’s “Alexa Voice Service” gives users the ability to control Plex in a variety of ways using just your voice. In this article we’ll cover multiple ways you can speak to Alexa as you explore discovery, suggestions, playback, and more.

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Initiating Voice Commands

How you talk with Alexa can vary by device. On the Amazon Fire TV and Echo Tap, simply tap and hold the Talk button on the remote and say your command starting with Ask Plex... or Open Plex . The Amazon Echo, and Echo Dot devices work slightly differently because they are always listening and require an extra command to let them know you are talking to Alexa. On those devices, say Alexa, Ask Plex... or Alexa, Open Plex .

Alexa is pretty smart and you’ll find that she understands commands spoken in several different ways. Here are just a few examples of phrases that can be used interchangeably:

Ask Plex and Tell Plex

and Play and Put on

and Recommend and Suggest

and Change and Switch

and What is and What's

and Let us and Let's

and TV show and Show

and Hear and Listen

Tip!: Want to get out of whatever Alexa is doing? Just say Alexa, cancel and Alexa will do so.

Note: When controlling another player, you’ll need to ensure that Plex app is already running. For instance, if you want to control your Roku app, then Plex needs to be running/active on the Roku.

Common Voice Commands

You can get started with some simple voice commands:

Ask Plex what's On Deck?

Ask Plex to suggest something to watch

Ask Plex what's new?

Tell Plex to play The Big Lebowski

Tell Plex to play music by Bob Marley

Tell Plex to pause

Tell Plex to stop

Changing the Plex Media Server

To set or change the Plex Media Server to use with Alexa, say:

Ask Plex to change my server

Alexa will give you a list of servers associated with your Plex account. Choose the desired entry from the list. Alternatively, you can tell Alexa to directly set or change the Plex Media Server using the friendly name of the server and save the additional voice prompt. Just say:

Ask Plex to change my server to Mothership

Changing the Plex Player

To set or change the Plex player app you would like to use with Alexa, say:

Ask Plex to change my player

Alexa will give you a list of the available players and you can choose the desired entry from the list. Similarly, you can tell Alexa to directly set or change the player using the name of the player and save the additional voice prompt. Just say:

Ask Plex to change my player to Living Room TV

Tip!: If you’re playing music/audio and do not specify another Plex app as the player, playback will occur on the Alexa device (e.g. the Echo).

Discovery & Suggestions

Talking with Alexa can be fun and informative. If you’re not sure what to watch or listen to, Alexa can tell you what’s On Deck or what has been Recently Added for your current server. Alexa can also provide you with suggestions for TV Shows, Movies, and Music.

Continue Watching

Want to quickly pick up where you left off in your movie or TV show? Try saying: Ask Plex...

What can I continue watching?

What's on continue watching?

What's on my continue watching list?

What was I in the middle of?

What movie was I in the middle of?

What show was I in the middle of?

On Deck

Find out what TV shows are On Deck by saying: Ask Plex...

What's On Deck?

Tell me what's on deck

What's up?

Recently Added

Have Alexa tell you what media has been recently added by saying: Ask Plex...

What's been recently added?

What was recently added?

Recently added

What's new?

General Suggestions

Not sure what to watch? Alexa can understand a variety of voice commands for suggestions. Say: Ask Plex...

Can you suggest something?

Can you recommend something?

What's good?

Give me a suggestion

Suggest something to watch

Recommend me something

Hook me up

Movie & TV Show Recommendations

Want to watch a movie or TV show but not sure which one? Try these voice commands: Ask Plex...

What should I watch?

Suggest something to watch

Recommend something to watch

I don't know what to watch

I'm not sure what to watch

Put on something to watch

Suggest a movie to watch

Put on a movie

Suggest a show to watch

Recommend a tv show

I want to watch a movie

I want to watch a show

Music Recommendations

Alexa can give you suggestions for music by saying: Ask Plex...

What should I listen to?

Suggest something to listen to

Suggest some music

Put on some music

Play some music

I want to hear some music

Give me something to listen to

Talk to Alexa in style using these additional voice commands: Ask Plex to...

Let's get this party started

Throw down some phat beats

Drop the beat

Playing Specific Media

Alexa can play movies, TV shows, and music on your current player, just by asking.

Media Playback

Starting playback of a movie or TV Show can be done in a variety of ways: Ask Plex...

Play The Dark Knight

Start Westworld

Let's watch The Grand Budapest Hotel

I would like to watch Back To The Future

Do you have multiple players? You can specify the friendly name of a player you want to use for playing back any kind of media by adding it to the end of your voice command. Here are some examples: Ask Plex to...

Play Monsters Inc. on Roku

Start The Little Mermaid on Family Room TV

I want to hear music by Right Said Fred on Kitchen TV

Put on the album Dookie on iPhone

TV Show Playback

Alexa understands the more complex structures of TV shows, seasons, and episodes. You can use all of these details to describe to Alexa what you would like to watch.

Play a Specific Show

Play the show Westworld

Put on the tv show Stranger Things

Start the tv show Better Off Ted

Play the television show Arrested Development

Let's watch the show Twin Peaks

Play a Specific Season

Play season 2 of 30 Rock

Put on season 4 of The Wire

Start season 5 of Breaking Bad

Play a Specific Episode

Play episode You Only Move Twice of The Simpsons

Put on episode Swiss Miss of Archer

Music Playback

Alexa supports playing “radio stations” of your available music. Three types of radio are currently offered.

Note: The radio feature on Plex Media Server is available for free to everyone during an initial preview period. Radio stations will become a Plex Pass Subscriptions-only feature at a later time.

Library Radio

Play popular tracks from artists spanning across the entire library.

Play some music

Play library radio

Play Soundtracks library radio (e.g. “Play [library name] library radio”)

Time Travel Radio

Time Travel Radio starts with some of the earliest released music in the library and works forward, providing you with a whirlwind, genre-bending trip through the history of your music.

Play time travel radio

Play Soundtracks time travel radio (e.g. “Play [library name] time travel radio”)

Artist Radio

Kick off an Artist Radio from your favorite artist and you’ll enjoy music from other similar artists. As the station progresses, it explores more corners of your library, inspired by your starting artist.

Play Lana Del Ray radio (e.g. “Play [artist name] radio”)

By Artist

Put on music by Bob Marley

Play music by Adele

Let's hear music by Elton John

Shuffle music by Pink Floyd

Shuffle Queen

Play music by The Pet Shop Boys

Play the artist Rihanna

I want to hear songs by Avicii

By Album

Shuffle the album Thriller

Put on the album Nevermind by Nirvana

I want to hear the album Dark Sky Paradise

Start the record Illuminate

Let's hear the album Come Away With Me by Norah Jones

By Song

Play the track Come As You Are

Put on the track Billie Jean

Play the song Pour It Up

Put on the song Holy Grail

Let's listen the song Mercy

Playlists

Play the playlist Christmas Tunes

Shuffle the playlist Party Music

Player Controls

You can also use Alexa’s standard voice commands to control the player during playback. Just say Alexa, tell Plex to Pause . As usual, you need to say Ask Plex or Tell Plex when using these voice commands.