Can I use Cortana to play music?

What is Cortana?

Cortana is a virtual assistant created by Microsoft to help users be more productive on Windows devices. According to Microsoft’s support page, Cortana is designed to save time and focus attention on what matters most.

Originally launched in 2014 for Windows Phone 8.1, Cortana is now included in Windows 10, Windows 11, and is also available as a mobile app on iOS and Android devices. Cortana provides voice command capabilities, AI-powered insights, and smart recommendations to help users organize their lives and get things done.

Some of Cortana’s key features include setting reminders, booking meetings, making calls, controlling music, getting answers to questions, and more – all through natural voice commands. Cortana aims to understand user needs and provide personalized assistance.

Playing Music with Cortana

Cortana can play songs, albums, playlists and more from connected music services like Spotify, Pandora, and Groove Music. You can ask Cortana to play music out loud on your phone’s speaker or connected devices like Bluetooth speakers and wireless headphones. Some examples of voice commands you can use are:

“Hey Cortana, play Ultraviolet by Linkin Park”
“Hey Cortana, play some classic rock music”

“Hey Cortana, play my Favorites playlist on Spotify”

Cortana integrates directly with services like Spotify, Groove Music, iHeartRadio, and TuneIn Radio. This allows you to use natural voice commands to access your personal playlists, stations and more just by asking. Cortana can also play music you have stored locally on your device if you allow access. Overall, Cortana makes it quick and convenient to get music playing instantly with only your voice.

Connected Music Services

Cortana can connect to many of the most popular music services and apps to play audio, including Spotify, Pandora, Amazon Music, iTunes, TuneIn Radio, and iHeartRadio. This allows you to access your personal libraries, playlists, stations, and recommendations from these services through Cortana voice commands.

After connecting your accounts in Cortana’s Notebook, you’ll be able to say things like “Hey Cortana, play my Discover Weekly playlist on Spotify” or “Hey Cortana, play NPR news on TuneIn.” Cortana will play the requested content directly from whichever service you specify.

Cortana’s integration with major streaming platforms gives you hands-free voice control over your music. You don’t have to manually open apps or choose what to play next. Cortana makes it easy to queue up endless personalized music hands-free using just your voice.

Speaker Options

There are a few different speaker options for listening to music with Cortana:

You can play music directly through the built-in speakers on your Windows PC or mobile device. Cortana is integrated into Windows 10, so you can ask her to play music without any additional hardware.

For better sound quality, you may want to connect external speakers. There are several options:

Bluetooth speakers – Pair your Bluetooth speaker to your device and Cortana can play music through wireless Bluetooth connectivity.

WiFi speakers – Connect speakers to your WiFi network and Cortana can stream music to them, like the Harman Kardon Invoke speaker.
Aux speakers – Use a wired aux connection from your device to external speakers.

So in summary, Cortana gives you the flexibility to play music on your built-in speakers or connect to external speakers in different ways like Bluetooth, WiFi, or Aux.

Music Commands

Cortana allows you to use simple voice commands to control music playback. You can say commands like “Hey Cortana, play” or “Hey Cortana, pause” to start and stop music. Some examples of music voice commands include:

“Hey Cortana, play [song name, artist, album or playlist]” – begins playing the specified music
“Hey Cortana, pause” – pauses the currently playing music

“Hey Cortana, next song” – skips to the next song in the queue
“Hey Cortana, turn it up/down” – increases or decreases the volume

You can request specific songs, artists, albums, playlists, or even radio stations. Cortana integrates with services like Spotify, Pandora, iTunes, and Groove Music to give you voice control over playback. This allows you to start music hands-free without having to manually launch apps or search for content.

Cortana’s music voice capabilities provide convenient hands-free control while listening to tunes. With simple commands, you can quickly play music and manage playback without disrupting your activity.

Smart Music Recommendations

One of the key features that sets Cortana apart in playing music is its ability to provide personalized music recommendations based on your tastes. Cortana has access to your music listening history and preferences across services like Spotify, Pandora, and Groove Music. By monitoring the types of artists, songs, albums, and playlists you frequently listen to, Cortana can get a sense of your musical tastes.

This allows Cortana to suggest music you are more likely to enjoy. You can ask Cortana to play something you would like and it will generate a playlist using your listening data. For example, you can say “Hey Cortana, play some music I would like” and it will start a radio station or playlist with songs tailored just for you. This is a useful way to discover new music that aligns with your current interests.

Cortana’s music recommendation capabilities leverage Microsoft services like Groove Music as well as integrate with popular third-party services. This gives you a personalized radio experience powered by your own listening history and habits. Over time as Cortana learns more about your tastes, the recommendations get even better.

Regional Availability

Cortana’s music features are available in many regions around the world, though there are some limitations in certain countries.

In the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and some other English-speaking countries, Cortana offers robust music capabilities powered by Microsoft services like Groove Music. This includes features such as identifying songs based on humming or lyrics, accessing your personal music collection, and using voice commands to play artists, albums, playlists and more.

In other regions, including much of Europe and Asia, Cortana has more limited music functionality due to licensing restrictions. Song identification may not be available, and integration with streaming services is limited. However, Cortana can still play music from your local device storage and do basic music commands in most regions.

Microsoft frequently updates and expands Cortana’s regional availability. Over time, they aim to bring a richer set of music experiences to more countries and languages. Check the Cortana support site for the most up-to-date details on availability in your region.

Tips for Using Cortana Music

To get the most out of using Cortana to play your music, there are a few tips to keep in mind:

First, make sure Cortana can access your preferred music services. You can connect Spotify, Pandora, TuneIn Radio, and others by going to Cortana’s Notebook and selecting ‘Music.’ Connect the services you use for streaming so Cortana can access your full music library.

Also, be sure you’re running the latest version of Windows 10. Microsoft frequently updates Cortana with new capabilities and bug fixes, so upgrading to the most recent Windows version allows you to take full advantage of what Cortana offers.

Finally, for the optimal listening experience, connect Cortana to external speakers, headphones or other audio devices. Cortana can play music on your PC’s built-in speakers, but connecting dedicated external speakers provides higher quality sound.

With access to your music services, the newest Windows update, and external speakers, you’ll get the best experience using Cortana to play your favorite music.

Limitations

While Cortana offers useful music functionality, it does have some limitations users should be aware of:

Cortana doesn’t support every obscure music streaming service. It works best with major platforms like Spotify, Pandora, iTunes, and Microsoft Groove. Support for smaller services is inconsistent.

Cortana relies on voice recognition, so it can occasionally mishear song or artist names, leading to the wrong music being played. Speaking clearly and enunciating can help minimize this issue.

According to this source, some music features like controlling video streaming services have been removed from Cortana in recent versions of Windows.

While Cortana works well for basic music requests, it lacks some of the deeper functionality of a dedicated music app. Advanced users may want to use Cortana alongside another music application.

The Future of Cortana Music

Cortana is expected to continue improving its music capabilities in the future. According to this Computerworld article, Microsoft has plans to enhance Cortana by adding support for more music services.

Cortana’s voice recognition and AI is also likely to become more advanced over time. As reported in Microsoft’s update on Cortana changes, they are focused on improving Cortana’s conversational abilities across platforms.

There is potential for Cortana to integrate with other virtual assistants like Alexa or Google Assistant. This could allow Cortana to tap into an expanded ecosystem of devices and services. However, Microsoft’s strategy remains focused on productivity and business use cases rather than consumer smart home applications.

In summary, Cortana is poised to become an even more capable AI assistant for music playback through expanded service support, improved voice recognition, and potential integration with other platforms.