Help CentreIntroduction
The My Calibre Player Alexa skill lets you listen to audiobooks from your My Calibre playlist using voice commands. You can play, pause, skip tracks, and set a sleep timer.
Please note: The skill is only available on Alexa devices set to an English language preference (UK, Ireland, US, Australia, or Canada). If your device is set to another language, the skill may not appear in the skills store.
What you'll need
- A Calibre Audio digital membership
- A My Calibre account with titles added to your playlist
- An Amazon account and Alexa device
If you're a postal (USB) member and would like to add streaming to your membership, please call us on 01296 432339.
Step 1 - Set up your Alexa device
If you haven't set up your Alexa device yet, Amazon provides guides for each device type:
How to set up your Echo Dot – the most common, screenless Alexa device
How to set up your Echo Show – Alexa device with a large rectangular screen
If your device is already set up, skip to Step 2.
Step 2 - Install the Alexa app
Download the Alexa app on your smartphone or tablet and log in with your Amazon account:
If you already have the app installed and are logged in, skip to Step 3.
Step 3 - Add the My Calibre Player skill
- Tap More in the bottom right corner of the Alexa app
- Select Skills & Games
- Search for My Calibre Player and select it
- Tap Enable To Use - this will open the My Calibre login screen
- Enter your email address and password, then tap Continue
If successful, you'll see the message "My Calibre Player has been successfully linked". Tap X to close and return to the app.
Step 4 - Add titles to your playlist on My Calibre
The skill doesn't support searching or browsing — you'll need to add titles via My Calibre first. You can find audiobooks in several ways:
- Latest Releases - audiobooks added that month
- Categories - browse by fiction, non-fiction, and more
- Authors & Narrators - see all titles by a specific author or narrator
- Search - use the search bar in the top navigation to find titles by author, narrator, or catalogue number
When you find a title you'd like to listen to, open it and click Stream now.
Step 5 - Using the skill
Say "Alexa, open the skill My Calibre Player" to launch the skill. You'll hear a short jingle to confirm it has opened.
Tip: Emphasise "my – kal – e – berr player" to avoid Alexa opening your calendar by mistake. If Alexa opens something else, say "Alexa, stop" and try again.
Alexa will ask if you want to continue listening to your current book:
- Say "Yes" to resume from where you left off
- Say "No" to hear a list of other titles in your playlist — say the book name to start playing it
During playback you can say:
- "Alexa, pause"
- "Alexa, skip forward"
- "Alexa, go back"
- "Alexa, sleep timer for X minutes"
To stop listening, say "Alexa, stop" or "Alexa, cancel" - a bookmark will be saved automatically.
To resume after stopping, say "Alexa, keep listening".
Returning a title
Once you've finished listening, return the title via your My Calibre dashboard. Click the Return button on the book and confirm - it will then move to your Streaming History.
Changing your password
You can update your password via Manage Account in My Calibre. Please note: if you change your password after linking the skill, you'll be logged out of the Alexa skill and will need to sign in again.
Any questions?
Please contact our Membership Services team:
- Email: membershipservices@calibre.org.uk
- Telephone: 01296 432339