Amazon Echo is a hugely-popular smart device that harnesses the power of a virtual assistant named Alexa to perform actions and answer questions.
The retail giant’s line of Echo products was recently bolstered by the debut of a third-generation Echo Dot and an all-new Echo Plus speaker.
The revised Echo Dot looks more stylish and contemporary than its predecessors.
Amazon claims the new Echo Dot features an improved speaker system that should deliver “richer and louder sound” overall.
The hardware costs £49.99 and is available in charcoal, heather grey and sandstone finishes.
While the Echo Dot is positioned as the cheapest way to enter Amazon’s line Alexa-enabled devices, the Echo Plus is geared towards those that want the best audio experience.
The Amazon Echo Plus is capable of playing Dolby 360-degree audio thanks to its more premium speaker setup.
Echo Plus comes in at £139.99 and is available in the same colours as the Echo Dot.
But now Amazon’s Echo line of hardware has received a new update that allows users to “follow” their favourite artists and be alerted when they release new music.
Echo owners are able to take advantage of the new feature either by asking Alexa directly, or by pressing the “follow” button on an artist using the Amazon Music app.
Commands such as “Alexa, follow (artist) on Amazon Music”, or “Alexa, let me know when (artist) releases a new album” will trigger the action.
The signature coloured ring on the owner’s Echo device will glow yellow when a new song is released by an artist they have followed.
And a notification will be sent to their smartphone if they have the Amazon Music app installed.
Users will then be able to listen to the new music in question instantly.
Moreover, Echo owners do not need to say the name of an artist in order to follow them.
That is because if the user is enjoying a song from a playlist, they can simply ask to Alexa to follow the artist that is currently playing.
It is worth noting users need to have notifications enabled on both the Alexa and Amazon Music apps to take advantage of this new feature.
The handy upgrade is currently rolling out to Echo owners based in the US.
It has not been confirmed when the functionality will arrive in other territories.