[Update: Acknowledged] Plex not playing music on first-gen Amazon Echo devices issue comes to light

New updates are being added at the bottom of this story…….

Original story (published on October 20, 2021) follows:

If you own a vast collection of digital content that you want to enjoy anytime, then you must have heard of the popular media server streaming service Plex. It is a solution for those who want to stream media without having to transfer files to their devices.

In the last couple of years, Plex has slowly transformed itself from just a digital media streaming server to a streaming platform that now offers more than 130 live channels for free.

Plex is basically a client-server media player that runs on almost every platform and is available in more than 43 languages as of now.

Recently, some Plex users reported that they were facing a video playback error on NVIDIA Shield TV and Google Chromecast after the latest Android app update.

And as if that wasn’t enough to trouble Plex users, a new issue related to music playback on Amazon Echo devices has come to light. Recent user reports suggest that Plex is having trouble playing music on the first generation of Echo devices.

Users say that the issue persists even though both the skill and the server are active. The Plex server finds the song but is unable to play it on the Amazon Echo.

Apologies I tried searching but didn’t see anything directly to help me. Basically the issue is my 1st Gen Echo stopped playing music from my Plex server in the last week or so. It can see the server and the skill is active – so when I ask it to play some music it does find it, but the problem is it never actually plays. My Echo dot however, does still work. So I guess the question is, is there something I need to do on my server to get it working again, or does this seem like a problem with the Echo itself? I’m kind of at my wit’s end with this.

(Source)

As of ​Thur, 9/30, the Plex skill responds properly but no music comes out on the 1st gen Amazon Echo and the Amazon Tap (1st-ish gen). But it does work with Emby (similar software to Plex, but the Emby skill requires an SSL cert for your home server) as well as Tunein, Somafm, Pandora, iHeart, and Amazon Music. (The WJST Jet Set Radio skill developed the same problem.) 2nd and 3rd gen Echo Dots have no problems with any of those audio skills. Both Plex and WJST worked the day before. I did unplug the Echo and powered down the Tap, no luck. Rebooted router also, no difference.
(Source)

Why Plex is acting up is still unclear to date. Many say that Echo responds with “uh oh, something went wrong, I have alerted the Plex team so they can take a look” error.

With Plex yet to acknowledge the issue, it still remains unknown how long it will take before it will be fixed. In the meantime, some users have shared a workaround that might come in handy in case you are facing the same issue.

For those who are unable to play music using Plex on first-gen Amazon Echo, try removing the skills and re-enabling it in Alexa. The trick seems to be working for some if not all.

Also, in case the workaround fixed the problem for you, please make sure to let us know in the comment section below and spread the word.

If and when Plex and Amazon acknowledge the issue, we will update this article to reflect the same so make sure to keep an eye out for more information.

05:53 pm (IST): A Plex employee has taken to the community forums to confirm that a developer was able to reproduce the problem and they are currently working on it. However, there’s no ETA for a resolution.

One of the developers was able to reproduce the problem with a 1st gen Echo. We are looking into the cause. (Source)

Note: We have more such stories in our dedicated Amazon Section so be sure to follow them as well.

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