Ear Wax Setup

You Own It! Now Play It!

Public Release Guide

Connect Ear Wax

Connect Ear Wax to your music library using the email address from your Alexa account.

New user? Read the Setup & User Guide below before configuring Ear Wax.

Open Setup & User Guide

1. Welcome to Ear Wax

Ear Wax is an Alexa skill that lets you stream and control music from your own personal Plex or Emby music library on Alexa-enabled speakers.

Ear Wax is designed to complement your existing media server. It does not replace Plex or Emby. It adds voice-controlled playback on Alexa-enabled speakers.

What Ear Wax can do

  • Play a random mix from your personal music library.
  • Play music by artist.
  • Play albums.
  • Play playlists.
  • Play music by genre.
  • Play recently added music.
  • Skip tracks and stop or pause playback.
  • Tell you what is currently playing.
  • Repeat the current track or queue when supported by the requested command.

Invocation name

Say Ear Wax clearly as two words.

Alexa, ask Ear Wax ...

2. Before You Begin

Before configuring Ear Wax, make sure you have:

  • An Alexa-enabled speaker or device.
  • A personal Plex or Emby server containing a music library.
  • An Amazon account connected to the Alexa devices where you want to use Ear Wax.
  • The email address associated with that Amazon/Alexa account.
  • Remote access configured so Ear Wax can reach your media server from outside your home network.
  • For Emby: an Emby API key and the User ID for the Emby user Ear Wax should use.
  • For Plex: a valid Plex access token.
Important: When Ear Wax requests permission to access your email address, grant that permission. Ear Wax uses the Alexa-associated email address to match your Alexa account with your saved Ear Wax configuration.
Security reminder: Do not send Plex access tokens, Emby API keys, passwords, or other private credentials in ordinary support messages.

3. Getting Started

  1. Enable the public Ear Wax skill.
  2. Grant the requested email-address permission.
  3. Open the Ear Wax Setup page.
  4. Enter the email address associated with the Amazon account used by your Alexa devices.
  5. Choose your music-library provider: Emby or Plex.
  6. Complete the provider-specific fields.
  7. Select Test Connection.
  8. If the connection succeeds, select Save Configuration.
  9. Go to your Alexa-enabled device and say:
Alexa, ask Ear Wax provider status

Then say:

Alexa, ask Ear Wax to play some music

If you need help before saving, open the Emby Setup or Plex Setup section below.

4. Emby Setup

Select Emby as your music-library provider, then complete the following fields.

Email address

Enter the email address associated with the Amazon account used by your Alexa devices.

Server Address

Enter the external server address Ear Wax can use to reach your Emby server from the internet. Do not enter a local-only address such as 192.168.x.x.

Use the remote/WAN address configured for your Emby server. The address must be reachable from outside your home network.

Emby API Key

Enter the API key Ear Wax will use to connect to your Emby server. If you do not already have an API key, create one in the Emby server administration area.

Typical path: Emby Server Dashboard → Advanced → API Keys → New API Key.

Emby User ID

Enter the ID, not the display name, of the Emby user Ear Wax should use. Choose a user who can see the music library and playlists you want to control by voice.

Open the desired user in Emby administration. The User ID appears in the browser address bar as part of the user URL.

Playlist note: If a playlist cannot be found, confirm that the configured Emby user can actually see that playlist.

5. Plex Setup

Select Plex as your music-library provider, then complete the following fields.

Email address

Enter the email address associated with the Amazon account used by your Alexa devices.

Plex Access Token

Enter a valid Plex access token for the Plex account/server Ear Wax should use.

Use Plex's official instructions for locating an authentication token. The token is the value associated with X-Plex-Token.

Use a Plex token from the Plex account that can see your full music library. If you use a token from a restricted Plex user, managed user, shared user, or Plex session that cannot see your full music library, Ear Wax may only find part of your library or may not find music at all.
Important: Treat your Plex access token like a credential. Do not post it publicly or send it in ordinary support messages.

After entering the fields

  1. Select Test Connection.
  2. Wait for Ear Wax to attempt to connect to your Plex music library.
  3. If the connection succeeds, select Save Configuration.
  4. If the connection fails, verify the entered information and try again.

6. Test, Save, and Verify

Test Connection

Before saving, use Test Connection. A successful test confirms that Ear Wax can reach the selected music provider using the information you entered.

Save Configuration

After a successful test, select Save Configuration. Wait for confirmation that the configuration was saved successfully.

Verify on Alexa

Go to your Alexa-enabled device and say:

Alexa, ask Ear Wax provider status

Then try:

Alexa, ask Ear Wax to play some music

If provider status does not identify the expected provider, confirm that email permission is granted and that the setup email matches the Amazon account used by your Alexa devices.

7. Quick Start Voice Commands

What you want to doSay this
Play a random mixAlexa, ask Ear Wax to play some music
Play a genreAlexa, ask Ear Wax to play genre jazz
Play an artistAlexa, ask Ear Wax to play artist George Benson
Shuffle an artistAlexa, ask Ear Wax to shuffle artist George Benson
Play an albumAlexa, ask Ear Wax to play album Breezin
Play a playlistAlexa, ask Ear Wax to play playlist Trumpet Jazz
Play recently added musicAlexa, ask Ear Wax to play what's new
Ask what is playingAlexa, ask Ear Wax what is this
Skip forwardAlexa, ask Ear Wax next song
Pause playbackAlexa, pause
Resume playbackAlexa, resume
Stop playbackAlexa, stop
Repeat current trackAlexa, tell Ear Wax to repeat this track X times
Repeat current queueAlexa, tell Ear Wax to repeat the queue X times

Repeat limit: Replace X with a number from 1 through 10.

8. Full Command Reference

Random music

Alexa, ask Ear Wax to play some music

Genres

Alexa, ask Ear Wax to play genre jazz

Replace jazz with a genre available in your own library.

Artists

Alexa, ask Ear Wax to play artist George Benson Alexa, ask Ear Wax to shuffle artist George Benson

Albums

Alexa, ask Ear Wax to play album Breezin

When multiple artists have albums with the same title, include the artist when supported by the command pattern, for example:

Alexa, ask Ear Wax to play Greatest Hits by George Benson Alexa, ask Ear Wax to shuffle album Breezin

Playlists

Alexa, ask Ear Wax to play playlist Trumpet Jazz Alexa, ask Ear Wax to shuffle playlist Trumpet Jazz

Recently added

Alexa, ask Ear Wax to play what's new

Ear Wax uses recently added music from the configured Plex or Emby library.

What is playing

Alexa, ask Ear Wax what is playing Alexa, ask Ear Wax what is this

Playback controls

  • Next track: Alexa, ask Ear Wax next song or Alexa, next.
  • Pause: Alexa, pause.
  • Resume: Alexa, resume.
  • Stop: Alexa, stop.

9. Command Style Notes

  • Say Ear Wax clearly as two words.
  • For the most reliable routing, use the full phrase Alexa, ask Ear Wax ....
  • Use play some music for a general random mix.
  • Use the word genre before a genre name.
  • Use the word artist before an artist name.
  • Use the word album before an album title.
  • Use the word playlist before a playlist name.
  • If Alexa opens Amazon Music or starts a calling flow, repeat the request using the full Ear Wax invocation.
  • Speak at a natural but deliberate pace if Alexa repeatedly mishears the request.
  • Playlist names containing emojis or unusual symbols may be difficult to request by voice. Consider a voice-friendly duplicate playlist name.
Important: Ear Wax is designed primarily for spoken Alexa voice commands. Typing commands into the Alexa app may not follow the same routing or behavior as speaking them to an Alexa-enabled device.

10. Troubleshooting

ProblemTry this
Alexa opens Amazon Music or callingUse the full phrase: Alexa, ask Ear Wax to play some music.
Provider status is missing or incorrectConfirm email permission is granted and that the setup email matches the Amazon account used by the Alexa devices.
Test Connection failsVerify the provider information. For Emby, confirm the external server address is reachable from outside the home network. For Plex, confirm the access token is valid.
Artist is not foundTry the full artist name or a more common spelling.
Album is not foundTry the exact album title. If multiple artists use the same title, include the artist when supported.
Playlist is not foundCheck the exact playlist name and confirm the configured Plex/Emby user can see it.
Genre is not foundTry a broader genre name such as jazz, pop, rock, soul, or funk, provided that genre exists in your library.
What is playing does not knowWait until playback has started, then ask again.
Music stops unexpectedlyStart another selection. If the problem repeats, note the song title and provider before contacting support.
Requested media cannot be locatedListen to Alexa's response. Confirm email permission is granted in the Ear Wax skill settings, then try again.

11. Frequently Asked Questions

What is Ear Wax?

Ear Wax is a personal-library music streaming skill that connects Alexa with your own Plex or Emby music library.

Why is it called Ear Wax?

Wax is old slang associated with recorded music, from wax cylinders through vinyl record culture. Ear Wax is a play on that history: music for your ears.

Is Ear Wax affiliated with Plex, Emby, Amazon Music, or any artist?

Ear Wax is an independent skill and is not affiliated with bands, singers, or other music artists. Provider and platform names identify services with which Ear Wax is designed to work.

What audio formats does Ear Wax use?

Ear Wax attempts direct playback for formats supported by the Alexa playback path. When needed, Ear Wax may transcode audio to MP3 at 320 kbps.

How long will Ear Wax keep playing?

Ear Wax starts playback quickly and continues adding music in the background as you listen. This supports longer playlists, genres, artists, and random mixes without making Alexa wait for the entire queue before playback begins.

Why can't Ear Wax find a playlist with emojis or symbols?

Voice recognition may not match decorative characters reliably. A voice-friendly duplicate playlist name is recommended.

Does Ear Wax replace Plex or Emby?

No. Ear Wax complements your existing personal media server by adding voice-controlled playback on Alexa-enabled speakers.

12. Support and Security

When asking for help

Include:

  • Whether you use Plex or Emby.
  • The command you spoke.
  • What Alexa said in response.
  • Whether Provider Status identifies the expected provider.
  • Whether Test Connection succeeds.
  • The approximate time the problem occurred.
  • The affected artist, album, playlist, genre, or track name when relevant.

Never include

  • Plex access tokens.
  • Emby API keys.
  • Passwords.
  • Other private credentials.
Do not send private credentials in ordinary support messages.