HPR Smart Speaker Commands
Amazon/Alexa
Heartland Public Radio now has its own custom “skills” for listening via Amazon Echo and Alexa devices such as smart speakers, displays, etc. A “skill” is basically like an app for your Amazon/Alexa device. Skills respond to verbal commands. By using HPR’s custom skills, you will no longer need to listen to HPR on your Amazon/Alexa devices via TuneIn Radio. This means you no longer need to sit through the commercials that they insert into our stream before our music starts to play.
Please note that in order to play an HPR channel on your Amazon/Alexa device, you must “enable” the specific HPR skill for that channel on the Amazon account through which your Amazon/Alexa device is connected.
- All HPR skills are FREE.
- There is a separate skill for each HPR channel.
- You should only have to enable a skill once.
Enabling and Playing HPR’s skills is very easy; you can use your voice. Follow the instructions below to enable HPR’s Amazon/Alexa skills:
HPR1: Traditional Classic Country
Enabling the HPR1 Amazon/Alexa Skill
To enable the HPR1 skill, you say: Alexa enable Heartland Channel One
Alexa should respond: Ok Here’s HPR1 Traditional Classic Country. Starting HPR1 Traditional Classic Country.
Alexa should now start playing HPR1.
Playing the HPR1 Amazon/Alexa Skill
Once the HPR1 Amazon/Alexa skill is enabled on your Amazon/Alexa account, you probably should not have to enable it again. Simply follow the commands below to listen to HPR1 going forward:
To play HPR1, say: Alexa open Heartland Channel One
Alexa should respond: Starting HPR1 Traditional Classic Country
Alexa should now start playing HPR1.
Stopping the HPR1 Amazon/Alexa Skill
To stop playing HPR1, say: Alexa stop
To view the HPR1 Skill on the Amazon website, click here.
To enable and launch the HPR1 Skill via this browser, click here.
HPR2: Today’s Classic Country
Enabling the HPR2 Amazon/Alexa Skill
To enable the HPR2 skill, you say: Alexa enable Heartland Channel Two
Alexa should respond: Ok Here’s HPR2 Today’s Classic Country. Starting HPR2 Today’s Classic Country.
Alexa should now start playing HPR2.
Playing the HPR2 Amazon/Alexa Skill
Once the HPR2 Amazon/Alexa skill is enabled on your Amazon/Alexa account, you probably should not have to enable it again. Simply follow the commands below to listen to HPR2 going forward:
To play HPR2, say: Alexa open Heartland Channel Two
Alexa should respond: Starting HPR2 Today’s Classic Country
Alexa should now start playing HPR2.
Stopping the HPR2 Amazon/Alexa Skill
To stop playing HPR2, say: Alexa stop
To view the HPR2 Skill on the Amazon website, click here.
To enable and launch the HPR2 Skill via this browser, click here.
HPR3: Heartland Christmas
(HPR3: Heartland Christmas is available during the holidays – usually from November 1st through January 1st)
Enabling the HPR3 Amazon/Alexa Skill
To enable the HPR3 skill, you say: Alexa enable Heartland Christmas
Alexa should respond: Ok Here’s HPR3 Heartland Christmas. Starting HPR3 Heartland Christmas.
Alexa should now start playing HPR3.
Playing the HPR3 Amazon/Alexa Skill
Once the HPR3 Amazon/Alexa skill is enabled on your Amazon/Alexa account, you probably should not have to enable it again. Simply follow the commands below to listen to HPR3 going forward:
To play HPR3, say: Alexa open Heartland Christmas
Alexa should respond: Starting HPR3 Heartland Christmas
Alexa should now start playing HPR3.
Stopping the HPR3 Amazon/Alexa Skill
To stop playing HPR3, say: Alexa stop
To view the HPR3 Skill on the Amazon website, click here.
To enable and launch the HPR3 Skill via this browser, click here.
HPR4: Bluegrass Gospel
Enabling the HPR4 Amazon/Alexa Skill
To enable the HPR4 skill, you say: Alexa enable Heartland Channel Four
Alexa should respond: Ok Here’s HPR4 Bluegrass Gospel. Starting HPR4 Bluegrass Gospel.
Alexa should now start playing HPR4.
Playing the HPR4 Amazon/Alexa Skill
Once the HPR4 Amazon/Alexa skill is enabled on your Amazon/Alexa account, you probably should not have to enable it again. Simply follow the commands below to listen to HPR4 going forward:
To play HPR4, say: Alexa open Heartland Channel Four
Alexa should respond: Starting HPR4 Bluegrass Gospel.
Alexa should now start playing HPR4.
Stopping the HPR4 Amazon/Alexa Skill
To stop playing HPR4, say: Alexa stop
To view the HPR4 Skill on the Amazon website, click here.
To enable and launch the HPR4 Skill via this browser, click here.
Google Assistant/Google Hub/Home
The Google Assistant has become extremely unstable and unreliable resulting in the inability of its devices to play Heartland Public Radio at times. Until such time that Google fixes these problems, HPR strongly recommends against using Google Assistant to play our streams.
page last updated: January 2, 2024
Problems? Email: or Call us: 1-417-243-0043
(please do not report problems related to Google Assistant at this time)
