Alexa - response to AudioPlayer.PlaybackStarted cause error - alexa

Question

In my Alexa skill, I'm broadcasting an MP3 file through AudioPlayer Directive.
As the file starts playing, I get:
{
"type": "AudioPlayer.PlaybackStarted",
"requestId": "requestId",
"timestamp": "2018-02-28T13:17:54Z",
"locale": "en-US",
"token": "tokenstring",
"offsetInMilliseconds": 0
}
My service does not generate a response to this event, but I receive this error immediately:
{
"type": "System.ExceptionEncountered",
"requestId": "requestId,
"timestamp": "2018-02-28T13:17:55Z",
"locale": "en-US",
"error": {
"type": "INVALID_RESPONSE",
"message": "An exception occurred while dispatching the request to the skill."
},
"cause": {
"requestId": "amzn1.echo-api.request.8492b40e-1698-409f-8bed-61dc1f3de663"
}
}
In the documents it says I don't have to respond to this event, but is there something mandatory I need to send back to the Alexa? Maybe an HTTP status?

Answer 1

I found your question while looking for the same answer for myself.
I also found some notes in the Amazon Developer forums that there were some changes made some time back to require a response, but that documentation hadn't been fully updated...
I've added this below and its cleared up the issue for me.
if(event.request.type == 'AudioPlayer.PlaybackStarted' || event.request.type
== 'AudioPlayer.PlaybackStopped') {
response = {
"version": "1.0",
"response": {
"shouldEndSession": true
}
};
}
Hope that helps.