Sonos for public use/AirBnB

  • 20 September 2017
  • 9 replies
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We would like to offer Sonos to guests at our AirBnB. Is there a way to allow them control of the Connect: Amp, Playbar music services, but not have access to the system settings?

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9 replies

I'm not aware of any app that can control sonos without access to the system settings, at least not with the level of control and simplicity you'd want to provide your guests. As well, any app they use would have to also give access to your wifi network, and everything else in your system. I would think you'd want to give them guest wifi access only.

This sounds like a good use case for Alexa/Sonos integration. I would think this would be ideal in that your guests wouldn't have to have an app or get on your network, just use simple voice commands to an echo dot to control the music. And you'd have the added benefit of everything else Alexa can do that guests may be interested in.

Full integration isn't here yet (could be as soon as 2 weeks), but right now, you could plug the line out of your echo into the line in of the CONNECT:AMP so that everything Alexa would normal say (or music played) would come through the speakers with your connect:amp.

Just an idea.
Userlevel 1
That's a very interesting idea... The way the system is setup is we have a Connect (not an :amp that was my typo) going through a Sonance amp connected to Sonance, Sonarray landscape speakers. Our main issue is limiting the max volume via the Sonance amp. So with your idea, we would go: Dot line-out to > Connect line-in > Connect line-out to > Amp line-in. We would set the Connect to a fixed output so volume would be controlled from the Dot. (we can put the Dot volume on 10 and then raise and set the max volume of the Sonance amp to where it's not going to blow away the neighborhood.
Well, if you have a separate amp, there really isn't anything added by including the Connect. Let me clarify. With the setup I was suggesting, your music sources would be all the sources that Amazon provides, which is Amazon, Pandora, Spitify, XM, and iheart. It would not be all the music sources Sonos provides. Your connect would be set to Line In as the source, just a pass through. So it's really not doing anything.

So it would make more sense just to connect the Dot line out directly to Sonance amp. If you want to use Sonos music sources for your own personal use, connect the CONNECT to a different input on your amp.

Regarding the volume control, I think you're right that you could set a good volume limit by setting the Dot to 10 and then 'locking' the volume on your amp, so to speak.

Again this would most likely be a temporary setup as the future full integration is going to allow an Echo dot to control the music on a Sonos device wirelessly. No one knows what all the features will be, but I would guess you would be able to play Sonos' music sources, not just Amazon's. I think the setup will be the Dot connects wirelessly to the Connect -> Connnect line out to your Amp. But again, it's not fully known right now.

As far as the playbar goes, I wouldn't think about integrating it to Alexa in any way until full integration comes around.
I second this request! I would like to be able to offer Sonos to our Airbnb guests, but can't as is. It would be an increasingly useful feature to many Sonos customers.
A Sonos One would give them voice control of music and radio stations without any access to other Sonos functionality. Set up on SonosNet from a Boost that has no access from your guest WiFi.
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If the guest has the Spotify app and access to your wifi, I believe they can simply select the Sonos zone from within Spotify without even installing the Sonos App?
Hi there, I wondered whether there had been any change since the replies above? We have 2x Sonos One speakers, and would like guests to be able to use them without the hassle of setting themselves up on the system.

It sounds as though the best option would be through Spotify, assuming guests have a Spotify account?
I believe the app "Fuse" on the app store could solve your issue?

You can leave a tablet around the house, with Fuse installed but not sonos. That way guests can control the volume/spotify/station, but not the sonos settings

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/fuse-home-music-control/id1332475288?mt=8
first requirement is to let your Airbnb guests connect on the same wifi network as your Sonos - if they download and install the Sonos app they will find your system and can use it - alternatively they could use the Spotify app to playback - leaving a tablet to control your Sonos would mean they can only play your tracks and I guess they would prefer to playback their own music 😋