Alexa Multi-room Music / Audio Groups

  • 25 November 2017
  • 64 replies
  • 53464 views

I have a new Sonos One that I am adding to home with 2 Echo devices. In the Alexa app I am trying to setup an Audio Group for multi-room music. However, the Sonos One does not show up as an available Echo device to add to the group. What is the trick for getting this to work? Thanks.

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64 replies

I’m having the same issue.
Userlevel 7
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You can not group Sonos One with Echo devices as far as multiroom audio. Sonos One will only group with other Sonos units.
Userlevel 1
You can not group Sonos One with Echo devices as far as multiroom audio. Sonos One will only group with other Sonos units.

If that's true, unfortunately that's a deal breaker for me. I was almost purchasing a Sonos One earlier today, to put in the kitchen and living room, and to connect an Echo Dot with a set of Logitech speakers in the bedroom. I knew I wouldn't be able to group the Sonos and the Echo in the Sonos app, but I thought I'd be able to do it in the Alexa app. Shame, really.
I've just bought an echo dot and I'm struggling with Sonos hook-up as well. I've found that I can get Alexa to play on any one of my 3 Sonos devices ( 2 Play 1s and a soundbar) individually but I haven't yet found a way to group them in the Alexa app. But if I group them in the Sonos app and then ask Alexa to play any one of them - all 3 will play. She won't crank the volume though - I have to do that via the Sonos app. Still working on it.......................
Grouping of 3rd party speakers is not supported by Alexa at this time. To play to a group of Sonos speakers, group using the Sonos app, then tell Alexa to play to any one of the rooms in the group.
You can not group Sonos One with Echo devices as far as multiroom audio. Sonos One will only group with other Sonos units.

Well that's a big bummer. None of the reviews mentioned it. Likely a dealbreaker for me as well.
Userlevel 1
Well that's a deal breaker for me. Will be returning my Sonos One and sticking with my JBL Playlists and a Chromecast Audio for my Home Theater System. Very disappointed.
I just finished chatting with Amazon regarding mult-room music group. Unfortunately they don't support Sonos and their devices. Only their products have the capability to group. This is a bummer for most of us wanting to play music simultaneously throughout our home using multiple devices. Let's hope Amazon fixes this SOON.........
Userlevel 1
Sonos told me that this is their decision and limitation. They did not want a different multi-room experience between their implementation and Amazon's.
Sonos told me that this is their decision and limitation. They did not want a different multi-room experience between their implementation and Amazon's.

Sorry, I don't believe any Sonos employee in the know would ever tell you that. They simply don't give out information like that.

Besides, it isn't possible with any 3rd party speakers at this time until Amazon releases their new SDK. So there is no decision for Sonos to make until then.
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Userlevel 1
Please please please support this ........
I wish this was supported too.

I have loved our Sonos 3 for many years - however due to being a little expensive I have never got round to going multi-room.

Then along comes Alexa/Echo- affordable and has spread though the house like wildfire.

Because of this - sadly our Sonos is now relegated to non use - and will likely be ebayed and replaced with another shiny new echo.
Ok - I’m thinking of a possible work around to group my home theater Sonos speakers with the amazon echos throughout my house. To group them all to play music simultaneously. Basically plug the echo dot audio output into the TV RCA audio input. Then using the TV set to the input it will convert the audio and feed through to the sonos soundbar. Basically the sonos is just a Slave to the grouped echo dot at that point and should play audio in synch with the other echos through out the house. Has anyone tried this method ?
Userlevel 1
Sonos please support this. I have multiple echo devices and just purchased the sonos with alexa solely to add some higher quality audio to that multi-room system in specific rooms. I had intended to extend with additional Sonos products but not being able to link in a group with the Echos as others have said is a deal breaker and will send me back to amazon. Its pretty much redudant already.
I don't think it's a Sonos thing like previously stated. If that WAS the case, other brands would be able to do it too. Don't blame Sonos for something they cannot control. I have read more than one article that Amazon is in process of a new SDK that will allow this function sometime early this year.
It was a bummer but I knew it going in when purchasing my first Sonos, a Sonos One. With all these new "smart" devices coming out, integration between brands is key or you'll be left behind.
If you do your homework, you won't be disappointed later.
BTW, the sound well outweighs integration being a "deal breaker".
I was excited to get this as a Christmas present from my daughter and first time using SONOS speakers. However, now that I can't connect multi room music through Alexa, I'm returning it. have to admit, the sound is really good from the SONOS one.
Userlevel 7
Badge +22
Sonos would rather you do multiroom with Sonos speakers I'm most certain.
I was excited to unbox my new speaker today. That quickly faded when I couldn't get it to work with my Echo and then read this thread. Considering returning it...
I just got a Sonos1 to add to my in-ceiling Sonos speakers and outdoor speakers. I went through setup in Alexa app to group speakers (I.e. multi-room music) via Smart Home > Add Group) and created two groups. So, SONOS in-ceiling “X” and new SONOS1 “Y” we’re grouped as “Z” (yes, I’m generalizing the name because posts like this last forever, and who’s to say 5 years from now hacking won’t be to the point where people are querying your IOT devices in your home by their name to hack into your house!). I thought I would be able to say to Alexa “Play Spotify/Amazon Music/Etc on Z,” but this doesn’t work. Alexa says “I can’t play music on the group yet.”

However, I can go into Sonos app, select the group “Z”, which did magically appear in Sonos app after creating in the Alexa App. At that point (interaction within the Sonos App), then if I say “Alexa, Play Spotify on X”, then Spotify is played on all speakers just selected within the Sonos app.

I know this probably doesn’t help those of you who are mixing Echo’s and Dots with Sonos, but maybe it will help looking into or setting up Sonos and the Play1 Alexa-enabled speaker (whose sound is FANTASTIC btw).
I’m not sure the logic behind sonos and Alexa when Alexa is built in to sonos 1 but won’t support multi room music like the echo’s do. It’s the same..... “Alexa”. This is very frustrating after I spent the money for this I may be returning my sonos and just get the Amazon Alexa plus and a couple more echos and eliminate sonos from the equation. So sad. Could have been a highly recommended product but without that capability it’s useless and I will not recommend the product. :@:@
I personally don't need Echoes or Echo Dots to group with Sonos but agree that on giving Alexa the Sonos"skill", you'd expect to be able to. I certainly expected to be able to control Sonos grouping (fully) using an Echo Dot and "I can't play music on the group yet" is disappointing. The mos salient point I think is @Tomparks above - what is the point of having Alexa built-in to new Sonos speakers, if it still can't control grouping in the same way as the Sonos apps? There seems no incentive to add to or replace existing Sonos speakers with "Alexa" capable ones.
I am very disappointed with sonos1 for the fact that it doesn't have ALL the capabilities with Alexa as do the alexa dot's have. I don't understand that logic at all. for all the peeps out there that want to have sonos1 and be able to use alexa you will be disappointed because some of the features are not available. your getter off getting a alexa echo with distribute multiple dots throughout the house and take sonos1 out of the equation. I will be returning my sonos1 very soon. 😠
Userlevel 7
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I am very disappointed with sonos1 for the fact that it doesn't have ALL the capabilities with Alexa as do the alexa dot's have. I don't understand that logic at all. for all the peeps out there that want to have sonos1 and be able to use alexa you will be disappointed because some of the features are not available. your getter off getting a alexa echo with distribute multiple dots throughout the house and take sonos1 out of the equation. I will be returning my sonos1 very soon. :@

The Sonos One is an 'Alexa Enabled Device', Amazon impose some limitations on these compared to 'Alexa Devices'.
Multi-room play can work great if you have your sound network based on Sonos (not Echo). Go into the Sonos app and name one of your speakers "Sonos". Make sure this speaker "Sonos" is always in the speaker group you create on the Sonos App. Make sure Alexa has discovered all of your Songs speakers (whether Songs One or others) and then just ask Alexa "Alexa, play "whatever" on Sonos". Works like a charm. Music will play on all the Sonos grouped speakers if you ask Alexa to play on any one of them. I just named one of the Speakers "Sonos" to make the verbal command seem seamless. Cool!!