In September 2018 Amazon released the AVS Device SDK that allows Alexa enabled 3rd party speakers to use Alexa Multiroom Music (MRM). This means Amazon now supports music played from Echo speakers and 3rd party speakers at the same time. Does Sonos plan to update their Alexa enabled speakers (One, Beam) to allow Alexa multi-room music?

Hi everyone,We're constantly working with the Amazon Alexa team to bring more features and to improve the experience, in fact, we're in the middle of launching Alexa Groups with them right now. This does not include grouping Sonos players and Echo devices to play the same music at the same time, but it's a feature we've certainly heard requests asking for the functionality. I don't have any specifics I can share as to if multiroom music with Sonos and Alexa playing together will be available, but I'll make sure to let the team know continues to be requested.I can't speak specifically to that chat, but if it was from a year ago, the Alexa integration has changed considerably since then (and as already pointed out, there were other mistakes/inaccuracies in it). As development continues, features are added and some may move lower on the list of priorities. We'll continue to bring new features and experiences to Alexa on Sonos and are hard at work to bring voice control to Sonos in many different ways, in order to bring the best possible music listening experience.

Alexa Multiroom music simultaneously on Sonos and Echo devices

What? Sonos have the best music sync in the business.

Still as long as the bunny finally got it.

Just want to add my voice to the calls for MRM.

Beam in the living room, Dot in the Kitchen... It feels like it should just work.

While I get why Sonos might want to force us into buying more Ones, I hope the chat around it prompts them to add it in.

Keep rattling the cage!

Amazon gave access to MRM since the fall. I have to imagine that if Sonos wanted to make this happen it would have already. Probably just as unlikely, but I'm hoping Bose makes the switch and forces their hand.

Heck, I'd be happy with a little cooperation between Sonos and Echo. I can be sitting at my diining room table, and ask "Alexa" to play some music. I'd had my voice carry past my dining room One and past my Kitchen Ones to the Echo sitting next to my Playbar, and have the Echo start playing the song.

I like the Echo there to turn my A/V stuff off and on, but it seems like they have turf wars once in a while.

Amazon gave access to MRM since the fall. I have to imagine that if Sonos wanted to make this happen it would have already. Probably just as unlikely, but I'm hoping Bose makes the switch and forces their hand.

I think it very unlikely General Sonos and Echo devices would play in sync. However those Amazon Enabled speakers (One and Beam) may get this but it would be hard to sync any grouped non Alexa enabled speakers. I still think this is unlikely though.

Can't speak for everyone here, but I'm pretty sure most of us only care about the Alexa enabled speakers. Biggest issue I have is that I ask Alexa to play a Spotify radio station for "Everywhere" group and my Alexa will start playing a different song than my Sonos beam.

Still eagerly anticipating this feature. I use a Beam and two Ones for my surround sound system, but have various Echo devices scattered throughout my house. Would LOVE to be able to play music everywhere.

There's no reason to anticipate it. Neither Sonos or Amazon has hinted that the feature is coming. As well, there are business and technical reasons why the feature is very unlikely to be implemented. It makes more sense to assume this will never happen and plan accordingly.

The Command Bar isn't part of a Polk mult-room system. It's a single bar + sub...stand alone. You can't even add surround speakers as far as I can tell. So my statement above still stands.

It also doesn't appear to be airplay 2 compatible, limited streaming services. Does have bluetooth and DTS though.

Not knocking the product, just pointing out that it's actually a rather different product then Sonos speakers, with a significantly different feature set.

https://www.polkaudio.com/support/faqs/is-it-possible-to-integrate-the-polk-commandbar-into-a-alexa-multiroom-group

The Command Bar isn't part of a Polk mult-room system. It's a single bar + sub...stand alone. You can't even add surround speakers as far as I can tell. So my statement above still stands.

It also doesn't appear to be airplay 2 compatible, limited streaming services. Does have bluetooth and DTS though.

Not knocking the product, just pointing out that it's actually a rather different product then Sonos speakers, with a significantly different feature set.

https://www.polkaudio.com/support/faqs/is-it-possible-to-integrate-the-polk-commandbar-into-a-alexa-multiroom-group

And how does that negate melvimbe's statement?

Just purchased 4 Sonos ones and a beam from the Prime day sale. I also upgraded to 2 echo pluses and a dot. I just want to add my vote to hopefully encourage Sonos's dev team to make this feature a priority.

Trying to disable the Alexa on the Sonos beam and have an echo dot be the Alexa instead. How do you connect an echo dot to the Sonos beam? It’s not connecting through Bluetooth.

That seems unrelated to this thread. You would probably be better off starting a new thread.

I think the answer to why there's no MRM between sonos and echo is, basically, down to the Sonos Connect. If you can sync echo audio with sonos, why would anyone shell out 350 bucks for a Connect for their existing hifi when they could just spend 50 on a dot and use the line out? Sonos probably know this and won't be keen on losing the connect sales...

I don't think we are going to see Sonos speakers and echos playing in sync anytime, if ever. If it ever does happen, I imagine this will be an annouced feature, similar to how we saw Sonos annouce airplay 2 compatibility.If you are correct this will be a major miss for Sonos. With more products incorporating Alexa the competition for multi-room music is growing. Once other speakers support Amazon MRM the Sonos products will look antiquated by only supporting their own speakers with a limited list of Alexa commands.

Sonos needs to recognize that wireless multi-room music isn't going to be their competitive advantage moving forward. Instead they can focus on their other strengths while supporting Amazon MRM. Sonos could limit Amazon MRM to only when using an Alexa enabled Sonos speaker (One and Beam). Sonos can also limit the use of TruePlay to only when there is no Echo speaker running in the same room (similar to how TruePlay doesnt work with Connect using third party speakers). Sonos stereo pairs and surround can still only be with other Sonos speakers (Amazon & Sonos currently only allow identical model speakers to be a stereo pair).

I hope someone from Sonos can chime in with an official stance on Amazon MRM support. No Amazon MRM is the deal breaker for me (someone who bought an entire surround set up for the holidays). I have until end of January to return so Sonos has a month to announce support for MRM.

Someone from Sonos certainly needs to clarify their stance to this. I've got two echo dots (kitchen and bedroom) and a Sonos One (bedroom). The entire point was to be able to stream music throughout our "apartment" group.

If sounds are not going to offer this, people like me who are just adding support for these devices will simply go somewhere else.

With all due respect, the structures may be complex, but consumers like me simply don't care. We pay a premium for Sonos gear because it's good, so missing a major feature like this isn't acceptable as far as I'm concerned.

Any update for MRM to play sonos and echo dot???

No, but I struggle to understand why anyone would want to hear music simultaneously on a good sounding speaker like Sonos and the tiny, low quality speaker in the Dot.

Any update for MRM to play sonos and echo dot???No, but I struggle to understand why anyone would want to hear music simultaneously on a good sounding speaker like Sonos and the tiny, low quality speaker in the Dot.

I have a pair of monster speakers concected on the 3.5 mm output of the dot.

Any update for MRM to play sonos and echo dot???No, but I struggle to understand why anyone would want to hear music simultaneously on a good sounding speaker like Sonos and the tiny, low quality speaker in the Dot.

You can either have some other speaker connected to your Echo Dot or Echo Input, for example, and still want to be able to play music simultaneously across multiple rooms.

Or, like myself, you might be on a budget and just can't or don't want to pay 200€ just for listening to music in the kitchen, where one of my Dots currently is located. I was planning to gradually replace my Dots with Sonos Ones, but I'd still like to be able to play music everywhere.

Yes, Sonos multi room playback is great, if all you have is Sonos devices. But they do cost a lot, and from such a product I just expect it to support third party multi room setups (and yes, it supports AirPlay 2, but I don't have any other AirPlay 2 speaker and that system is even more isolated).

I don't think we are going to see Sonos speakers and echos playing in sync anytime, if ever. If it ever does happen, I imagine this will be an annouced feature, similar to how we saw Sonos annouce airplay 2 compatibility.If you are correct this will be a major miss for Sonos. With more products incorporating Alexa the competition for multi-room music is growing. Once other speakers support Amazon MRM the Sonos products will look antiquated by only supporting their own speakers with a limited list of Alexa commands.

Sonos needs to recognize that wireless multi-room music isn't going to be their competitive advantage moving forward. Instead they can focus on their other strengths while supporting Amazon MRM. Sonos could limit Amazon MRM to only when using an Alexa enabled Sonos speaker (One and Beam). Sonos can also limit the use of TruePlay to only when there is no Echo speaker running in the same room (similar to how TruePlay doesnt work with Connect using third party speakers). Sonos stereo pairs and surround can still only be with other Sonos speakers (Amazon & Sonos currently only allow identical model speakers to be a stereo pair).

I hope someone from Sonos can chime in with an official stance on Amazon MRM support. No Amazon MRM is the deal breaker for me (someone who bought an entire surround set up for the holidays). I have until end of January to return so Sonos has a month to announce support for MRM.Someone from Sonos certainly needs to clarify their stance to this. I've got two echo dots (kitchen and bedroom) and a Sonos One (bedroom). The entire point was to be able to stream music throughout our "apartment" group.

If sounds are not going to offer this, people like me who are just adding support for these devices will simply go somewhere else.

With all due respect, the structures may be complex, but consumers like me simply don't care. We pay a premium for Sonos gear because it's good, so missing a major feature like this isn't acceptable as far as I'm concerned.

You should definitely check out the new Echo Studio wich will be released in november.

Expecting the sound to be much better than the Echo Plus (maybe even on the same level as Sonos?) I'm kinda disappointed that I invested in the 'wrong' multiroom system (don't get me wrong, i still believe the sound is fantastic but the speaker is not as smart as originally advertised).

Since I got into routines and smart home automation the One only being Alexa enabled just isn't quite enough.

Being able to run different Alexa Devices alongside without too much inconvenience would be great.

All this smart stuff is ok and I have made a big investment. But when your internet connection is down it all goes wrong and you can’t play anything. Luckily with Sonos you still have your own music library to listen to.

Echos have Aux.

All this smart stuff is ok and I have made a big investment. But when your internet connection is down it all goes wrong and you can’t play anything. Luckily with Sonos you still have your own music library to listen to.Echos have Aux.

Aux input? I thought the aux was for output.

I think the answer to why there's no MRM between sonos and echo is, basically, down to the Sonos Connect. If you can sync echo audio with sonos, why would anyone shell out 350 bucks for a Connect for their existing hifi when they could just spend 50 on a dot and use the line out? Sonos probably know this and won't be keen on losing the connect sales...

I think that is the best answer to this topic and therefore why it will never happen

I think the answer to why there's no MRM between sonos and echo is, basically, down to the Sonos Connect. If you can sync echo audio with sonos, why would anyone shell out 350 bucks for a Connect for their existing hifi when they could just spend 50 on a dot and use the line out? Sonos probably know this and won't be keen on losing the connect sales...I think that is the best answer to this topic and therefore why it will never happen

Well, except that you're forgetting that an echo dot can only output the streaming services that it supports. The Connect (now Port) will output everything available in the Sonos network. That includes a lot more streaming services, content generated through Alexa or Google Assistant, local library, TV, and aux input. While the streaming services an echo dot supports will be good enough for some, it won't be for many others.

Don't forget that the Port will output in Coax too, while the Dot is a headphone jack.

And again, the MRM protocol that Amazon and Sonos support are not identical, and have several key differences, probably more that we can't see from the surface. With Alexa, you must specifiy the group you want to play before initiating a stream. It cannot be adjusted afterwards. With Sonos, you can.

I do think there's some business/competitive reasons for this too. Sonos surely would prefer you use a Sonos One, ikea speakers, and their other comparatively lower dollar speakers to fill out your home over echos and echos and echo dots.

And I definitely think going with all Echo/alexa products is the right move for a lot of people. If you aren't going to use a feature, then it's of no value to you. And filling out your home with echos and echo dots is a lot cheaper than using Sonos.

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