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Alexa music rules

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I have installed some custom skills in my Alexa app which stream music from online radio stations (not via Tunein or any other service, these are custom radio stations).

When I ask Alexa on my Echo Dot, or Alexa on my phone app to play, the station the confirms "playing station name" and the music stream starts.

When I try this on the Sonos asking Alexa to play this service, it again confirms "playing station name" but NO MUSIC STARTS.

This is clearly a restriction with Alexa on Sonos devices and you've done this to dictate what can and can't be played through the speakers.

Please test yourself, download the "State of the art radio" skill and ask it to play on Sonos.  You'll see this won't.

Anybody know why this is is being sold as “Alexa”, when actually it’s “Restricted Alexa by sonos” as it lacks functionality all other Alexa enabled devices have by default.

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Best answer by Ken_Griffiths 28 March 2020, 15:11

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11 replies

Ken_Griffiths

Some Amazon skills are not supported on third party speakers, like Sonos. The BBC skills are another example and will only playback on the Amazon products.
 

Also Alexa Routines are not currently officially supported by Sonos, although some things may work by default.

 

You maybe able to get around these restrictions however, by setting a Sonos Device, like a Sonos One for example, as the default output speaker for an Amazon echo device, such as an Echo Dot. This ‘new’ setting is available in the Amazon Alexa App under the echo device properties in the main hardware device list. Hope that assists. 👍

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Appreciate the response Ken.  So as my point suggests, it’s not really Alexa, it’s a Sonos cut back version and you have to buy a “proper Alexa device” to get your substandard Sonos one working.

 

Sort it out Sonos!  For now you can have your product back and I’ll go with a speaker made by the voice assistant themselves.  Next time you cling on to other companies tech because it’s getting colder being further away from the fire, make sure it works, and is tested as described!

 

With Alexa shouldn’t be used in your marketing unless it performs all Alexa functionality.

 

 

melvimbe

Appreciate the response Ken.  So as my point suggests, it’s not really Alexa, it’s a Sonos cut back version and you have to buy a “proper Alexa device” to get your substandard Sonos one working.

 

The proper term is ‘Alexa Enabled Device’  for these 3rd party speakers that have Alexa built in.  As Ken stated, it’s not always a  matter of whether the 3rd party enables/develops the feature, but whether Amazon allows the feature to be on 3rd party devices.

 

 

Sort it out Sonos!  For now you can have your product back and I’ll go with a speaker made by the voice assistant themselves.  Next time you cling on to other companies tech because it’s getting colder being further away from the fire, make sure it works, and is tested as described!

 

With Alexa shouldn’t be used in your marketing unless it performs all Alexa functionality.

 

Not according to Amazon, since they allow such marketing.

Danny
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From Sonos tech support:

 

“I've tested the skill on my own system and can confirm the behaviour you describe.

I'll be happy to pass this on to our senior engineers to investigate, however please note that Amazon Alexa, whether active on a Sonos speaker or not, is not a Sonos product” - Xander P 29/3/20

 

Where does this leave the consumer?  Being told by Sonos that it’s Sonos product with Alexa built in, but it’s actually Sonos hardware, with a combo of Amazon and Sonos software.

 

Classic finger pointing in tech...it’s not my software, it’s the other companies that’s at fault.

 

You kinda expect more from bigger tech firms, or perhaps Amazon do this deliberately to long game take Sonos out the market.  Hence their new Echo Studio, which likely works with full Alexa!

Ken_Griffiths

AK-79,

The Alexa voice assistant on sonos is actually geared towards the purpose of music playback and control only and those aspects of Amazon Alexa voice service have been authorised on Sonos by Amazon under agreement. Sonos have chosen to implement the features available that they see as being relevant to their speaker based products and core business.


Other company’s like Philips for example, use a different subset of Alexa instructions to voice-control their Hue lights etc. So the Sonos implementation of Alexa is not a full-featured Alexa device, but their speakers are ‘Alexa enabled’ devices, like Danny mentions above.
 

You can get the Alexa full features however, by adding an Amazon device, like an echo Dot and set that to use Sonos as its default speaker.
 

As you rightly mention you could just purchase Amazon devices instead, but of course they will not do a good many things that the sonos products may do, like stereo playback or perhaps forming part of a Dolby Digital 5.1 Home Theatre surround sound system and of course there’s the overall sound quality that Sonos provides. So it’s horses for courses.
 

Personally speaking I tend to use both types of products, Amazon and Sonos, in my Home and I’ve also added some Google Home devices too. Each have their own merits and useful features and I think it’s both nice and beneficial that these smart-home products nowadays can all work ‘hand in hand’ with one another.

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The Alexa voice assistant on sonos is actually geared towards the purpose of music playback and control only and those aspects of Amazon Alexa voice service have been authorised on Sonos by Amazon under agreement.

 

It’s a music streaming (playback) service I’m having issues with!  Works on all Amazon native devices, not Sonos.

 

Just raising as a consumer that if you want to enjoy music with Alexa then Sonos is not your product!

jgatie

The Alexa voice assistant on sonos is actually geared towards the purpose of music playback and control only and those aspects of Amazon Alexa voice service have been authorised on Sonos by Amazon under agreement.

 

It’s a music streaming (playback) service I’m having issues with!  Works on all Amazon native devices, not Sonos.

 

Just raising as a consumer that if you want to enjoy music with Alexa then Sonos is not your product!

 

One should be very wary of speaking for others.  I enjoy music on my Sonos via Alexa just fine, started from my Echos or my Sonos One.  I have absolutely zero need for custom radio stations.   So to be clear, Sonos is not YOUR product.  It is quite fine for those who don’t have your very specific needs.  

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Streaming radio is not a specific need.  I would suggest this is a basic requirement of a smart speaker.

 

Have a look here: https://www.the-ambient.com/guides/best-amazon-alexa-commands-280

 

Play “radio station” is one of the top commands.

Music!

you buy Sonos for music…

 

I think my point still stands, if you enjoy music with Alexa (ie a standard Alexa device plays streaming music services without an issue) then Sonos is not your product (given it doesn’t do this).

melvimbe

Streaming radio is not a specific need.  I would suggest this is a basic requirement of a smart speaker.

 

 

No, Sonos doesn’t stream every single radio station on the planet, most of which are specific Alexa skills rather than directly supported streaming source.  This isn’t disputed.  Your extrapolation to that to mean that Sonos doesn’t stream radio is just nonsense.

 

I think my point still stands, if you enjoy music with Alexa (ie a standard Alexa device plays streaming music services without an issue) then Sonos is not your product (given it doesn’t do this).

 

More nonsense.   The millions of Sonos owners who enjoy music via Alexa commands are evidence that not everyone has the same needs and tastes as you.

Danny
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The premises of Alexa is “skills”

Nothing in Alexa is achieved without some form of skill, even the default commands are skills.

I think it’s important that potential future Sonos owners and ones frustrated with their new “smart speaker” understand the limitations.

  • Yes some skills work out the box on Sonos, other things don’t
  • All skills work out the box on native Alexa devices

 

And there lies the issue.  You’re buying something which is limited in function compared to the devices sold with native Alexa, but you’re advertised this is a full featured “Alexa enabled device”

 

Thanks for your responses, I think this thread serves the purpose of future frustrated Sonos owners to get answers without having to follow the other guides of factory resets and unlinking accounts etc which have no effect.  Lets just be honest, it’s not full Alexa

melvimbe

The premises of Alexa is “skills”

Nothing in Alexa is achieved without some form of skill, even the default commands are skills.

 

 

No.  Skills are features added by 3rd party developers.  As Amazon likes to say, skills are likes apps for your speaker. 

 

I think it’s important that potential future Sonos owners and ones frustrated with their new “smart speaker” understand the limitations.

  • Yes some skills work out the box on Sonos, other things don’t
  • All skills work out the box on native Alexa devices

 

 

No one is disagrees with that point.  Although I don’t think it’s Sonos responsibility to list out all the things it doesn’t do.

 

 

And there lies the issue.  You’re buying something which is limited in function compared to the devices sold with native Alexa, but you’re advertised this is a full featured “Alexa enabled device”

 

 

You added ‘full featured’.  Sonos never said it was full featured.

 

 

Thanks for your responses, I think this thread serves the purpose of future frustrated Sonos owners to get answers without having to follow the other guides of factory resets and unlinking accounts etc which have no effect.  Lets just be honest, it’s not full Alexa

 

No one’s being dishonest about that.  You’re the one claiming that Sonos can’t do Alexa music, or can’t play radio stations, which is not true.

 

For the record, I’ve also that Amazon’s tag of ‘Alexa enabled device’ was deceiving.  The could have chosen something like ‘Alexa Lite’ to clearly show it doesn’t do everything an Echo does, it invite inquiry into what it does.  

Danny
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