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Amazon Echo / Dot and Sonos Integration

  • 14 September 2016
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190 replies

E
I have my Echo set to use Spotify as the default music server so when I ask Alexa to play Red Hot Chilli Peppers she goes to Spotify, if I ask her to play some jazz she goes to Spotify but if I just ask her to play some music she defaults to my Amazon music.

There's two default settings: Default Library and Default Service. Amazon Music is initially the Default Library. If you just set up Spotify without changing the Default Library setting then "play music" is from Amazon Music. If you change the Default Library settings to Spotify, then "play music" is from Spotify.

Maybe Amazon will add Sonos as a Default Library option, so then "play music" will come from Sonos somehow. That would be a good workaround.
jTemplar
Userlevel 2
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I noticed something troubling about the Sonos/Amazon Echo video. There is no indication, either way, that the people in the video are using the Sonos app to play music.

I have my Echo set to use Spotify as the default music server so when I ask Alexa to play Red Hot Chilli Peppers she goes to Spotify, if I ask her to play some jazz she goes to Spotify but if I just ask her to play some music she defaults to my Amazon music.
E
I noticed something troubling about the Sonos/Amazon Echo video. There is no indication, either way, that the people in the video are using the Sonos app to play music. The Echo can play music too, from a list of supported services, like Prime Music and Pandora. Everything that happened in the video could have been off Amazon's music services rather than Sonos'.

That raises the question, exactly what kind of integration will there be? Will all of the Sonos supported services be controlled via voice via the Echo, or will voice control be limited to Amazon's services? If the latter, then the Sonos integration means that Sonos simply provides a networked speaker system for the Echo. If you want to listen to non-Amazon Echo services, you'll still need to use the app. It won't truly be a voice control for Sonos.

I've been wondering how Sonos is going to work out the drm and get permission from companies like Apple, to play their content using Amazon's voice system. I hope they work it out, because if the integration simply means that the Echo uses Sonos as a networked speaker system, that would be a disappointment.
dave77
Userlevel 6
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If integration is like other systems it will be something like

Tell Sonos to play [station/song/etc] in the [player name]

The "Alexa, tell/ask (so and so) to (such and such)" commands are Skills. Sonos has stated that the implementation will be more extensive than just Skills.

Ah, only just watched the video. Sounds good!
jgatie
If integration is like other systems it will be something like

Tell Sonos to play [station/song/etc] in the [player name]

The "Alexa, tell/ask (so and so) to (such and such)" commands are Skills. Sonos has stated that the implementation will be more extensive than just Skills.
dave77
Userlevel 6
Badge +11
If integration is like other systems it will be something like

Tell Sonos to play [station/song/etc] in the [player name]
jTemplar
Userlevel 2
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I've also received my Amazon Dots and connected one to old Play:5 in kitchen/conservatory and the other I've been moving between lounge Connect and bedroom new Play:5.

So far I'm happy and the Dots perform well in all positions with no problems hearing me when next to TV or bedroom Play:5.

I use Spotify and Alexa is pretty snappy finding generic playlists, my personal playlists and specific artists and songs. It would be great if I could ask her to connect to my home server for music and to an AV tuner I use for satellite radio but hopefully that will come with full Sonos integration. Can't wait! 😉
jgatie
Personally, I think Sonos's time would be best spent making a cheap dedicated Android based controller

Or you could buy a $50 Amazon tablet and use app pinning to make it a "dedicated" Sonos tablet. Everything you want except the Sonos logo. I highly doubt Sonos can compete with $50 per unit (and Amazon charges less when you buy in 6-packs, one for every room!).

I for one look forward to voice control, maybe not for song selection, but definitely for grouping/ungrouping as I go about my day. Saying "Alexa, group Sonos Kitchen to Living Room" would be great instead of breaking out the phone.
Chris
Userlevel 7
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And if you mean hardware that would make no sense when you can get android controllers for like $50 to dedicate to Sonos.
Respect the Queue (1)Move (2)Beam (1)ARC (1)SonosOne (1)Playbar (4)Play5 (4)Play1 (3)Play3 (1)Port (2)Connect (1)Connect:Amp (3)Sonos Amp (1)Sub + (9) Echo + Smartthings
Chris
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I'm not sure I know what you mean as there is a current and ongoingly developed android controller.
Respect the Queue (1)Move (2)Beam (1)ARC (1)SonosOne (1)Playbar (4)Play5 (4)Play1 (3)Play3 (1)Port (2)Connect (1)Connect:Amp (3)Sonos Amp (1)Sub + (9) Echo + Smartthings
dave77
Userlevel 6
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No 🙂 controller with screen, like the 2 Sonos controller's in the past
Chris
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? Huh. You mean Google assistant?
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dave77
Userlevel 6
Badge +11
Personally, I think Sonos's time would be best spent making a cheap dedicated Android based controller
Chris
Userlevel 7
Badge +22
It will hear ok from experience with my dot hooked to play 5. It isn't a controller replacement but good for quick play be a song type situations. Or case yesterday I wanted to hear a post game show on radio and could just say "Alexa play wqam". Very handy in those situations. When wanting to hear multiple songs come controller is the way to go.
Respect the Queue (1)Move (2)Beam (1)ARC (1)SonosOne (1)Playbar (4)Play5 (4)Play1 (3)Play3 (1)Port (2)Connect (1)Connect:Amp (3)Sonos Amp (1)Sub + (9) Echo + Smartthings
dave77
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My UK Echo Dot arrived on Thursday. Having used it over the weekend for controlling my Hue lights and Hive heating (well trying to!) I suspect the Sonos integration might be a novelty for a while, then we'll revert to the controller and never use it again :)

If your Echo is in the same room as a loudly playing Sonos, will the Echo won't even hear you. I'v moved my Echo away from the TV for that reason
jTemplar
Userlevel 2
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Note: Not only did the play:5 being hooked to the dot not do me a lot of good. The play:5 would take about a second or two to come out of standby and I would miss the first word or 2 Alexa would respond with.
You can actually fix this. I set up my original Dot feeding into a CONNECT:AMP and observed the same issue. However, in the Alexa app, go to Settings for the particular Dot. In there is an option to have Alexa play a tone when voice response is activated. You can set this to either start or end of voice response. Setting it to start (e.g., when Alexa recognizes the wake word and starts waiting for you to give it a command) means the CONNECT:AMP has always come out of sleep before any meaningful audio is generated by Alexa, even if you don't really pause between the wake word and the command. If the CONNECT:AMP is already awake, the little "bing" noise is very unobtrusive and actually nice as you know Alexa is really listening to you without having to look and see if the ring is lit up. Thanks, that works a treat. 🙂
Chris
Userlevel 7
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Thanks CAW. I will have to check that out.
Respect the Queue (1)Move (2)Beam (1)ARC (1)SonosOne (1)Playbar (4)Play5 (4)Play1 (3)Play3 (1)Port (2)Connect (1)Connect:Amp (3)Sonos Amp (1)Sub + (9) Echo + Smartthings
C
Userlevel 3
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Note: Not only did the play:5 being hooked to the dot not do me a lot of good. The play:5 would take about a second or two to come out of standby and I would miss the first word or 2 Alexa would respond with.
You can actually fix this. I set up my original Dot feeding into a CONNECT:AMP and observed the same issue. However, in the Alexa app, go to Settings for the particular Dot. In there is an option to have Alexa play a tone when voice response is activated. You can set this to either start or end of voice response. Setting it to start (e.g., when Alexa recognizes the wake word and starts waiting for you to give it a command) means the CONNECT:AMP has always come out of sleep before any meaningful audio is generated by Alexa, even if you don't really pause between the wake word and the command. If the CONNECT:AMP is already awake, the little "bing" noise is very unobtrusive and actually nice as you know Alexa is really listening to you without having to look and see if the ring is lit up.
Chris
Userlevel 7
Badge +22
Wow the blatant copying continues. I guess we will see who does better job with it. I assume denon will do better with this then the announced Google casting ability they announced to sell more speakers then said they couldn't do it a year later.
Respect the Queue (1)Move (2)Beam (1)ARC (1)SonosOne (1)Playbar (4)Play5 (4)Play1 (3)Play3 (1)Port (2)Connect (1)Connect:Amp (3)Sonos Amp (1)Sub + (9) Echo + Smartthings
nicka99
Userlevel 7
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so Denon have again jumped on the same bandwagon:
http://www.slashgear.com/amazons-alexa-integrates-with-another-big-speaker-brand-denon-heos-20456795/

Hopefully this will give sonos some incentive to launch this sooner rather than later !
jgatie
I can't see the bbc spending any licensce payers money on sonos, the numbers aren't there.
But they have worked with google and chromecast, so maybe they will work with amazon and get Alexa integration, iam sure amazon would like iplayer logo on the box in uk, and alexa can send it to sonos?? maybe...

Well that will be disappointing to the folks who have been claiming for years that "If Sonos would just open their architecture like Squeezebox, this would be done by now!" Of course those people will find a way to blame Sonos anyway. 😉
S
Userlevel 7
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Maybe they will, they've got the Bake Off money available now..:8
Paulw123
Userlevel 7
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I can't see the bbc spending any licensce payers money on sonos, the numbers aren't there.
But they have worked with google and chromecast, so maybe they will work with amazon and get Alexa integration, iam sure amazon would like iplayer logo on the box in uk, and alexa can send it to sonos?? maybe...
E
Userlevel 1
The Sonos video demonstrate how this will work. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFJ7O7N5Yok

At the one minute mark, the home shows two zones: a Play1 in the kitchen (next to a Dot) and a Playbar in the living room. A guy says "Alexa play new music", and music starts to play in the kitchen. He doesn't name a zone, he just tell it to play music and the system knows to play on the Play 1. Then he says "Alexa play in the living room", and the music switches to the living room zone.

So, his kitchen Play1 must be the default zone connected to his Dot, but you can move the music to other zones via voice command.

The video gives hints as to whether Sonos replaces the Dot's speaker.
1. Whenever the Dot "talks", a Sonos speaker is also in the frame
2. The Dot's sound quality is quite good, indicating it's coming from Sonos not the tiny speaker in the Dot.
3. Music pauses when Alexa speaks the name of the song, and resumes again once Alexa stops speaking . If the Dot was merely a Sonos controller and used it's own speaker for Alexa's voice, it would talk at the same time music played from the Sonos.

Based on all this I conclude that you will be able to designate a default zone for each Echo, and that zone will always act as Echo's voice. It would not surprise me if there were also an option on the Echo app that let you choose whether to use the Echo or Sonos as Alexa's voice.

I just realized something odd about the video. When music is playing in the living room the daughter says "Alexa what's playing". The music pauses and Alexa responds with the name of the song, and then music resumes. When Alexa responds the video switches from the living room to the Dot and the Play1 in the kitchen, implying that Alexa's voice comes from the Play1. Let's assume that's what actually happens.

That's a problem. It means that music in the living room paused when someone asked the Dot a question in the kitchen. What if I tell Alexa to play music for a party in my den, and then someone in my kitchen asks the Dot what the capital of Kentucky is? Will the music pause in the den while it answers? Do we have to refrain from asking Alexa anything while music is playing in another zone?

I hope it doesn't really act this way. It aught to pause music only if the default zone is playing when you get a response from Alexa.
jgatie
Well, since Sonos has finally opened it's architecture to casting from native apps, with Spotify and Pandora on board already, the ball is most assuredly in the BBC court even more than before. All the BBC has to do is enable casting to Sonos and Bob's your uncle!
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