Australia - “Apple Music is not available in your country”

I followed @Ken_Griffiths instructions and have found that I’m stuck at the first step of adding the Apple Music skill to Alexa and testing that. I still have the same issue - the Echo Dots I have around the house play music from Amazon Music, despite Apple Music being set as the default, or they respond with “I could not find that on Apple Music” for all requests.

I assume, then, that this is an Alexa issue rather than a Sonos issue, as I’ve removed Sonos from the equation completely and Alexa still isn’t playing Apple Music.

I have noticed that "Alexa, play chill out music" or similar, Alexa will play a track that fits that genre/radio, but she will repeat the same track over and over, until I say "Alexa, skip this track"... it seems my perfection wasn't short lived...

Time to get on the phone tomorrow to Sonos!

Did either of you have any luck today?

AussieSonosUseXCX & ithuliel,

The thing you need to do is is have your chosen 'native' music App running on your Sonos controller device... so that’s Apple Music or Spotify or whatever music service is now available to your country. Make sure it’s signed into a premium account, with a monthly/yearly subscription or trial that is active.

Next install the exact same music service and account within the Sonos Controller App and make sure you can play/stream music using the Sonos App to your speakers. It must be working before moving onto the next step.

Install the Amazon Alexa App and ensure the App is logged into your Amazon Account. You will then go onto install two “skills” ...start with your 'music skill', like Apple Music for example... once this service is installed you need to set it as the default music service in the Alexa App “Settings/Music” section. Now it’s time to run your next test... check by either using your Alexa App on the mobile device, or via an echo device, that you can control the installed music service with your voice using Alexa. This needs to be working before you move to the next step.

With everything working so far, you now need to install the Sonos Skill into the Alexa App. You will be invited to sign in and agree to share details between your Sonos Account and your Amazon Account in order to continue and on completion Alexa will scan for your Sonos devices on your local network and install them in the Alexa App.. they will appear under the devices section... just check that all were discovered and installed correctly. You may find they also get placed into default “Alexa Enabled Groups” ... they can be moved later, if you want to, but just keeping things simple leave them where they are for now.

Were almost there... now goto the Sonos App “Room Settings” for your Sonos One and/or Beam devices and in there you will see a voice services section and the option to “Add a voice service” ... Here you can manually add the Alexa Voice Service to your Sonos Speaker. So do that and you can then speak to Alexa on that speaker and control your music.

When it comes to grouping/ungrouping and implicit/explicit control of your speakers using Alexa, then it’s best to read through some of the articles on this forum.

You may find these four links helpful with setup and grouping etc....

Setting up Amazon Alexa on Sonos

Setup Sonos One/Beam with Amazon Alexa

Controlling your Sonos System with Amazon Alexa

Sonos and Amazon Alexa Enabled Groups

And of course if you still run into any difficulties you can always contact Sonos Customer Care.

Hope that helps to get you up and running with your Sonos System.

OKAY - I'VE GOT IT WORKING.

I am brand new to Sonos so forgive me if a few of these steps weren't necessary, but all I can tell you is it is working.

I removed my device (unlinked) from within the Alexa iOS app
On the Sonos App, I turned off Alex voice control
I deleted the Alexa iOS app
I re-downloaded the Alexa app
Via the Sonos App, I initiated the Alexa set up
I signed in as normal
Once the device was set up, I was able to command Alexa by saying "Alexa, play Tina Turner in the Lounge" or "Alexa play Energy by Burns, ASAP Rocky in the Lounge"

I got a bit sick of having to say "... in the Lounge" and I found that if under the iOS Alexa app, you create a group (I created one called Lounge), I now just say "Alexa, play music" or "Alexa play music by Adele" and she goes off and does it ("Adele from Apple Music").

It seems to work, so now I may set up my other Sonos devices and hope for the best....

I just tried those steps and unfortunately it still doesn’t work for me. I still have the same issue where it plays via Amazon Music or, when I specifically ask to play via Apple Music, Alexa responds ‘I could not find that on Apple Music’ no matter who or what you ask to play.

Hopefully whatever Sonos claim to be doing now will fix it soon!

When you say you inlinked your device within the Alexa IOS app, do you mean deregister?, cause i cant seem to find a way on inlinkingYes, I de-registered. It took me a few attempts before it unlinked/deregistered. I also went in to the Sonos App, and under the Voice Control section I removed Amazon Alexa.

Everything for me - so far - is working flawlessly on the One that I have set up.

I have a Beam and another 3 x One's to set up yet so will let you know how I go tomorrow...

Thank you for the update! I’ll try these steps and see how it goes.

When you say you inlinked your device within the Alexa IOS app, do you mean deregister?, cause i cant seem to find a way on inlinking

Thats pretty much where I am, although Ive had the Sonos skill enable since I bought my Sonos One. So, to recap, I am back to where I started from with the skill being enabled, linked to my Apple Music account, but with Alexa saying it will play my music, but never actually doing it...

at least on Monday us 3 can call them, state that a Sonos member of staff has written an email saying its supported as well as confirming so on the forum and we want to know why Music won’t play.

I am determined to get this b#stard thing working.

PS: quite the change of tune from Sonos!

Strangely enough, This happened today...

The Sonos still wont play any music usin Apple Music on Alexa though, so.... progress, i guess?

wow, reading about your experience makes me really angry. It sucks that they just don’t care. Even worse than that, they refuse to believe the experience of their customer and other information out there. Ridiculous.

Mate I am beyond livid. They were unbelievable on the phone today. I spent HOURS talking to them and they refused point blank to believe anything I had to say, or fact check Amazon or Apple's website. They couldn't have cared less if they tried that Apple and Amazon were specifically quoting their devices as doing something which they say they do not do, and do not plan to implement functionality for them to do so at any point in time.

I hope you don't mind but I actually quoted your posts - given that your name states you're Aussie - and your posts around Apple Music and they told me you must be using a VPN, with your location set to US, with a US Apple Music account. When I told them to read your posts, and look up the forums, they kept repeating "we are not aware of anything relating to this" (Howard did) over and over and over.

I honestly ended up screaming at him and then he put me through to Michael.

You should also give them a call and ask specifically for those staff members and maybe we can get something going...

wow, reading about your experience makes me really angry. It sucks that they just don’t care. Even worse than that, they refuse to believe the experience of their customer and other information out there. Ridiculous.

I have not spoken to them. I HAVE spoken with Apple and tried to get onto Amazon AU, as I thought it was an issue between them, not thinking that Sonos might have been a fly in the ointment.

I shall try to give them a call on Monday.

I've got $3K of stuff which at the moment is useless to me - so I am going to be a constant thorn in their side. Someone is being reported to Consumer Affairs, I've been sold a product which has support for a service, as stated in sales material and a press release, which the manufacturer now says they have no plans to support - and have said so in writing.

I would call and ask to speak to Howard or Michael and specifically mention my name (in my username), and this thread, and the traction online about this advertised service not working properly.

I have also spoken to Amazon and they are dumbfounded, as are Apple.

Michael - the manager - even told me if they enabled the skill they would be in breach of their contract with Apple, as they don't have the rights to allow Alexa to control Apple Music... even though Apple and Amazon are both advertising the cross-pollination of their platforms.

Did Apple say anything worth while? They couldn't understand why Sonos are allowing them to specifically mention their brand in their Support and marketing material if they are now denying the service works.

I am like a dog with a bone... to be honest I want to hit them over the head with my Beam and throw my numerous Sonos One's at them for good measure!

I am not an engineer, nor am I a developer, but to a laymans perspective, a fix for this issue would seem to have already been worked out. Apple music is not restricted by geographical boundaries (well, mostly) and I can most certainly play Apple Music on my Sonos using the Sonos App. Amazon Alexa, also, not resticted in Australia. The only thing that appears to be limiting the ability (now) to link the accounts is Sonos itself.

I would imagine that the software allowing the linking of accounts would already be written for North American and UK customers and translating that same software to Australia should not be an insurmountable task.

As far as I can see, the issue loes squarely with Sonos. I could understand the position they are taking if it hadnt been for the fact that the update was heralded with Sonos' name front and centre. If Sonos had no idea what was happening and no intention to support the changes, then why allow the prress released to go out.

I would like to think that it wasnt just to fool people into buying their products with features that they dont intend to implement.

By chance, have you spoken to Sonos about this? I'd maybe give them a call and ask to speak to Howard or Michael... it seems like their AU team is fairly small and they would certainly remember todays call!

They think I am mad and refuse to believe me that its written on their forums, Amazon, Apple, or that there are people online who have installed, and linked the Skill.