Can I view / control Spotify on my Sonos speakers, with an Amazon Echo show?

  • 27 December 2019
  • 4 replies
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Hi All

I’ve got various Sonos speakers around the house, and use a combination of the Spotify App (on PC, iOS, and Kindles) and Sonos App (on PC and iOS, for better control of volume, grouping, EQ etc).

I always play from the Spotify App, and use Kindles around the house, so that I can see album art, skip tracks, add to playlists, hit the like button etc. These can also be used to change the playlist / radio.

I’ve just got an Echo Show 8, thinking it (being Amazon) could be used to behave like the Kindles, but in a more robust desktop unit (ie an integrated unit not needing a separate stand, power cable sticking out the top etc).

I’ve got Spotify up and running on it, but whenever it kicks in, it takes over the track that was playing on Sonos, but plays it just to the local Echo. While I get it, that’s not what I was wanting to do, and there doesn't seem to be a method of selecting a different device (eg Sonos).

I don’t actually want it to play on the Echo Show speaker, just be a viewer / controller for the existing set-up.

Does anybody know if it’s achievable some how?

Thank you

Michael


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4 replies

As of now this cannot be done; if you use the Sonos Alexa integration, and Spotify is available on Alexa as a music service option, Sonos can be voice commanded to play music from Spotify by voice, but you will not see the album art on the Echo. So it will be a voice controller but not a viewer.

I too would like cover art to be seen in this mode, and this is a feature request under consideration, so I am told.

One way to get what you want now is to wire the Show output to a line in jack on a Sonos speaker, if you have one with those - the play 5.

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Thank you for your reply Kumar, very much appreciated.

I’ve got about 12 or 13 Sonos speakers, mainly first gen Play3s, Play5s, plus a couple of Amps.
The aux out method doesn’t fit for me, as I want to group speakers and be able to adjust volumes independently.

Based on your very helpful info, I’ve decided to return the Echo Show, and stick with Kindles, as they better suit.

The Kindles can show the album art, accept voice control, skip, rewind, volume … and by touch add to playlist etc (I’m sure they could do that by voice but I haven’t tried yet), and also have the Sonos app running for accurate volume / EQ etc.

I’ve just discovered that Amazon sell a ‘Show’ stand for Kindles, which has a somewhat sleeker / hidden power supply input. I’m think I’m going to give those a go, and adapt them for wall mounting in some instances.

Maybe future Echo Show’s will accept we don’t necessarily want to use the inbuilt (or Bluetooth) speaker, but a connect device (or group of devices).

Thank you again for your help, really appreciated, and helped me decide on the best path :grinning:

Michael

Hi there. I just became a Sonos customer and my initial instinct was to set up a player hub like yourself where I could always have on a display what music was playing. I, like yourself chose an Echo show. Unfortunately it can’t be done as far as I know...however...I do have my Sonos speakers set up as the preferred speaker for the Echo Show, therefore, when I verbally command the Echo Show to play music, the music does play throughout my Sonos system...so you should be able to do that at least. 
 

But my main goal was to have a viewable player hub, so maybe thanks to you I will be returning my echo show to try the kindle route. 

If any of your Sonos kit has a line in jack, the Show will display album art, and even lyrics in some cases where available on the track, while playing the music via the wire connected Sonos equipment. Verbal commands will work as well.