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Control the Volume of a Group of Sonos One Speakers using Alexa

  • 14 October 2021
  • 6 replies
  • 982 views

I love Sonos products. The sound quality is great. However, I’m having some major problems with the Alexa compatibility. 

What I want to do is the absolute most basic of tasks for an audio speaker. I want to control the VOLUME, up or down, of all my Sonos One speakers jointly using the integrated Alexa voice assistant. I do not want to make 5 separate volume commands to change the speakers’ volume one by one.

Now, I realize this was not possible 2 years ago, according to all the forum posts I’ve seen, but since almost 730 days have gone by since this issue was originally brought to your attention, Sonos, I’m checking in today to see if anyone has found a solution or if Sonos has written the 2 or 3 lines of measly code it would take to allow this simple and basic functionality.

Is anyone there and willing to provide support for a customer who has spent in excess of $1,500 to bring your branded products to our entire home?

Thank you, 
Ryan

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Best answer by GuitarSuperstar 14 October 2021, 20:33

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6 replies

Userlevel 7

Try the solution mentioned in this thread:

 

Thank you so much for your reply, GuitarSuperstar.

I changed my Alexa speaker group named ‘All Speakers’ to match the screenshot in the post you linked to above. Now, when I give the command “Alexa, All Speakers volume X,” Alexa only adjusts the volume on one of the Sonos One speakers in the group. Strangely, the volume doesn’t change on the Alexa enabled Sonos One device that I give the command to, nor does it change on the first speaker in the group, alphabetically. In the group as shown in my Alexa app below, the “Fun Guest Room” speaker is the only one that accepts the volume adjustment command and actually changes the volume. A screenshot of my current speaker settings, as shown in the Alexa app, is below for reference.

Any more thoughts? Anyone?

 

 

It looks like you didn’t add  you speakers as smart devices, the second group referred to in the linked email.  That grouping is not displayed in your screenshot, but should be an option when you edit the group.  I don’t know for sure that it will allow you to control volume for the whole speaker group, but it will definitely cause the speakers to duck their volume when you speak to one of the listed Alexa devices for the group.

 

Also, if this Alexa group is setup just for you to play music to all speakers, and you’ll always refer to the group name when making the voice request, then you do not need to list any Alexa devices.  I

Hi Melvimbe,

Thank you for your input, however, either I don’t have an option to add a third sub-category of devices within the “All Speakers” I’ve already created, or I don’t quite understand what you are referring to. The screenshot I posted above is as complete as it can be, according to all I’ve read. Am I missing something? Could you be more precise in explaining what you mean? Even when configured as a single group named “All Speakers,” my wonderful Alexa assistant still can’t figure out how to change the volume as a group.

Ryan

UPDATE

Just checked and it looks like I am now able to change the group volume. I haven’t changed anything else on my system from the screenshot above and it is suddenly working! Not sure what changed from when I wrote this til today, but ATM I don’t care. Thanks for your input and help, everyone.

Cheers,

Ryan

Hi Melvimbe,

Thank you for your input, however, either I don’t have an option to add a third sub-category of devices within the “All Speakers” I’ve already created, or I don’t quite understand what you are referring to.

 

 

The third/middle category is not within ‘All Speakers’.  It is where you would put any smart devices (lights, switches, plugs, etc) that are a part of the group.  You should put your Sonos speakers in this category as well.  If you click Edit (NOT Change) on your screenshot, you will get a chance to add your speakers as smart devices.

 

 

 

The screenshot I posted above is as complete as it can be, according to all I’ve read. Am I missing something? Could you be more precise in explaining what you mean? Even when configured as a single group named “All Speakers,” my wonderful Alexa assistant still can’t figure out how to change the volume as a group.

Ryan

 

‘All Speakers’ is probably not the best name for the group.  Alexa may confuse it with ‘everywhere’, thinking you want it to play on all the echo devices in your home (even if you don’t any).  I would name it something else like ‘whole house’.  Although honestly, if you keep your Alexa devices in the group, and set your speakers (select Change) so that you don’t have to say the group name when making the request, it shouldn’t matter.