Echo dot, Sonos and Spotify
I was about to rush out and buy an Amazon echo dot, to upgrade my existing PLAY 1 setup but (as far as I could establish) these three things don't play together yet. Lots of discussion about it though. Is there an ETA for this integration?
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Full support for Spotify is not here yet, but it is coming. Right now, you can start Spotify playing via the Sonos app, then use Alexa commands to pause, play, skip, previous, control volume and even ask Alexa what is playing.
I'm hoping that this sonos/alexa/spotify will be available when Sonos One is available by oct 24, ( just guessing), and hoping that it will soon work with spotifiy.....
How do you get this to work? I have collected my echo dot to the sonos and have opened the sonos app to start playing spotify but it won't allow me to pause, change songs, or even turn up the volume on the sonos. Thanks in advance for your help!
How did you "connect" the Dot to the Sonos? Via the line-in? If so, this just gives you Dot audio on the line-in. You need to enable the Sonos skill on the Alexa app. You may find it better to disconnect the Dot from the line-in first. See instructions here:
https://en.community.sonos.com/announcements-228985/alexa-now-playing-on-sonos-6791301
Then start Spotify playing via the Sonos app. After that, use the Alexa general playback commands listed here:
https://sonos.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/4343/related/1
Make sure your Sonos devices have unique names. They shouldn't be the same as other smart devices.
https://en.community.sonos.com/announcements-228985/alexa-now-playing-on-sonos-6791301
Then start Spotify playing via the Sonos app. After that, use the Alexa general playback commands listed here:
https://sonos.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/4343/related/1
Make sure your Sonos devices have unique names. They shouldn't be the same as other smart devices.
My experience with "unique" names was challenging. "Kitchen Echo" and "Kitchen Sonos" weren't unique enough, and frequently gave me errors. I changed them so the first word isn't the same, and since then, no issues. It felt to me like Alexa wasn't always listening to the second word, but just finished with the word "Kitchen".
Thank you both for your help. I connected via the sonos skill add on in the Alexa app. However when I open spotify via the sonos app and start playing a playlist and try to tell Alexa to change the volume or skip, Alexa states music must be playing to do so, even though the music is playing through the sonos currently at that time. I have not used the line in mechanism because my sonos system consists of two sonos play 1's and a playbar with the sub in the family room and a separate sonos play 1 in the bathroom. The family room is set up as surround sound and the sonos play 1 stands alone in the bathroom. Does that make a difference? Thanks again!
Were you using the commands that jgatie referenced in his post? I'm guessing that you didn't include the room name, so that Alexa thought you were talking about increasing the volume on the Dot, rather than the "room" name of the Sonos. If the room name is "kitchen", then you'd have to say "Alexa, increase volume in the kitchen", rather than just "Alexa, increase volume".
No need for the line-in method, it would be hard in your case, as you only have an optical input on the PLAYBAR. I'm fortunate to have a PLAY:5, but honestly, I just use the system in the same way you do, the PLAY:5 is not connected to the Dot with a cable.
Your setup wouldn't make any difference, other than the room names defined for each, so that you use the correct name when communicating with Alexa.
I have a stand-alone PLAY:1 in my bathroom as well, but it happens to be grouped with a pair of PLAY:3s in the bedroom. But in the morning, just before I hop in the shower, I tell my Echo "Alexa, resume in the bathroom", and it just works. Just before I leave for the day, I tell it to "pause in the bathroom. The nice thing about the current implementation is that since the bedroom speakers are "grouped", they just come on and turn off with the speaker in the bathroom. Not applicable for you, I'd guess, but that might help others who stumble on this thread 🙂
No need for the line-in method, it would be hard in your case, as you only have an optical input on the PLAYBAR. I'm fortunate to have a PLAY:5, but honestly, I just use the system in the same way you do, the PLAY:5 is not connected to the Dot with a cable.
Your setup wouldn't make any difference, other than the room names defined for each, so that you use the correct name when communicating with Alexa.
I have a stand-alone PLAY:1 in my bathroom as well, but it happens to be grouped with a pair of PLAY:3s in the bedroom. But in the morning, just before I hop in the shower, I tell my Echo "Alexa, resume in the bathroom", and it just works. Just before I leave for the day, I tell it to "pause in the bathroom. The nice thing about the current implementation is that since the bedroom speakers are "grouped", they just come on and turn off with the speaker in the bathroom. Not applicable for you, I'd guess, but that might help others who stumble on this thread 🙂
Thank you. It seems to be working now for volume control and skipping tracks. The pause function still seems to have issues. I've also noticed the echo dot has difficulty hearing instructions when the sonos system volume is turned up even if this is just mildly elevated. I guess this is a good issue to have as far as sound coming from the sonos but do hope the Sonos One will be able to pick up on voices a bit better when the volume is loud. Does anyone have any idea when spotify will have full control with Alexa/Sonos One?
No, Sonos doesn't share timelines with us. I suspect that is a result of a common issue with software development, it's difficult to predict. And rather than promise something that seems possible, and being wrong, they prefer not to say, and work as hard as possible to get it done as quickly as they can.
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