Question

I can use Alexa voice control for everything on my Sonos Move ... except playing music

  • 13 September 2020
  • 24 replies
  • 700 views
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I want to use my Spotify Premium subscription on my new Sonos Move.  I can do so no problem via Google Assistant, but I’d like to be able to use Alexa instead.  When I set up Alexa as the Voice Assistant, it works with everything else eg telling a joke, the weather.  But when I ask Alexa to play music, I hear:

First enable the skill for your Sonos Move in the Alexa App.  Then ask me to discover devices.

I have spent literally hours and hours restarting, making sure Spotify is enabled as a skill etc etc - I have selected Spotify as the default music app.  If I ask Alexa to discover devices, she says There are no new devices to discover.

I can play Spotify with no problem on the Sonos Move if I control it via the Spotify app on my iPad or phone.  Incidentally, if I ask Alexa to play eg BBC Radio Two, she says Here’s Radio Two and plays the BBC Sounds jingle … then nothing.  Nada.  Silence!  So Alexa is essentially good for nothing musical.  She seems utterly incapable of playing music via voice commands and I am starting to regret my investment in the Sonos Move!  Any help gratefully received.

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24 replies

R

Same here.  This used to work not long ago

UKMedia
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Hi

If you open the Sonos App>Settings>Services & Voice>Amazon Alexa is your Move listed?

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W
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Yes

 

UKMedia
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If you start the music via the App, can you change it via voice? Try ‘Alexa, Stop’?

Remember: Sometimes Red Wine helps :)
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I can change the volume with my voice but not skip or stop

UKMedia
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Can you Disable then Re-Enable the Sonos skill within the Alexa App and retest.

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Ok so I disabled the Sonos skill in Alexa then tried to reenable. It said I should have my account settings handy which I would find in More … Settings … Account settings.  When I open the Sonos app I don’t see More. So I went back to the Alexa app and pressed continue anyway, logged into my Sonos Account and it says it linked successfully. I get this 

But I still get the same message when I try to play music.  the only bit that didn’t appear to work was it asked me to discover smart home devices which it couldn’t find. But then we don’t have any, unless Move counts?

UKMedia
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What command are you using?

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Alexa, play I Feel Fine.  And many variations eg “via Spotify” etc etc. Always the same irritating “Hmmm … to do that, First enable the skill for Sonos Move in your Alexa app.  Then ask me to discover devices”.   So maybe it does think Move a smart home device and can’t discover it … even though It’s patently connected in other ways??

UKMedia
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Can you try ‘Alexa, play Music’

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W
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Same response.  Thank you btw for engaging with this.  It is quite frustrating!  I paid much more than I was intending to to get something portable with voice activation and obvs a great sound, so only getting two out of three is disappointing.

 

UKMedia
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That's very strange.🤔 Can you submit a diagnostic and post the number in this thread.

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W
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Like so?

W
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Do I need to do something else, like email or FB Sonos with a link to this thread?

UKMedia
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Do I need to do something else, like email or FB Sonos with a link to this thread?

I've flagged for assistance but it may be worth contacting support. I find messenger best.

Remember: Sometimes Red Wine helps :)
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Thank you, have sent a message via Messenger with a link to this thread.  Fingers crossed!

W
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I sent a message to Sonos UK On FB which they haven’t seen yet. I notice the last time they posted on their FB page was April, which doesn’t fill me with hope! Was this the page you intended me to message UKMedis, or another one?  Thank you. 

UKMedia
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You could also try the the chat on this page>Other Contact Options 

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Hi there, nothing positive to update with.  Sonos don’t monitor FB messages anymore apparently, so I went through the chat option.  The only thing they could think of was that there was an issue because I have both an Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk account and they suggested I change my log in details for one of them.  However, it appears when you change one, the other changes in tandem, so I really don’t see how this will help.  Really disappointing.  I’m back with Google Assistant and may just have to settle for that.  But Sonos really shouldn’t advertise that you can use Alexa, if some of us just can’t :disappointed_relieved:

UKMedia
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Hi

This is fixable, sorry I should have asked about your Amazon account.

Please carry out these steps:

Disable the Sonos Skill in the Alexa App

Remove Voice Services from the Sonos App/Settings/Voice & Services

Logout of ALL Amazon Apps on your device

Reboot your Sonos Move by pressing the power button on the back of the device

Open the Alexa App and under devices, select the Move and delete the device

Now Enable the Sonos Skill and discover devices

Open the Sonos App/Settings/Voice & Services/ Amazon Alexa and ensure that the Move is shown as Enabled

Please retest.

(If you have Apps logged into different Amazon Accounts, linking Sonos and Amazon accounts can fail on the authorisation.)

Remember: Sometimes Red Wine helps :)
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Thanks UKMedia.  Sadly, at the moment, I’ve now got completely locked out of Amazon while trying to change the password (they say they are sending me a OTP, but they’re not, and they say there is nothing they can do instead).  So feeling thoroughly cheesed off with it all.  To make matters worse, Google Assistant is now "having a problem” too, having worked before.

However, if I ever get back into Amazon I’ll try what you suggested, though I’m not sure it’s anything different to what I’ve done before.  I don’t think they are different Amazon accounts really, if the log in details are the same.  I just think if you buy stuff from outside of the UK, it defaults to amazon.com.  Sigh.

 

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Hi there, all the messing around with Amazon came to naught.  However, we have discovered, essentially by accident, that Alexa works so long as I use the words “on sonos move” quickly after the command. 

So, “Alexa, play I Feel Fine” produces First enable the skill for your Sonos Move in the Alexa App.  Then ask me to discover devices.

But “Alexa, play I Feel Fine on Sonos Move” plays it from my Spotify account. 

If, however, I say “Alexa, play BBC Radio Four on Sonos Move”, I get BBC Radio Cymru.  Every time. 

Still … better than nothing I suppose !!! :thinking::joy:

J

BBC radio on Sonos with Alexa is a whole different ballgame, since the BBC withdrew support from TuneIn.  You might try 'play radio 4 from the BBC'

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