New to Sonos or Alexa? How to set up

Works great. To stop music, say "Alexa, stop music in [speaker name]." Also, works with artists: "Alexa, play [artist] in the [speaker name]." I haven't figured out how to play specific services (a Pandora station or an Apple Music playlist) or Sonos Favorite playlists yet.
Try "Alexa, play Salsa Radio from Pandora on [speaker name]." You will need to have Pandora added to your Alexa app too.

Also, the Sonos player is muted when you start to issue a command to Alexa, even commands that aren't Sonos-specific, and works even if you started music from the Sonos app instead of Alexa. That's a great feature.
It's called "ducking," glad you like it 🙂

I have the original Echo. All of my Sonos players are synced up beautifully, but is it correct that the music WILL NOT play on the echo at the same time - it's just there to accept the voice commands? Is that why the Sonos One was introduced?
That's correct, you can tell the Echo to play with it's own commands too, but if you're using a service with stream limitations like Amazon Music you will run into that issue.

I must say that personally I’m really disappointed that this doesn’t allow me to select and play from my own music library. I don’t use streaming or hosted services as music I like isn’t typically available on them. The ability to select music from a known library on a local drive already in the Sonos ecosystem must be possible. It’s interesting that this use case wasn’t prioritised; but I’m perhaps in a minority here....

I am astonished that the much-touted voice control only works with streaming services. When I bought my first Sonos device (I have 12 now) you pointed it at your server or the music directory on your hard disc and it played that. Its primary function was to play locally-stored music. Streaming services were added later, but I don't use them because of the cost (why pay to listen to music I aready own) and the quality.

I have all my music stored as FLACs and I enjoy the sound immensely. In the early days I simply ripped my CDs to mp3/m4a and used the system that way, but I found that over hours of listening I found the sound fatiguing. I listened to the CD version of an album and compared them and they were very close, but I could listen to the CD version all day without fatigue (ie different albums throughout the day in CD format, not the same CD all day!). I have a good ear for music quality but wouldn't call myself one of the 'golden ear' brigade (the ones who claim to be able to hear difference between a standard and gold-plated mains lead...) so I was suprised by this finding.

So out came all the CDs again (and a bigger hard disc) and I ripped them all again, this time to FLAC and can now listen all day without fatigue. I find the same with low bitrate music stations, although the 320k streams are bearable for an hour or two.

Streaming services may be convenient for most people who are used to mp3-level sound quality, but for me I want to be able to listen to my own music (which I've already bought) at the quality level of the original CD, ie FLAC and not compressed.

As an aside, I may be in the minority of people who buy CDs and rip them to a server, but I'd be equally happy to pay for the music and download it in FLAC format and not have to store the CDs in the loft. I know some CDs are available in this way, and of course the model exists if you don't mind a compressed format, but as yet I've not seen it available in a mainstream way for uncompressed formats.

Thanks, Ryan - that's great! But now I have a few questions... :)

Is there a command to start music playing on all speakers?

Also, do all the services that will play on Sonos via Alexa also have to be set up on Alexa (as in your Pandora example), e.g. Spotify? Does this mean there's not an incantation to play Apple music playlists?

Is there a way to start something in "Sonos Favorites" playing?

When Alexa is controlling a room it doesn't know the state of that room's grouping situation in Sonos. So if your players are all grouped together through Sonos, they'll all start playing when Alexa tells them too.

Making groups or separating them up isn't something Alexa knows yet, but we'd like to add that one day.

Is there a command to start music playing on all speakers?
We're hoping for an "Everywhere" command, but not quite yet.

Also, do all the services that will play on Sonos via Alexa also have to be set up on Alexa (as in your Pandora example), e.g. Spotify? Does this mean there's not an incantation to play Apple music playlists?
Yes, and you're correct, no incantation for that.

Is there a way to start something in "Sonos Favorites" playing?
Not at this time. Alexa don't know what your local library looks like or your favorites. If either one is queued up you can start playing and change tracks though.

Why the enthousiasm? Stil having to use an echo to use Alexa in the first place bedides tge Sonos One. So the only bennefit is being able to play music with voice control.. Who cares!
I just want my Play 5 to act as an Alexa input device without additional hardware like the one. Got the Mics.. just get the f*&& used and working. That would be a real ok wow thanks moment. All other enthousiadts are just fanboy cries

I purchased Dot with Alexa/SONOS integration in mind. at approx £35 each- black Friday, can't go wrong.
Not sure where your rant is going.

Is there any plan to allow the Alexa to play my own music library on the Sonos systems?

They state they would love to, and they are working towards it and more. For now, did you see that you can initiate play of the non-Alexa sources from the Sonos app, then use voice commands to pause, play, skip, control volume, etc.?

I haven't tried it yet. Thanks for the tip! Sonos has been working on Echo integration for a long time... I'm sure in 6 months it will be amazing. From what I am reading, it already pretty great. 🙂 I've had my Sonos system for almost 10 years. Voice control wasn't even imagined when I bought it. I think it's pretty awesome that it's costing me nothing to bring this old system up to date.

You are not alone. I want to voice control MY music collection not the streaming stuff. Very disappointed.

Also, the Sonos player is muted when you start to issue a command to Alexa, even commands that aren't Sonos-specific, and works even if you started music from the Sonos app instead of Alexa. That's a great feature.
It's called "ducking," glad you like it :)
You've got to be ducking kidding me.
You quack.

Having a few issues with this Alexa implementation - it’s works on my play 1 in the study but when I try it on my play 5 in the kitchen it will only start the current selected track in the sonos app - nor will it allow me to pause or skip music, whereas in the study it does. I’ve tried to remove the kitchen device and then search for it again but it doesn’t seem to make a difference. Any ideas?

Update: Things seemed to right themselves when I renamed my kitchen echo (both the sonos and echo were called kitchen) I think this caused some kind of conflict.

@smgerken, try uninstalling the app and reinstalling it. You should have the new appearance, shown here. If you're not getting it, or still having trouble, I'd suggest you give us a call on our support line.

@Adam8027, if they're already grouped, Alexa will play to them all. Alexa just doesn't have the ability to control the room grouping function itself. You have to use the Sonos app to make or separate groups.

@dignifiedb, Can you please disable the Sonos skill for Alexa and then re-enable it? Make sure you discover devices after. Let us know how it goes.

Why the enthousiasm? Stil having to use an echo to use Alexa in the first place bedides tge Sonos One.
mcage, something is wrong with your keyboard I think. You have to get the voice data into Alexa this isn't magic.

So the only bennefit is being able to play music with voice control.. Who cares!

Judging from the news coverage, a fair amount of people, but maybe it's not for you!

I just want my Play 5 to act as an Alexa input device without additional hardware like the one. Got the Mics.. just get the f*&& used and working.

Technology is not magic. The equipment in the Play 5 does not have the ability to do what the Echo devices does. This has been said before.

That would be a real ok wow thanks moment. All other enthousiadts are just fanboy cries

I've always been skeptical of enthousiadts myself, but I don't know that I'd call possessing a rational understanding of the technology fanboy-ism.