setting up multi-room music in Alexa app
I have 2 Sonos Ones (both have Alexa built in)n and a Sonos Play 5. I asked Alexa to play music in bedroom, dining room and family room, then Alexa tells me I need to set up multi-room music on Alexa app. I checked internet to see how to do that and it says to go to "Audio Groups" in Settings but there is no Audio Groups shown in my Alexa app Settings.
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I'm certainly no expert here either, but I would have thought the Alexa voice command would need key 'unique' words in it, in a particular order, that passes through the Amazon speech engine and is then interpretted into a particular compiled set of instructions that are encrypted and passed back to the Sonos API on the users local network. I think it would need work from both sides to do something like that. I would be surprised if Sonos are able to add their own unique key words in an instruction. I would have guessed that needed to centrally managed by Amazon, personally speaking, aswell as compiling and encrypting the returned instruction back to the API interface?
Personally, if it required "tell Sonos", I would be looking elsewhere. I suspect others would too and, versatile or not, that is not good for Sonos.
True, the existing command set does not rely on "tell Sonos". That absolutely does NOT mean that new commands can't be added using "tell Sonos". The alternative is that we wait for years, maybe forever, to get Amazon to implement the most basic of Sonos features like grouping. Is that your definition of "versatile"??? I'm sorry, but that sounds insane to me.
Sonos could literally write that API in just a few days, all by themselves. Now THAT is versatile.
The Alexa/Sonos interface was not designed as a "Alexa, tell Sonos" type skill. It is far more versatile and interactive. Being so, it is also far more reliant on development by both Sonos and Amazon for new features.
Ken, I believe if you simply say "Alexa, tell Sonos..." then Alexa will let the Sonos API handle whatever words come next. Therefore "Alexa, tell Sonos to group all my speakers" is a command that Sonos could create all by themselves. They can do it anytime they want. However, if you simply want to say "Alexa, group all my speakers", then Sonos needs to work with Amazon.
IMO, the "tell Sonos" thing is perfectly acceptable. But that's just me. I want to specify that I'm not an API expert. I believe the above is accurate, but I'm not 100% certain.
IMO, the "tell Sonos" thing is perfectly acceptable. But that's just me. I want to specify that I'm not an API expert. I believe the above is accurate, but I'm not 100% certain.
Kirk33
So where does the actual creation and interpretation of the initial voice instruction come from then?... such as ... 'Alexa, group my living room with my Lounge' Does that not have to be created by Amazon then ? How will Alexa know and become aware that I’m talking about my speakers and not my Hue Lights or my living room smart plugs, for example?
Calling to the Sonos API features to group my speakers is one thing, but what about the initial Amazon Alexa side of things and it’s interpreter?
So where does the actual creation and interpretation of the initial voice instruction come from then?... such as ... 'Alexa, group my living room with my Lounge' Does that not have to be created by Amazon then ? How will Alexa know and become aware that I’m talking about my speakers and not my Hue Lights or my living room smart plugs, for example?
Calling to the Sonos API features to group my speakers is one thing, but what about the initial Amazon Alexa side of things and it’s interpreter?
No waiting is required. Sonos simply needs to add grouping to its API, then Alexa can access those features. Alexa controls thousands of devices. Do you honestly believe that each of those thousands of companies just sat around and waited for Amazon to support them??? No! Each of those companies simply wrote their own API with the features that they need. Once that's done, Alexa is able to access those features.
It's the same thing here, Sonos simply needs to add grouping into its API. Once that's done, Alexa will be able to use the new feature.
My guess is the Sonos team is buried in trying to set up Google Assistant and isn't thinking about anything else at the moment.
So if I want to use to voice control to play music throughout my house, I have to find my phone, set up a group in the app, and then issue the voice command.
I think we are stretching the definition of voice control here! There needs to be a way to create the group with an Alexa command.
Even Alexa does not do that for Amazon devices at the moment... so Sonos may have to wait for Amazon to get that resolved first.
So if I want to use to voice control to play music throughout my house, I have to find my phone, set up a group in the app, and then issue the voice command.
I think we are stretching the definition of voice control here! There needs to be a way to create the group with an Alexa command.
Currently the the Alexia/Echo “multiroom” and “everywhere” are restricted to Echo only. I assume this is because either Sonos or Amazon wish you to fill your entire house with just their own speakers. :D
I am hopeful that the Alexa groups can eventually be used to create named groups of Sonos speakers, or Sonos will have a named group feature all of their own. But not at all hopeful that you'll be able to play echos and sonos speakers together. Yes, it has something to do with wanting to sell you're products and make a profit, but the fact that there is any integration at all shows that both companies realize that working together can make both companies more profitable (for now anyway). There is also the fact that Sonos has both companies have their own multiroom protocols. Sonos doesn't want to share that with anyone, and Amazon surely feels the same way. Maybe circumstances will change on that one day.
Indeed, I think the answer is no, you can’t do that. You can always tell woeful customer support when they respond by initially repeating a version of your question, when the question was, in fact, perfectly clear :-)
Currently the the Alexia/Echo “multiroom” and “everywhere” are restricted to Echo only. I assume this is because either Sonos or Amazon wish you to fill your entire house with just their own speakers. 😃
I tried that, unfortunately it says it has no devices to discover..
I am no Alexa expert. Maybe sufficient to tell Alexa to 'discover devices' after moving?
All capable hands are welcome!
Okay so I have another problem. I love sonos so much I decided to get another Sonos One for my work which is in a different building on a different wifi network.
When I try to use Alexa to do music commands like skip track etc it tells me I need to learn the skill in the Alexa app.
I go to the app and find that the Sonos skill is enabled, but if I disable it and then re-enable it, then the voice control works on my work speaker. However when I come home it has now kicked off my home speakers and I have to do the same disable/enable thing, which then kicks off my work speaker.
Thoughts?
Okay so I have another problem. I love sonos so much I decided to get another Sonos One for my work which is in a different building on a different wifi network.
When I try to use Alexa to do music commands like skip track etc it tells me I need to learn the skill in the Alexa app.
I go to the app and find that the Sonos skill is enabled, but if I disable it and then re-enable it, then the voice control works on my work speaker. However when I come home it has now kicked off my home speakers and I have to do the same disable/enable thing, which then kicks off my work speaker.
Thoughts?
Sorry Ken - should have left it in your capable hands!
Yes that is correct. In the Rooms tab, as soon as you hit the 'Group' button the top option should be 'Everywhere'. It is possible that it doesn't appear for a two-room setup as it only requires one touch to achieve that anyway (by selecting the other 'room').
Sprint211,
Yes that’s correct.
I assume the 'Play Everywhere' is simply because I have lots of rooms.
Yes that’s correct.
I assume the 'Play Everywhere' is simply because I have lots of rooms.
Ken that is great information.
Okay so just to clarify there isn't any way of using the voice command to group the two rooms when playing music, only via the app. After the rooms are grouped in the app I can use voice commands to play music, yes?
I don't seem to have the option to play "Everywhere" like you do on the app. I only have two rooms to choose from though.
Okay so just to clarify there isn't any way of using the voice command to group the two rooms when playing music, only via the app. After the rooms are grouped in the app I can use voice commands to play music, yes?
I don't seem to have the option to play "Everywhere" like you do on the app. I only have two rooms to choose from though.
Sprint211,
Sorry if any of the below info is teaching you to 'suck eggs' and you are already fully aware of these things, but it maybe useful anyway to some others reading this thread...
When you setup your Beam and it’s two Play:1 surrounds, that is actually different to the term 'grouping'... it’s a thing Sonos call 'Bonding' and is created from within the Apps 'room settings' section, so your Beam and it’s surrounds (when 'bonded') show as just one single room. The room name appears in the 'room settings' section of the app and may look something like this ... Lounge (+LS+RS)... this same room however will just appear in the 'Rooms Tab' of the app as a room called ..'Lounge'.
Obviously 'Lounge' is just an example here and will depend on your chosen Room Name.
For music to play equally through all speakers in this home theatre setup, you need to goto “Settings/Room Settings” and select Lounge (+LS+RS) and then goto Advanced Audio/Surround Settings/Music Playback and toggle the setting from 'Ambient' to 'Full'.
The other 'Sonos One' you have in the Bedroom is obviously an entirely separate and second group, called 'Bedroom'.
So you just need to go into the Rooms Tab in the Sonos App and ' group' both Lounge and Bedroom together, or whatever your two rooms are currently called.
Then once they are grouped, just ask Alexa to play to either of your two rooms... I have numerous rooms in my home and the two screenshots attached shows the case where I have grouped them all in the Sonos App Rooms Tab. Note there is the option to select 'everywhere' too in the dialogue box that appears when grouping your rooms together.
You can currently only do these things within the Sonos App, they cannot be done with Alexa voice commands, well not yet, at least.
Hope that helps.
Sorry if any of the below info is teaching you to 'suck eggs' and you are already fully aware of these things, but it maybe useful anyway to some others reading this thread...
When you setup your Beam and it’s two Play:1 surrounds, that is actually different to the term 'grouping'... it’s a thing Sonos call 'Bonding' and is created from within the Apps 'room settings' section, so your Beam and it’s surrounds (when 'bonded') show as just one single room. The room name appears in the 'room settings' section of the app and may look something like this ... Lounge (+LS+RS)... this same room however will just appear in the 'Rooms Tab' of the app as a room called ..'Lounge'.
Obviously 'Lounge' is just an example here and will depend on your chosen Room Name.
For music to play equally through all speakers in this home theatre setup, you need to goto “Settings/Room Settings” and select Lounge (+LS+RS) and then goto Advanced Audio/Surround Settings/Music Playback and toggle the setting from 'Ambient' to 'Full'.
The other 'Sonos One' you have in the Bedroom is obviously an entirely separate and second group, called 'Bedroom'.
So you just need to go into the Rooms Tab in the Sonos App and ' group' both Lounge and Bedroom together, or whatever your two rooms are currently called.
Then once they are grouped, just ask Alexa to play to either of your two rooms... I have numerous rooms in my home and the two screenshots attached shows the case where I have grouped them all in the Sonos App Rooms Tab. Note there is the option to select 'everywhere' too in the dialogue box that appears when grouping your rooms together.
You can currently only do these things within the Sonos App, they cannot be done with Alexa voice commands, well not yet, at least.
Hope that helps.
Is the only way to group everything together at the beginning? I have my Beam and 2x Play:1s set up as a home theatre. I tried setting them up all together but it didn't change anything.
Sprint211,
If you group everything to begin with in the Sonos App and use Alexa to play to any Sonos Room, the Audio will play to all Rooms.
There is currently no way to group/ungroup using Alexa voice instructions and presently Alexa enabled Groups are just for the Amazon devices only.
Sonos have said in the past they would revisit this issue but it’s not certain what their plans are, or if indeed they will go onto develop this 'much asked for' feature using voice-based instructions.
If you group everything to begin with in the Sonos App and use Alexa to play to any Sonos Room, the Audio will play to all Rooms.
There is currently no way to group/ungroup using Alexa voice instructions and presently Alexa enabled Groups are just for the Amazon devices only.
Sonos have said in the past they would revisit this issue but it’s not certain what their plans are, or if indeed they will go onto develop this 'much asked for' feature using voice-based instructions.
I have a group called 'Lounge' which is my Beam + 2x Play:1's and another group called 'Bedroom' which is just a Sonos One. As far as I can tell from this thread it's only possible to play music through both groups by physically selecting them in the Sonos App, and not possible to pair them using voice control with Alexa.
Is it possible to create a new group in the Sonos app called "Everything" that includes my Beam + 2x Play:1's + Sonos One so I can tell Alexa to play music to "Everything" and bypass having to select them individually on the app?
Is it possible to create a new group in the Sonos app called "Everything" that includes my Beam + 2x Play:1's + Sonos One so I can tell Alexa to play music to "Everything" and bypass having to select them individually on the app?
ok, thanks! 😃
No, that part isn't possible (yet).
Yes, if you've got an Amazon Echo device.
Setting up Amazon Alexa on Sonos
Controlling your Sonos with Amazon Alexa
You can't group Sonos devices for multi room audio within the Alexa App, you have to use the Sonos App. Just select the Rooms tab on the Sonos App to group the Sonos Devices together.
Then from your Echo Dot use the command 'Alexa, play soft jazz on {Sonos Room Name}' and audio will be output on all Sonos devices grouped with that device.
Ok, so for grouping sonos speakers without alexa you need to group using the sonos app, and for grouping sonos speakers with alexa you can use mutiroom from the alexa app.
BUT, i don't want to group anything, i just want alexa to start playing in my office where there is just a sonos play5. Is that possible? :?:8:?
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