Sonos One won't play Amazon Music in more than one zone

Grouping is not currently supported via Alexa voice control. However, you can group via the Sonos app, then tell Alexa to play to any one of the grouped speakers and it will play to the entire group. You can also group after the fact.

If Alexa is going to default to Amazon Music Unlimited, I sure hope Sonos is encouraging Amazon to change its TOS to allow different songs to stream in different rooms. It's one of the most important features of Sonos for me.

It's not an Amazon issue, I've just tried and you can play multiple streams via the Sonos app. Must be a bug in the Sonos skill.

I just ran into this too. I had started some holiday music in the living room using my Echo dot, then when I went upstairs to the master bedroom I couldn't listen to anything else from Amazon Music. The error indicated that Amazon music was already playing in another room. I'm gonna try starting both through the app to see if this is the intended behavior or a bug.

I believe this is known behavior. There is another thread on Spotify where Ryan replied below. I assume Amazon Music works the same?

'Alexa can only have one active stream to Spotify going at a time, no matter which device or Sonos play it's playing on...... This is due to the standard account stream limits of Spotify. There's a special allowance for Sonos players where you can start multiple streams to Sonos players from Spotify using the Sonos app'

So multiple streams allowed via app, only one via voice. Makes it unusable for our household really with varying tastes and multiple speakers!

Glad i got rid of my One and bought a Play:1 today! Silly gimmicky voice control rubbish!

Agreed! Despite been OK with it when I got in on release, having played with mine for a month now it's going back (already sent 2 back I bought as Xmas presents) Just got a Play1 and a dot for < £200 on Amazon - that sealed it for me!

Agreed! Despite been OK with it when I got in on release, having played with mine for a month now it's going back (already sent 2 back I bought as Xmas presents) Just got a Play1 and a dot for < £200 on Amazon - that sealed it for me!

Shame, I really like mine and haven't really had any problems so far...

It is a shame. I had high hopes. We really love our Play 1s and Play 5 and have even got used to the new app. But the frustrations with the One are too much at the moment. And maybe I expected too much but I thought voice integration for streaming music would work the same as the app. Whether its an Amazon issue or a Sonos issue I don't know but it just doesn't work effectively for a household listening to different things on multiple speakers. I expect things will improve over the next year so maybe I'll look Black Friday 2018 - they might even have discounted the One in the UK that year.....

I must admit Voice Control in general is difficult if you have more than 2 or three people in a room at the same time, as someone will almost always talk over the command 😠 I have had some problems with my cat even, when she thinks I'm talking to her and she talks back over the Sonos One command, perhaps Alexa needs to learn 'Cat' 🙂

There's probably an Alexa skill that speaks cat. Oh wait, it probably doesn't work on the One....;)

There's probably an Alexa skill that speaks cat. Oh wait, it probably doesn't work on the One....;)

You really do have a downer on the Sonos One don't you... :8

I can play more than one stream at the same time to different devices /zones with voice just as I can with the app. I found this only worked with Amazon unlimited family plan. Whether this is intended behaviour or not, it seems to work for me. Can’t believe I’m the only one, though.

Andrew

Most all music services limit the number of active streams you can have playing on devices at one time. For Amazon Prime Music, that limit is one device at a time. For Amazon Unlimited it's the same, though it looks like the Family Plan of Unlimited has 6 streams available at a time, as shown here. As you mentioned, Andrew, you have a family plan.

My comment that was quoted above regarding Spotify applies here too. Basically, music started through Alexa, is a different device than music started on your mobile phone, or started on Sonos, using the Sonos app.

I can play more than one stream at the same time to different devices /zones with voice just as I can with the app. I found this only worked with Amazon unlimited family plan. Whether this is intended behaviour or not, it seems to work for me. Can’t believe I’m the only one, though.

Andrew

So just to clarify.With Amazon Unlimited Family you have started multiple streams, with differing tracks on different speakers with voice? Are all your echo devices linked to one Amazon account? If so, is that the primary Amazon account (or whatever it's called by Amazon). And is your Sonos app only linked to that Amazon music account as well? Or you have multiple accounts set up in the Sonos app. Sorry for all the questions - I really want this to work like the app but we have been previously told you can only start one stream via voice. And that certainly seems t be the case for Spotify even with family membership.
It would be good if Sonos could clarify exactly how this works for family account (both Spotify and Amazon) as some of the postings that I have seen seem to contradict one another.

Most all music services limit the number of active streams you can have playing on devices at one time. For Amazon Prime Music, that limit is one device at a time. For Amazon Unlimited it's the same, though it looks like the Family Plan of Unlimited has 6 streams available at a time, as shown here. As you mentioned, Andrew, you have a family plan.

I have Amazon Unlimited, not family, I can play multiple streams via the app, except when I have started playing something via voice, eg on the Dot

I have Amazon Unlimited, not family, I can play multiple streams via the app, except when I have started playing something via voice, eg on the Dot

This is expected behavior - multiple streams allowed via the app. only single via voice. My frustration is due to (wrongfully) expecting voice to behave like the app. I can live without the grouping of rooms or moving music around the house via voice but I would expect initiating playback to work the same. Also I have seen threads on here with people unable to start multiple streams via Spotify with voice despite having family membership. It appears a bit of a minefield at the moment!

I am slightly confused and need some clarification with Sonos and the Alexa integration.

Can someone in the community please kindly clarify if a Spotify family plan and/or the new Amazon Ultimate Music Family plan, each priced at £14.99 per month, here in the U.K. will (or won’t) allow multiple streams when initiating music playback over Sonos, via voice only (not the app). Or is it a single stream to one room only, no matter what subscription I may have?

I’m quite happy to upgrade to a family plan, if I can use voice-controlled music in two rooms.

Also ...
I assume the Amazon Music subscription for a single Amazon Echo device at £3.99 per month does not work with Sonos (unless cabled to a play-5 etc.) but can someone please clarify that too.

Thanks. I’m just seeking some official clarification before upgrading my music subscription starting the 1st of next month.

I am slightly confused and need some clarification with Sonos and the Alexa integration

..

Thanks. I’m just seeking some official clarification before upgrading my music subscription starting the 1st of next month.

Here is my experience......

Didn’t have Amazon music until Alexa came along. I used Deezer and was perfectly happy with it.

Tried Amazon unlimited personal, and straight away I hit the ‘one stream at a time’ issue with voice control. That was no use to me.

Upgraded to the unlimited family plan. Still only me in the house so just one user, but can now start multiple streams around the house with voice.

Not totally happy with Amazon so I tried Spotify premium (or whatever it is called) and had the same one stream at a time issue.

So my experience (and it would be good if someone can confirm if it is the same same with them) is that Amazon Unlimited Family is the only way to use voice to start multiple streams.

Andrew

Hi Andrew, I can confirm what you're seeing as expected. Also, the Spotify Family plan is linked to one account at a time, for voice or otherwise, and each account is only allowed one active stream. They handle Family Plans a little differently than Amazon.

Currently, the Amazon Music Unlimited Family Plan is the only one that has multiple concurrent streams via voice for on-demand music.

Thanks Ryan for the explanation. Thats the information I needed.

Currently, the Amazon Music Unlimited Family Plan is the only one that has multiple concurrent streams via voice for on-demand music.

Thanks from me too Ryan. That's exactly what I was wanting to know.

So I am getting the message that Sonos One is only for those who want Alexa to confuse things. I just want Sonos music like I had with my Sonos Play 5. I will be sending Alexis back to her maker!

Amazon Music Unlimited - Family Plan
I can start separate music streams by voice, by the app, or any combination of the two.

I was planning on trying Spotify's family plan. Sounds like it will not do multiple streams?