Question

The Skill My Media for Alexa does not work with a default Sonos speaker system


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Please find here under the description of the issue I have with the incorrect behavior of the app Mymedia for Alexa used in an Amazon Echo 8 configured with a default Sonos system:
Description here under is based on an Echo 8 with my Sonos Port but is also valid with any of my Sonos equipments ( I have a PLAYBAR + bass + 2 Sonos 1, a Sonos 5, and a Sonos 3)

First of all a quick sum up of my configuration:
I use the last version of mymedia inside a docker of my Synology NAS
The version is currently 1.3.133.0
All my music is also in the NAS and except a very few exceptions uses the m4a format
I have a Amazon echo 8 configured to use a SONOS PORT as the default speaker system. 
I also have a Amazon Firestick 4 K configured to use the HDMI in pasthrough toward the TV set linked to a SONOS PLAYBAR via optical.

Both systems Echo/Port and Firestick/TV/PLAYBAR don’t work 
“Don’t work” means that when I ask to play an album, I have the first track only of the album, the picture of the album only a few seconds on the screen then picture goes away . 
Please note that even long time after I can say “Alexa suivant” ( means Next) and it plays the next ones. So it seems some process is hung.

On the contrary when I use Alexa with the IPhone ( alone), IPad (alone) or the embedded Alexa of my OLED LG TV ( linked through optical cable to the SONOS PLAYBAR, it works
“It works” means that I have the picture of the album during all the time and system changes itself track to next tracks as it should work.
Please note that some times it plays 2 times the same first track of the album then stops.

I have a contact with the develop team of mymedia for Alexa and their analysis thanks to traces I sent them is that this issue is on the Sonos side that obviously requests inconsistent to play several times the same track.
I cannot understand all their explanations but they asked me that they should be very happy to enter in contact with your team for fixing that issue .
Finally please not that Mymedia for Alexa is a very interesting program to use with Alexa as in France Amazon does not provide neither the Plex support or the Audio station skill

Thank you very much

Regards

 

 


 

Envoyé de mon iPad


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32 replies

Userlevel 7
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Back when i did an Alexa skill that did something similar, I got into trouble for trying to use these Sonos forums for any support for it. I never had this problem mind you, seems lame that the developer can’t figure this out themselves. They should go onto stackoverflow and ask Sonos for technical assistance there.

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Hi

this is exactly what the mymedia for Alexa developer said . So they ask me to try and open a ticket to Sonos 

wait and see …. !

Userlevel 6
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A key question is whether the Echo 8 can use the default speaker for other content, eg. a Tunein stream ?

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Sure 

when I use the standard amazon music, it goes to the Sonos Port  and changes track to track

 

Userlevel 6
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You mention that some files are not m4a - do these play?

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Hi this was an interesting question !

I just made the test with an album made of mp3 files

the difference with m4a files is that it repeats the first track in an infinite loop.

Phil

 

Userlevel 6
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I would try to use MyMedia playing direct to the echo 8 speaker.  Just to check the docker functionality.

 

 I’m not familiar with the preferred speaker feature - how do you specify the Port as the speaker?

Do you have another speaker you could specify as the preferred speaker?

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I already tried the echo configured with its loudspeaker ( by removing the Sonos Port as default speaker) and it works perfectly.

in fact the issue is only when using a Sonos equipment behind the Echo

See attached the configuration to attach the port as default speaker for the Echo

 

Userlevel 6
Badge +14

So, at least we know it;s an Echo-Sonos issue … 

Hope you can get it sorted.

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Yep

this was as well the conclusion of the développer of my media for Alexa.

the issue is now how to make and speak together Sonos and mymedia !  …. knowing that mymedia team is willing to cooperate with Sonos but never had any answer from Sonos 

 

the issue is now how to make and speak together Sonos and mymedia !  …. knowing that mymedia team is willing to cooperate with Sonos but never had any answer from Sonos 

That will almost certainly never happen.

One solution that may work for you is to wire the Echo Show to the line in jacks on the Port and set that for autoplay. This works fine for me. The only downside is that all Echo responses will be via the Port and will need to have the Port zone powered on to be heard.

And, by the way, I suspect that this also may be an Amazon issue.

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Sure 

withboth the logs from Sonos and mymedia, they should find a solution

who knows how to create an official ticket on Sonos side ?

Send an email to Sonos Support; but my guess is that they will reply that they have added this to their list of things to be done in future, and good luck in ever see it coming to the top of the list. 

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Hi 
who knows how to contact Sonos ? I can’t find any mail details on their web site 

thn’s

phil

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the issue is now how to make and speak together Sonos and mymedia !  …. knowing that mymedia team is willing to cooperate with Sonos but never had any answer from Sonos 

That will almost certainly never happen.

One solution that may work for you is to wire the Echo Show to the line in jacks on the Port and set that for autoplay. This works fine for me. The only downside is that all Echo responses will be via the Port and will need to have the Port zone powered on to be heard.

Yes this could be a solution .

or via Bluetooth as I think Port support Bluetooth 

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the issue is now how to make and speak together Sonos and mymedia !  …. knowing that mymedia team is willing to cooperate with Sonos but never had any answer from Sonos 

That will almost certainly never happen.

One solution that may work for you is to wire the Echo Show to the line in jacks on the Port and set that for autoplay. This works fine for me. The only downside is that all Echo responses will be via the Port and will need to have the Port zone powered on to be heard.

Yes this could be a solution .

or via Bluetooth as I think Port support Bluetooth 

Not a gold solution ! Echo cannot be linked to Port via Bluetooth 

🤬🤬🤬🤬

I never said it could, I said to wire it! Very simple, very reliable.

Userlevel 7
Badge +21

You could add a bluetooth receiving dongle to the port?

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I never said it could, I said to wire it! Very simple, very reliable.

Yes Kamar

but Echo is not against my Port so it would not some wire 

furthermore I am pro wireless solutions !

 

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Hi Sonos staff

would it be possible to get any answer from Sonos ?

phil

Userlevel 5
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Hi folks. We greatly appreciate you being a part of the Sonos family. It is our pleasure.

As of the moment here’s the link that I can share for you about controlling Sonos with Amazon Alexa and we'd be happy to share your interest with the team.

Please let us know if there’s anything else we can help you with. We and the community are always here.

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Hi folks. We greatly appreciate you being a part of the Sonos family. It is our pleasure.

As of the moment here’s the link that I can share for you about controlling Sonos with Amazon Alexa and we'd be happy to share your interest with the team.

Please let us know if there’s anything else we can help you with. We and the community are always here.

Hi Krishma,

thank you for your help but I do know that

the issue I have is to control my music that is in my Synology NAS thanks to the Echo ( or any other solution using Alexa) toward a Sonos speaker 

as you probably surely know, there is no support of PLEX or Synology Audio skills in France. So we do not have any solution in France except with Mymedia for Alexa.

but it does not work as ( according to Mymedia for Alexa development team) there is a bug in the Sonos behavior.

Mymedia for Alexa team would be very glad to work with the Sonos team to help and fix this bug or to find a workaround but they never succeeded to have any answer from Sonos 

so please help France !

regards

philippe 

Userlevel 5
Badge +13

Hi @Colette Morice, thanks for your response. Just to let you know that it’s a skill from Amazon Alexa and it’s not yet supported with Sonos. As I’ve promised, I’ve forwarded this to the designated team as a feature request. You can control playback when music is initiated from the Sonos app or through Alexa. The name of the Sonos room needs to be mentioned in the voice command. Please remember, that despite some music services not working with certain voice assistants, a user can start playback in the Sonos app and a user can control that music service's playback via voice with commands like play, pause, mute, skip, next, stop, resume, etc.

Please let us know if there’s anything else we can help you with. We and the community are always here.

Badge +1

Hi @Colette Morice, thanks for your response. Just to let you know that it’s a skill from Amazon Alexa and it’s not yet supported with Sonos. As I’ve promised, I’ve forwarded this to the designated team as a feature request. You can control playback when music is initiated from the Sonos app or through Alexa. The name of the Sonos room needs to be mentioned in the voice command. Please remember, that despite some music services not working with certain voice assistants, a user can start playback in the Sonos app and a user can control that music service's playback via voice with commands like play, pause, mute, skip, next, stop, resume, etc.

Please let us know if there’s anything else we can help you with. We and the community are always here.

Hi Krishma,

thank you for taking into account this issus. I hope that Sonos engineers will contact soon Mymedia for Alexa engineers and fix this bug together.

 

In order to clearly understand your last answer, please clarify which skill I must install in my Echo 8 to control the music that is in my Synology NAS 

Until now, in France I did not find any but the Mymedia one

thanks

regards

philippe