Alexa and music services

I haven’t read the release, but my understanding is that it certainly works with not only Amazon, but Pandora, TuneIn, and local music. I think you may be misinterpreting the info. Install and test!

I haven’t read the release, but my understanding is that it certainly works with not only Amazon, but Pandora, TuneIn, and local music. I think you may be misinterpreting the info. Install and test!

Just adding to this, you can also start music from your Sonos app from any service, and use Alexa for volume and playback commands like skip and previous.

I can't answer your specifics on what works today, as I haven't had a chance to try it out.

But the obvious question then is if Amazon music offers no high quality service (320bps i believe) what benefit is there in there in having Sonos equipment over Echo equipment??

Right, so none of your features have gone away. Everything that Sonos did for you remains the same. Today the new offering has limited services supported, but there's every reason to believe it will grow.

If I want to use voice control I’m now limited to MP3 quality.

That's a misuse of "MP3". FWIW- Amazon streams at 256Kbps, unless that's changed recently.

Hi Bruce, thanks for your reply. You may be right and I confess I’m being a little premature — I have scoured the news releases but they are pretty useless.

However, Sonos’s own website says ‘you can start music and control the sound using you voice when listening to Amazon and Tunein. Or start any other service with your app and use your voice to skip, replay, adjust volune’.

So that sounds disheartenaly descriptive. I need my app to start any high quality music even if I can use my voice to skip tracks. Very very happy to be proved wrong here ..... ! (Still can’t wait to get home to try it).

Regards
Andrew

I should have known that integration with the Echo would push us to Amazon. Really over all this...early adopters always get screwed in the end. We really shouldn't have to open a different music service from the app just to play music. Shame on you Sonos!

I should have known that integration with the Echo would push us to Amazon. Really over all this...early adopters always get screwed in the end. We really shouldn't have to open a different music service from the app just to play music. Shame on you Sonos!
You're being melodramatic.

The connection with Alexa makes these services immediately available:

Amazon Music, Amazon Music Unlimited, Pandora, iHeartRadio, SiriusXM, TuneIn Radio

Spotify is coming too.

You need to understand that Sonos doesn't have the ability to do whatever they want with these ecosystems. I'd recommend you read the Wired article I linked to elsewhere, it should be good for a non-technical person like yourself.

Sonos doesn't want to nor could they compete with Amazon/Google/Apple in the smart assistance space. The attempt to interface with all of them is literally the only feasible play, and that does mean you'll be restricted to what functionality each individual ecosystem brings with it*.

*to a degree - the possibility of controlling the Sonos gear with specialized triggers pushed down from the cloud isn't far-fetched, but it's not surprising, as you say, that it didn't launch this way.

Hi — I’m not denigrating any of the good work Sonos has done, so I’m not complaining. And I really am agnostic as to what streaming service I use. — I have tried a few different ones in the past. But none of the services listed (that are available here in the UK anyway) are what I would call high quality. Which — to a small degree anyway, negates spending the extra money on Sonos !!! I’m not panicking and I’m not throwing in the towel. I just want wish there was a good quality lossless service included — that’s all.

Anyway, not wanting a bun fight on this — let’s enjoy the music !!
Andrew

Considering this was promised over a year ago and when they finally roll it out (in beta nonetheless) not having 2 of the largest music services (Spotify and Apple Music) is ridiculous. But don't bother replying as you clearly like to make assumptions about people who you know nothing about. I've been in IT for over 30 years and am hardly a "non-technical" person. Which is ludicrous because not supporting Spotify with voice isn't a technical issue at all...like everything it's about $$$$.

Gee, only took an hour!

Never change Sonos users. Never change. :8

By the way, who had under 2 hours in the pool? Was it me?

Considering this was promised over a year ago and when they finally roll it out (in beta nonetheless) not having 2 of the largest music services (Spotify and Apple Music) is ridiculous. But don't bother replying as you clearly like to make assumptions about people who you know nothing about. I've been in IT for over 30 years and am hardly a "non-technical" person. Which is ludicrous because not supporting Spotify with voice isn't a technical issue at all...like everything it's about $$$$.

It's a full release, not beta. Only the Alexa skill is beta. Spotify has said it will be integrating with Alexa soon, so is definitely coming.

$$$$ for whom? Sonos doesn't get paid by any of the music services, who are all operating at a loss right now. You clearly have no idea what you're talking about.