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abs
Contributor II
August 20, 2020

Alexa cannot rewind Audible Audiobooks on Sonos One when started by Alexa

  • August 20, 2020
  • 19 replies
  • 741 views

I have a son who loves listening to audible audiobooks via his Sonos One, but recently the ability to select a chapter or rewind a book has broken.

 

If an audible audiobook is started via the Sonos app on a Sonos One, you can then say “Alexa, go back five minutes” or “Alexa, go to chapter two”, and everything works.

 

If you start the audiobook by saying “Alexa, read bookname”, it just answers “Nothing is currently playing”

 

Sonos App 12.0.4

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    19 replies

    Krishma M
    Krishma M
    Retired Sonos Staff
    August 21, 2020

    Hi @abs, thanks for reaching out with the Sonos Community! We greatly appreciate you being a part of the Sonos family. It is our pleasure.

    Thanks for letting us know that you have an updated version. Just to confirm, is Audible working fine when using the Sonos app? Have you tried using Alexa, playing from a different service? 

    Keep us posted. We and the community are always here to help.

    Help others find useful content by clicking the like button and selecting the best answer to your question.
    absAuthor
    Contributor II
    August 22, 2020

    Hi @abs, thanks for reaching out with the Sonos Community! We greatly appreciate you being a part of the Sonos family. It is our pleasure.

    Thanks for letting us know that you have an updated version. Just to confirm, is Audible working fine when using the Sonos app? Have you tried using Alexa, playing from a different service? 

    Keep us posted. We and the community are always here to help.

    Hi Krishma

     

    Controlling Audible via Alexa seems to work fine when the book is started from the Audible app - it will pause, resume, and can go forward and back without issue. The problem only seems to happen when an Audible book is started via Alexa - eg: “Alexa, read <bookname>”

    Would you be able to clarify “using Alexa, playing from a different service” - I can borrow an Echo dot to test on that to confirm that Alexa & Audible work in that context?

     

    Thanks

    Krishma M
    Krishma M
    Retired Sonos Staff
    August 22, 2020

    Hi @abs, thanks for your response. Yes, if you can try to play it using an Echo Dot to see if that will work smoothly. Also, try a different music service aside from Audible when using Sonos to confirm that it’s good. 

    Let us know how it goes. It is our pleasure. We and the community are always here to help.

    Help others find useful content by clicking the like button and selecting the best answer to your question.
    absAuthor
    Contributor II
    August 24, 2020

    Hi @abs, thanks for your response. Yes, if you can try to play it using an Echo Dot to see if that will work smoothly. Also, try a different music service aside from Audible when using Sonos to confirm that it’s good. 

    Let us know how it goes. It is our pleasure. We and the community are always here to help.


    Have tested on a standard Amazon Echo and Audible can rewind playback without issue, so it looks like an problem with Alexa on Sonos. How should I progress from here?

    Thanks

    Krishma M
    Krishma M
    Retired Sonos Staff
    August 24, 2020

    Hi, @abs! Are Alexa and Sonos working fine with other music services aside from Audible? Can you also remember if there were any changes prior to this issue? Submit a diagnostic report after trying to start the Audible using your speaker and reply to us with the confirmation number.

    Keep us posted here. We and the community are always here to help.

    Help others find useful content by clicking the like button and selecting the best answer to your question.
    nigep
    Contributor I
    November 2, 2020

    did you ever get this resolved?

    i had the exact same problem for the past few months and have up using it. i recently retired and it suddenly started to work for the past 2 weeks but has once again stopped working. so very frustrating and restarting the sonos has no affect 

    Krishma M
    Krishma M
    Retired Sonos Staff
    November 13, 2020

    Hi, @abs! Are Alexa and Sonos working fine with other music services aside from Audible? Can you also remember if there were any changes prior to this issue? Submit a diagnostic report after trying to start the Audible using your speaker and reply to us with the confirmation number.

    Keep us posted here. We and the community are always here to help.

    Hi @nigep, thanks for reaching out to the Sonos Community! Have you checked the suggestions above? Just let us know. We and the community are always here to help.

    Help others find useful content by clicking the like button and selecting the best answer to your question.
    rp2020
    Lyricist I
    November 16, 2020

    @Krishma M I’ve just spoken to Sonos Tech Support, he explained that the issue when using a voice command to tell Alexa to read a book, Sonos would launch the Read Audible Book alexa skill. 

    I searched for the Audible Book Reading skill and found this (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Amazon-Read-Audible-Books/dp/B08C7CJT4G/) ,the skill is automatically installed on the Alexa devices and can’t be manually installed.

    This could be a simple issue and only require collaboration between the Amazon/Audible & Sonos teams to enable it to work properly. Someone needs to show some initiative and solve this problem.

    Steelstar
    Avid Contributor II
    November 20, 2020

    I can confirm this problem, I have already contacted the beta support to make them aware. To me the problem is very disturbing, since Audible is not a service supported by Sonos in Italy (incredible but true) so I can start reading books only via Alexa voice assistant, and that means I can't go back or forward. To do that I have to speak to an Echo in my net or I have to open Alexa app and manually go ahead or forward from there.

    I really hope this bug can be fixed soon.

    nigep
    Contributor I
    November 30, 2020

    Hi, @abs! Are Alexa and Sonos working fine with other music services aside from Audible? Can you also remember if there were any changes prior to this issue? Submit a diagnostic report after trying to start the Audible using your speaker and reply to us with the confirmation number.

    Keep us posted here. We and the community are always here to help.

    Hi @nigep, thanks for reaching out to the Sonos Community! Have you checked the suggestions above? Just let us know. We and the community are always here to help.

    Hi @Krishma M 

    using an echo dot with Sonos base works fine - ie its possible to start audiobooks and go forward and backwards. I can also use a dot to start and control the Sonos one.
    Using the Sonos one (mk2) I can start audible but when trying to go backwards, forwards, or to a chapter it replies with “nothing is currently playing”

    note this used to work then stopped earlier in the year; I recently retired and it suddenly worked until about a month ago when it stopped working again

    using the Sonos one I can successfully start and control other apps eg Spotify 

    ive tried uninstalling the Sonos skill

    also tried installing the Audible app via the Sonos app

    also found that I can start a book from the Sonos one on another room eg the sonos base but cannot control it from the Sonos one as it gets the same message

    so in summary the cannot control any device playing audible from the Sonos one but can control the Sonos one from other echo dots

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