Alexa integration for SONOS

https://developer.amazon.com/blogs/alexa/post/7c9343ce-425b-4baa-ae63-49c36afb5341/giving-device-makers-more-ways-to-bring-voice-forward-music-experiences-to-their-products

The new Connected Speaker API has just been opened for "developer preview" today. So, it's Amazon we've been waiting on this past year, not Sonos... Going to be more and more difficult for Sonos to differentiate itself from the pack...

Connected Speaker APIs
The Connected Speaker APIs, available in developer preview today, enable device makers to connect their cloud-based services to AVS. This means that customers can ask Alexa to play music on their favorite wireless or multi-room speakers including brands like Sonos, Sound United, Bose, and Samsung. With the Connected Speaker APIs, device makers can leverage their own proprietary or licensed multi-room synchronization protocols to provide consumers multi-room music experiences that can be controlled by Alexa-enabled devices like the Echo Dot.

Multi-Room Music SDK
For those device makers without their own multi-room music solutions, the AVS Multi-Room Music SDK extends the new synchronized music capability from today’s Echo Family of Devices announcement to third-party device makers, enabling customers to group multiple Amazon Echo and other third-party Alexa-enabled products together for “whole home” music experiences. The SDK is available to device makers building Alexa-enabled products early next year.

So I will be able to mix my Echos with other brands of speakers that adopt the AVS Multi-Room SDK when setting up my synced speaker groups but cannot mix Echos with Sonos, Bose, etc, because they use their own proprietary syncing.

Any chance Sonos will add AVS sync as an addition or optional alternative?

I imagine Sonos, Denon, Samsung, Bose, etc have all been under an NDA with Amazon. Should be a flood of news from all of them very soon, as they try to differentiate themselves from the other guys.

I have Amazon Echo, Sonos and Spotify prmeium and its a pitty I cant control them with voice activation. Can wait for the release to be rolled out. So far, just saw this video. But no instructions on how to use it.
https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/sonos-adds-spotify-amazon-alexa/

I was hoping last year's announcement would mean that existing Sonos devices would be Alexa-enabled with a software update. It appears now that one would have to replace all existing Sonos devices with the new Sonos One. 😞

I was hoping last year's announcement would mean that existing Sonos devices would be Alexa-enabled with a software update. It appears now that one would have to replace all existing Sonos devices with the new Sonos One. :(

My system works perfectly well with Alexa without having to buy new hardware

I was hoping last year's announcement would mean that existing Sonos devices would be Alexa-enabled with a software update. It appears now that one would have to replace all existing Sonos devices with the new Sonos One. :(

My system works perfectly well with Alexa without having to buy new hardware
You do need hardware that has Alexa built-in. Such as the Amazon Echo Dot. Most Sonos players don't have microphones, so no amount of software updating is going to make them suddenly able to listen to your conversations.

Just read that the Alexa and Sonos integration was released. But it isnt integrated with Spotify. REALY?

Just read that the Alexa and Sonos integration was released. But it isnt integrated with Spotify. REALY?
It isn't yet, but it will be. We're working with Alexa and Spotify on it right now. We'll make sure everyone knows when it's live.