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Sonos AirPlay 2 Control

  • November 29, 2023
  • 4 replies
  • 335 views
S

I have a Sonos AMP which was added to Apple Home app. I have an Apple HomePod too. I can control the Apple music on the HomePod with my iPhone and with my MacBook. I’m not AirPlaying to the HomePod, I can select it from the “Control Other Speakers & TVs” list and the HomePod streams from Apple Music itself. I would like to achieve this with the Sonos AMP. I know it is possible, but just via a very tricky way.

Normally the AMP doesn’t show up on the “Control Other Speakers & TVs” list when I used it with other source (ex.: HDMI ARC). If I select as an AirPlay destination on my iPhone, I can AirPlay to it but in this case the iPhone sends a stream to the AMP. If I close the music app on the iPhone the music stops on the AMP.  But if I ask Siri on the HomePod (not on iPhone) to play something on Sonos, a music played back on sonos, and the AMP shows up on “Control Other Speakers & TVs” list. In this case the AMP streams directly from Apple Music. I tried to disconnect the HomePod from the power, and to switch off my iPhone and the AMP played the music itself. In this mode I can control the music from any Apple device on my network, I can see the now playing widget on every Apple device. This would be an ideal mode. There is another way to enter this mode. If I select the HomePod from the “Control Other Speakers & TVs” list and start an airplay stream from the HomePod to the Sonos AMP, and I ungroup the HomePod. In this case the AMP stays alone and works as described before.

Is there any solution for the Sonos AMP always stays in the “Control Other Speakers & TVs” list? Or how can I enter this mode with just use my iPhone (without HomePod or without Siri)?

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4 replies

Ken_Griffiths

There’s no solution to this, as Apple’s own brand of devices play direct from their iCloud, but Apple do not ‘technically’ allow this with 3rd-party devices, which ‘normally’ are only allowed to AirPlay audio via the Apple mobile device. In a similar way, if you were to play your audio sources (including Apple Music) via the Sonos App to Sonos products - then those sources play direct on the Sonos devices, rather than going via the mobile device. So I think you are stuck with the ‘workarounds’ you mention and it would likely need Apple to change their own policies to get 3rd-party Sonos devices to perhaps play in the way you want them to. 

S
  • szabokristof
  • Author
  • Contributor I
  • November 29, 2023

There’s no solution to this, as Apple’s own brand of devices play direct from their iCloud, but Apple do not ‘technically’ allow this with 3rd-party devices, which ‘normally’ are only allowed to AirPlay audio via the Apple mobile device. In a similar way, if you were to play your audio sources (including Apple Music) via the Sonos App to Sonos products - then those sources play direct on the Sonos devices, rather than going via the mobile device. So I think you are stuck with the ‘workarounds’ you mention and it would likely need Apple to change their own policies to get 3rd-party Sonos devices to perhaps play in the way you want them to. 

I knew the same too, but with this workaround the Sonos AMP can directly play the Apple Music not from a mobil device. I started the music with the route described before and turned all my Apple device (including HomePod) off and the Sonos AMP continued to play from AppleMusic.

So I think it should be technically possible, but there is no easy way to enter the Sonos to this mode. If I enter this mode and not change the source to other service or HDMi on Sonos, it stays there “forever”.

Ken_Griffiths

I knew the same too, but with this workaround the Sonos AMP can directly play the Apple Music not from a mobil device. I started the music with the route described before and turned all my Apple device (including HomePod) off and the Sonos AMP continued to play from AppleMusic.

So I think it should be technically possible, but there is no easy way to enter the Sonos to this mode. If I enter this mode and not change the source to other service or HDMi on Sonos, it stays there “forever”.

I’m absolutely sure these things are ‘technically’ possible - you have already proved that, it seems, with the ‘workarounds’ you mention, but I suspect it’s probably not what Apple wants here, as they seem to prefer to keep the Airplay audio stream on 3rd party devices playing from/through their own mobile devices, rather than direct from an iCloud server connection. It’s probably a decision that perhaps has security in mind and keeping such 3rd party connections direct to their audio source to a minimum and only when their own iOS devices have authorised the link. At least that’s what I suspect, personally speaking …and it would need to be Apple that changes how these connections work with their music service. 

Airgetlam
selsrog
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  • selsrog
  • Contributor I
  • November 29, 2023

I often consume my music in the same way: Hey Siri (via HomePod) play playlist xxx on Sonos (name in Apple Home).

But my experience is that when I turn the HomePod off, after a while the music stops.

So I do think that it remains the HomePod streaming the music to Sonos… It might have the song playing cached (or maybe even more).

For all this I have keep HomePod mini around, so that when I leave the music is not stopping… My “big” HomePods got thrown out of the window due to frustrations... 

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