Chromecast functionality
Why is Sonos lacking the Chromecast functionality, which basically every 100€ WiFi speaker has. It makes it impossible to use YouTube music ( you have to open the Sonos controller and control it from there instead of just pressing the cast button) and it makes using the Google Assistant unnecessarily cumbersome. You have to specify the speaker after a voice command instead of being able to simply set Sonos as a default speaker. That not enough, it also makes it impossible to cast all audio to Sonos. Sonos always talks about being open and support all platforms, yet after waiting a year longer than Airplay 2 users (which got supported as soon as the service got released), we get a shitty, half-assed service lacking basic functionality. Sonos basically incentivizes people to switch to Google Home Max et al, to use get the full capability from the services.
I just bought a Sonos One, set it up and couldn't cast to it. I went online and found all this nonsense about not being able to do it. It's extremely frustrating and depressing. I'm going to try and return this to the shop and buy another brand tomorrow but doubt they'll take it as I've opened the box. I'll just have to put it on eBay or something and lose money on it. Will never buy Sonos again - this is not Google's fault, many many cheaper brands come with this as standard, it's Sonos trying to corner you in to their products for multi room sound, but it's not going to work with me unfortunately for them. There is misleading information out there about whether this should work. Lots of reviews say that you can do it. I would gladly give up google assistant compatibility for the ability to cast to it, I don't give a crap about making a phone call through a speaker, I just want to listen to music on a group of my speakers.
An update - luckily I took the Sonos One back to the shop and they gave me a refund even though I'd opened the box and used the speaker for ten minutes. I then went to another shop and bought 2 x LG XBoom W7 speakers. I could buy two because they are less than half the price of the Sonos One. The setup was a dream and what I expected the Sonos setup to be like. I can cast to them in groups just like I had hoped I would be able to with Sonos. Highly recommended. The downsides are that the speakers are not quite as good sound quality and do not go as loud. I'm an ex professional sound engineer of 15 years and have heard a speaker or two and know that they're far from audiophile quality but for the sake of having multiroom audio they're great.
I just sold my sonos one on craigslist this morning. I am thinking about the new Nest Audio by Google. I have read good reviews on it’s audio quality. I’ll check out this LG speaker too!
I’d like to add my voice to this request.
It really is sad that Airplay is supported but not chromecast. It mean that android users are unable cast things from our phones :( Please add this!
Please!
Just found out this lack of Chromecast functionnality after purchasing the Sonos Beam. Really thinking about going elsewhere if anyone knows what alternative to Sonos exists ?
The lack of official stance is such disrespectful for your clients, Sonos. I’m really pissed.
Is there any official stance on this?, Pretty sure that this will be pretty appreciated!.
The lack of official stance is such disrespectful for your clients, Sonos. I’m really pieced.
What sort of official stance are you looking for? Do you want Sonos to state all of the services and protocols it does NOT support? Are you looking for the reason(s) why chromecast isn’t supported? Can you give an example of another company giving the same sort of official stance you’re looking for from Sonos?
+6
Is there any official stance on this?, Pretty sure that this will be pretty appreciated!.
It sure would! Offering AirPlay 2 to Apple users on day one but not adding Chromecast is a major disappointment.
Well I don’t know why they would enable AirPlay and not Chromecast. Is it coming, yes / no ? They make all their communication on enabling Google Assistant which leads clients to think there is obviously Chromecast too. And well they are 2 different things I know, and now I feel dumb for falling into the trap.
Obviously they are not gonna list every protocols that they don’t support, but damn I feel dumb, and following this thread, it seems I’m not the only one.
At that price you should feel safe on what you’re buying.
And for other companies explaining why they won’t support this or that, there are at least Google and Apple doing it regularly via different medias.
May be I’m too naive, may be they are working on it, but really that specific lack of feature makes me very disappointed in what I bought ...
I also want Chromecast support on Sonos.
My use case is very simple:
BBC Sounds, the audio and radio app of the BBC, has no native Sonos support. The only way to listen to its content on Sonos is by streaming from my phone, which is Android.
Currently I do this with a Chromecast audio plugged into a Sonos port. It is clunky and annoying to set up the BBC Sounds app, the Sonos room grouping and the Google Home volume, so that I can listen to a radio episode on one of my eight Sonos zones.
Shameful that BBC and Sonos have not implemented a native player. Shameful that Sonos have not implemented Chromecast.
Please do one or the other!
Well I don’t know why they would enable AirPlay and not Chromecast. Is it coming, yes / no ?
I don’t really see AirPlay and Chromecast as being parallel services. I understand that they do a lot of the same things, but there are surely different licensing feels, contracts, protocols, etc to work out...if either company thought it was in their best interest to do it. As far as Sonos forecasting their future enhancements, they rarely do that. Plans change, delays happen, etc, and it’s typical not the best approach.
They make all their communication on enabling Google Assistant which leads clients to think there is obviously Chromecast too. And well they are 2 different things I know, and now I feel dumb for falling into the trap.
I don’t see it as a trap. I get why people make assumptions, but I don’t think Sonos or other companies are responsible for making sure customers don’t make incorrect assumptions. As an example, should Google make sure everyone knows the limitations of their multiroom audio, in comparison to Sonos, or all the streaming services they do not support? Should Google make sure that customers know that you can’t play a Sonos One and Google mini together, even though they both support Google Assistant. is that a trap?
Obviously they are not gonna list every protocols that they don’t support, but damn I feel dumb, and following this thread, it seems I’m not the only one.
At that price you should feel safe on what you’re buying.
I have the reverse attitude. For cheaper products, I do less research as I don’t lose much if it doesn’t do exactly what I expect it to do. For more expensive products, I assume nothing and make sure it will do what I need. I get that people may not even realize what assumptions they’re making sometimes, and that doesn’t make them dumb, but it’s not the product sellers job to make sure you don’t have incorrect assumptions.
And for other companies explaining why they won’t support this or that, there are at least Google and Apple doing it regularly via different medias.
I’m not aware of anything specifically. Then again I don’t follow those two companies very closely. I will say though that Amazon does add a “We want you to know” section to a lot of there Amazon product listings. Here’s an example. I don’t think this is 100% necessary, but I certainly think it adds value and would not mind Sonos doing something similar. They do in a way, as you can often see misconceptions cleared in the FAQ section, like BLE is not bluetooth and can’t be used for audio.
May be I’m too naive, may be they are working on it, but really that specific lack of feature makes me very disappointed in what I bought ...
I would not count on chromecast, so if it matters to you, and you can’t use other casting features, then returning is the right call for you.
If you don’t already have one of these Sonos units though, it would obviously be an expensive addition buying one just to add Chromecast Audio functionality.
I bought Play:5 because of this imagination.
Unfortunately, I found it is not a good idea. The line-in functionality will be disabled after the Play:5 is connected as a surrounding.
I’m achieving the same thing with a turntable right now which is hooked up to my TV, relaying the audio to my Sonos Beam and then sending it to other speakers in my house.
So no need for a more expensive Sonos Play:5 or Sonos Amp at all.
Here’s the bottom line. We know it supports casting. Otherwise casting from Google Play Music wouldn’t work. So I don’t want to hear the excuse that they don’t have the hardware for it. They do. They need to finish baking it in. It’s completely unacceptable for a 400 speaker not to have such a basic function. Wish I save the box, because without the ability to cast it’s complete crap for me
fact is - sonos needs also chromecast support, otherwise it’s wasted money for the buck for most android users and we better switch to other brands
Sonos offers pretty much every major streaming services streamed directly without the use of chromecast, airplay, or any other mechanism in between. They also offer Tune In and their own Sonos radio as a means of accessing hundreds (thousands?) of radio stations. I think you might be overstating the necessity of chromecast support for android users.
People don't want to use the Sonos app... maybe back in the day, but now people want to open their favourite music app and just cast.
Speak for yourself.
Casting directly from Spotify or most other services will not allow me more than one simultaneous stream. I want to be able to have different music streaming to different rooms.
Casting from TuneIn will include the ads.
Google cast groups are static, cannot change the members of the group dynamically.
Chromecast will not allow me mixed playback from different services and local media.
...
Dude, I am an Android user. I listed a number of reasons why I think Chromecast (or Airplay, for that matter) is inferior to the features already offered. You just respond with "we want what we want because we want it". That is not going to convince me, nor will it convince Sonos or Google to do something about it.
I see a lot of people on here asking for Chromecast that only have one speaker. I know I sound like a purist, but I get the feeling that they don't "get" what the Sonos ecosystem is actually about, and would maybe have been happier with an upmarket Bluetooth speaker.
In my day to day, I have not seen any use case that has me say "I need Chromecast on this thing". Mind you, streaming YouTube and splitting the audio from the video cannot be done on Google Home speakers either. Full YT videos can only be casted to video Chromecasts, it has to do with YT's terms and conditions.
I thankfully ditched all of my Sonos speakers a few years ago when Chromecast Audios were still around. I also thankfully bought about six extra when they were discontinued. I have on two tv's, small hidden Dolby digital 3.1 channel amps connected to an Atlantic Tech passive soundbar and 8" sub in the bedroom and 3 8" in-walls with a 10" sub in the living room. Also have a 2.1 channel amp inside a gutted 50's stereo console retrofitted with new 2-way speaker setups and an 8" sub. All three connected to chromecast audios and all three sound worlds ahead of Sonos devices for a fraction of the cost. They are more integrated into my surroundings and work better than Playbars which would be the only option for the tv's and not even an option for the living room one. Couldn't even do a connect or connect amp in the console without spending much more. the connect amp would still require a separate Sonos sub or a lot of workaround to use the integrated sub in the cabinet.
I have the complete freedom to use Google's assistant, cast everything that has the ability to cast, or device cast from the Home app for things that don't cast which is pretty much some recorded live shows and timeshifted live content.
I have much more flexibility with my setup and how to integrate it into my home without having solo speakers sitting on tables, shelves and what not. And I have no issues with getting content to any speakers. And guests can easily cast from their phones as well.
Only came upon this trying to help a friend with their setup. Has been ages since I've frequented or posted here. But I thought I'd give my take on it for those that are frustrated with the lack of integration considering there are two mobile systems out there and one has more integration than the other apparently.
It's a shame Google made the CCA go the way of the dodo. Such a cheap way to tie people into their ecosystem and allow them better integration into their environment than spending more money on lesser quality speakers that don't integrate. And now you have to buy multiple products to do what a CCA did; a chromecast & hdmi audio extractor, to do the same thing without a display connected.
The other clincher for me in ditching Sonos was the cost of a Chromecast Audio (with digital out and better audio quality) compared to a Sonos Connect. Nail in the coffin there.
Good luck getting better casting abilities.
A brand new very disappointed sonos customer here. Why advertise google integration if you can't cast to the speaker? My crappy Google mini's have better functionality than the sonos..... Why should just apple users get this functionality?
Spent £360 on two sonos ones which will only play spotify or radio??? Yes they sound beautiful....no complaints there, but such an investment for such limited use. Devasted none the less.
yes happened to me too...
Sonos webpage infos are very minimalistic and there was just mentioned Android this and there
So I bought basic equipment, connected my Android and opened my favorite http://radio.garden/
But I was unable to stream the stations Audio to Sonos !!
So after reading more details on external tech pages I found out it does not support this basic feature.
I am really frustrated now and cancelled my plans to buy the new ARC and Subwoofer etc.
Sonos don’t pre-announce too much, so if Chromecast is on it’s way, or if it’s imminent, the general public don’t yet know. I believe Sonos still support a feature called On this Device which allows music on an Android device to play on Sonos speakers including Beam and One, amongst others. That may meet your needs?
+17
thank you 106rally
yes I added manually my most favorite stations already, but I prefer to travel around the globe and just listen some of the 8000 stations, so I will not do this every day, it’s annoying...
And its only one example of usage.
I never imagined Sonos will not support this basic feature when I bought this highly advertised multifunctional brand.
fact is - sonos needs also chromecast support, otherwise it’s wasted money for the buck for most android users and we better switch to other brands
fact is - sonos needs also chromecast support, otherwise it’s wasted money for the buck for most android users and we better switch to other brands
Sonos offers pretty much every major streaming services streamed directly without the use of chromecast, airplay, or any other mechanism in between. They also offer Tune In and their own Sonos radio as a means of accessing hundreds (thousands?) of radio stations. I think you might be overstating the necessity of chromecast support for android users.
People don't want to use the Sonos app... maybe back in the day, but now people want to open their favourite music app and just cast.
You can do, with some:
VLC?
Sonos accepts casts from Amazon Music and Spotify native apps, and perhaps more I don't know about, but it does not from You Tube or Apple Music. Where has the ball dropped for the latter two? In whose court?
I have multiple Sonos speakers and have been using the ecosystem for many years but the lack of being able to cast is driving me to sell them and use other speakers. the Sonos app just cannot match the individual apps like you tube music and being able to cast from any all is a massive win.
Everytime friends come over or you have audio on a random app you want to listen it's another point of frustration that drives me ever closer to ditching Sonos.
The new nest speakers aren't as good as the Sonos one but with more companies adding assistant and cast enabled speakers it's only a matter of time before Sonos becomes irrelevant. Google is already enabling easier streaming to multiple speakers and creating groups on the fly which irradiates the Sonos advantage imo.
I am at a point now for the first time in probably 7 years were I am not recommending Sonos to friends and family.
What is stopping you? Sonos supports podcast apps and you can play music files using "on this mobile device'. It may not be exactly what you want but basically Sonos does those things.
This is not enough...
For me, I just want to add my Sonos Beam and two Play:1 to a group of speaker, to be able to cast audio on every speaker in my house (Multiple Google home mini, smart clock...).
Voice match is also not available on all Sonos devices…
Sonos is such a deception, I bought Sonos because it was supposed to be Google compatible, I should have read more about that for sure.
Please do something Sonos, give us a clear answer at least...
For me, I just want to add my Sonos Beam and two Play:1 to a group of speaker, to be able to cast audio on every speaker in my house (Multiple Google home mini, smart clock...).
I think that expecting lots of dissimilar devices from different manufacturers to work together in sync is rather naive.
I should have read more about that for sure.
Well, yes...
fact is - sonos needs also chromecast support, otherwise it’s wasted money for the buck for most android users and we better switch to other brands
Sonos offers pretty much every major streaming services streamed directly without the use of chromecast, airplay, or any other mechanism in between. They also offer Tune In and their own Sonos radio as a means of accessing hundreds (thousands?) of radio stations. I think you might be overstating the necessity of chromecast support for android users.
Using a proprietary app as a front end is a really bad idea. I tried YouTube music today for instance, and while I can access the same material the user interface is poor in comparison. Also, how will they be able to keep up with all new features etc long term? I also tried with YouTube but that obviously didnt work. Adding Chromecast would be a much nicer and long term solution, as we can use the apps we already have and like.
Just got my first SONOS ONE. Very disappointed, I can’t do anything with my Android! Why not support Bluetooth if they refuse to integrate android cast? More functionalities are only available only for iOs, like the tuning on the space. Such a shame.
Agree with all comments above. This is discrimination against Android users. If Sonos really wanted to support that, they would have, no matter the obstacles. They just dont care. I have found endless similar posts and requests on the internet.
I'd like to see bluetooth and Chromecast support added if the hardware supports it. With respect to the latter it's not just a Sonos issue - they're locked in a legal dispute with Google over patents, so I wouldn't hold my breath. I remember it was supported a few years ago, but I found it less reliable than native WIFI.
In any case, in defence of Sonos, they don't advertise either bluetooth support nor Chromecast for the Play and Home Theatre products. The Move supports it, as it is intended to be a portable speaker. For what it's worth, WIFI generally allows for better sound quality. Bluetooth depends very much on the capabilities of the devices connected.
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