I must be being rather thick, but I don’t see how I can search for a particular composer in Amazon Music Unlimited. For example, if I search my local music library for “haydn” on the PC app, then I get a list of all the variations of haydn - I can then pick one and see all the albums under that composer (e.g. Michael Haydn, rather than Franz Joseph). This isn’t great, and is why I always use the folder view - but it’s better than nothing. However, if I search Amazon music, then there isn’t a composer tab, so I can only see a mish-mash of haydn related info under Artist or Album or Songs.
On the phone app, I don’t even seem to be able to choose which dataset to search, but if I choose the composers tab then it only shows my local library. Neither the phone of the PC apps seem to find anything by Michael Haydn.
What am I missing, please?
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I’m not an Amazon music user, and so cannot provide a direct answer to your question. But as I understand it all search options in the Sonos app are dependent on the service provider’s execution of the Sonos provided connection to the Sonos software. You could ask Amazon about this too.
@amun. I think we can be confident that you are not being thick. A few observations that may help:
Searches depend on metadata held on the music files and this is very much geared to pop/rock rather than classical. The Composer tag is often empty, and what appears in the ‘artist’ tag can be unpredictable - is it the conductor, the orchestra, the soloist? Indeed, you might have more success searching for a composer under Artist, or even Album, than under Composer (Edit: I see on rereading that you mention this.)
The next crucial thing is that the search facility on the Amazon Music implementation in the Sonos app is pretty poor, for any type of music. This is fundamentally in Amazon’s hands, and is much worse than, for example, the Tidal implementation.
You have to use the Sonos universal search - if it finds anything in Amazon Music under whichever tab you are searching, it will show it.
You may be better playing directly from the Amazon Music app to Sonos. I find the search there much better.
So I suggest you try searching for Michael Haydn in the Sonos app under Artist and Album. Then try ‘Find’ in the Amazon Music app
Hope that helps.
Just tried it.. ‘Find’ in the AM app is the winner on this occasion. I am now listening to a very agreeable Flute Concerto, cast to my Dining Room Sonos. I don’t think there is a huge range of music by Michael Haydn on AM though.
I doubt that search is ever going to be great for classical, though. It is better on Primephonic, which I tried for a while. But I didn’t listen to it enough to justify maintaining the subscription.
My thanks to you all, particularly @John B for the Amazon Music app suggestion - I’ll try it out.
I can only assume that classical music is a rather minority taste these days, as not many (if any) of these systems seem to work well.
I’m only really trying out Amazon Music Unlimited as it’s a free trial, and so far I see nothing to encourage me to stay with it. IIRC, Spotify did seem to have more choice - an example in point being the full set of Michael Haydn, but even that didn’t tempt me. I do have a fair bit of music on the NAS, though, so maybe I expect too much.
You may be better playing directly from the Amazon Music app to Sonos. I find the search there much better.
I found MH using the Amazon app, but I only seem to be able to either use Amazon speakers or cast it to the Chromecast Audio - which is linked in to the line in on a Play 5.
I don’t seem to be able to select the Sonos device directly. Am I doing something wrong, or is this the way that it’s meant to work?
I seem to recall that you need the Amazon Alexa app installed. It doesn't mean you have to use voice control or have any devices with microphones. It just piggybacks off the software in some way.
Edit. You also need the Sonos skill for Alexa installed.
This is beginning to look like more trouble than it’s worth for a trial?
When I start the music on the AM app on my phone there is a Chromecast style icon. When I tap that I get a full list of available speakers, including Sonos speakers.
I have another vague recollection that casting from the Amazon app to Sonos you can’t get lossless HD (CD quality) or Ultra HD playback. Not sure about that though.
I seem to recall that you need the Amazon Alexa app installed. It doesn't mean you have to use voice control or have any devices with microphones. It just piggybacks off the software in some way.
Edit. You also need the Sonos skill for Alexa installed.
This is beginning to look like more trouble than it’s worth for a trial?
When I start the music on the AM app on my phone there is a Chromecast style icon. When I tap that I get a full list of available speakers, including Sonos speakers.
I have another vague recollection that casting from the Amazon app to Sonos you can’t get lossless HD (CD quality) or Ultra HD playback. Not sure about that though.
It plays to my ZP90 feeding an EV amp (with no CCA attached) but not to my Play 5 - it will cast to the CCA, but not the Play 5. I tried installing the skill, but although everything seemed to go OK, it doesn’t appear as an installed skill.
This is beginning to look like more trouble than it’s worth for a trial?
I think that I’d agree with that ;-)
Considering that Amazon Music doesn’t seem very capable on the classical side - and it’s amazing what they consider ‘classical’ - I won’t be spending much more time on it. I will probably have a quick listen to some contemporary artists that I’ve heard of but never pursued, to see if their music is worth buying, but I’ll probably cancel the subscription at the end of the 4 months.
Many thanks for all your help, though - it’s much appreciated
No problem. Sounds like a sensible decision. If you can get a free trial to Primephonic I think you might consider giving it a try.
No problem. Sounds like a sensible decision. If you can get a free trial to Primephonic I think you might consider giving it a try.
Looks like it’s shut down, and is now part of Apple Music
