How exactly are you trying to configure it? 

Are you using the manage library from the desktop app and then selecting my music or external hard drive/folder instead of the third option network drive?

Hi Ian

I’m using the manage library from the desktop app.

Thanks

Yes, but when you select add, you are presented with 3 options, My music, folder/hard drive or network drive. Which one did you use? 

Sorry Ian, I’m using My Music Folder.

Thanks

That’s the problem. You’ve been completely suckered by the laziness of Sonos on their desktop apps.

In the speaker firmware that accompanied the new app, they stopped supporting SMBv1 and HTTP connections from the speakers to wherever your library is (your Mac)…

BUT

They left the setup wizards on both the Mac and Windows desktop controllers that setup access to your music via HTTP… 

So lots of people see that people have got access back to local libraries and re-try the wizard, after all why would Sonos keep a setup wizard that doesn’t work… and find it doesn’t work, because Sonos have left wizards there that no longer work… 

You need to turn the folder that has your local music in it, into a proper shared folder outside of the Sonos controller app, and then select networked drive, and use the network name for the shared folder. Then (in theory) the speakers will be able to see your music again. 

If you search some of the other 913 threads you’ll find steps to do this, or if you can stand the wait, phone Sonos support… 

Many thanks Ian.

Are you suggesting that I do buy a NAS Drive/External Hard Drive and get my songs from there?

Sorry for being a bit dumb!

Thanks

Hi @WestyRG7, it sounds like your music library is on a Windows machine? If yes, you can still use it by setting up the share via Windows native file sharing …

It’s a tricky one to answer. I have always used a NAS drive, and my current one has always supported the newer protocols and so far, touch wood, I have not lost access to my local music. However, I have seen other people on here with a similar setup on NAS drives that also support the newer protocols also lose access. 

The worst I have seen so far is occasionally it can take a few mins for my local library to appear in music sources in the app. It disappears just long enough to start to make you panic! 

A NAS drive is often the best option for local music over a Mac/PC/Laptop, but with the Sonos ecosystem in it’s current state, there’s no guarantee that getting one going with Sonos will be any less frustrating. 

If you want some protection against drive failure then a 2 bay NAS lets you mirror, or you can get a single drive NAS if that’s not a concern. 

In some ways a single bay NAS with a 4TB SSD might not be a bad shout, as it’ll be quiet, not generate much heat and you probably won’t write much to it, so the SSD could last longer than a conventional hard disk… As for NAS brands popular ones are Synology and QNAP, both of which should work. 

Thanks Ian, I'll look into it. Seems expensive.

Thanks press250, I'll give it a go later 

 I use a NAS so it was unnecessary for me to do a Windows share, but tried it anyway.  Tried the link Press250 posted.  Did not work at first because when I set up a Local User I made the decision to skip password setup….. After all this would be a test only.  Looks like the Local User password setup is needed.  Worked after doing so.

Thanks MoPac.

When I get to number 4 and ‘Select Users Or Groups’ and I enter the word MusicShare it says ‘Name Not Found’

So I’m stuck on that.

Thanks

 Did you create a Local Account which press250 said you would have to look up how to do?

Hi MoPac.

Yes I did create a Local Account.

Thanks

 Is your Local Account name different from the folder name?   Oddly the path shown does not include the folder name.  Instead it shows the Local Account name.  So Browsing to the folder does not work.  I had to manually enter the path shown in Right Click - Properties - Sharing tab.  The path is shown under Network File and Folder Sharing ( Windows 10 ).  Also did you setup a password for the Local Account?  Mine did not work without a password that I had to enter when adding the share from the Sonos - Music Library Settings ( PC Sonos app ).  Use the third choice Networked device (ex. NAS drive).

press250:

  It looks like the path to a Windows share is using the Local Account name rather than the name of the folder you are sharing.  So would it be possible to add another folder with the same share settings then a Sonos rescan will index that second folder as well?  No real need for that.  Just curious.