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Who else has noticed the loss of the A-Z column on the right when browsing music library songs, albums, etc?

 

I have thousands of songs stored on a Synology NAS and now the new app simply shows them alphabetically with no easy way to jump to any beginning with “N” for example?

 

Finally where have our Playlists gone! All I can see are my Apple Music ones but not the ones I created from my music library  

 

I am very disappointed with the new app and have complained to Patrick their CEO twice now  

 

 

 

 

I have exactly the same issue and keep getting errors when attempting basic tasks.

I too have emailed the CEO, but it just goes through to a support agent and they send a standard templated response.

It is complete arrogance from sonos to drop this bug ridden, feature lacking piece of excrement of an update and expect its customers to just deal with it.

All they need to do is make the old app available again whilst they fix the latest abomination, but they are too up there own arse to admit their mistake.


Exactly!

 

we should be able to “roll back” when we lose features with an Update! 


And why can’t I add music to my queue? What’s the point of streaming if you have to choose every new selection manually when the previous one ends. Bad enough they don’t allow ‘auto-play’, but now I can’t even set up multiple albums to play back to back. 
 

Considering the interface is one the big selling points, it’s astonishing that they would take an already flawed product and make it worse instead of better. I want to choose the way I listen, not have it dictated to my by flawed technology that is really not even ready for Beta, no less full release.

I truly wish I had bought a real wifi streamer instead of throwing out $450 on a Port.


The removal of this feature is a big loss. Also the removal of search, which probably won’t be coming back. They’ve really screwed the local library features. 


My Library also kept on a Synology NAS drive has completely disappeared.

 

How can I play the 4000 od albums I have on it using the new app?

 

Please could someone at Sonos engage with something that looks to be causing anxiety and problems to many.


This is ridiculous. Cannot search through 4000 plus albums to find what I need. Bring back A-Z please


I can still see the last play lists and albums I played fro. The library but clicking on those just results in the app telling me something went wrong.

 

Something clearly has. I cannot be the only person unable to access a personal library carefully put together over 10 years with meta data an album covers carefully added.

Please let me know if you are experiencing the same thing. 

 


I’ve had Play 1’s for nearly a decade and for the vast majority of that time I’ve used them as UPnP renderers, mainly because the indexing in Sonos is so limited.

You can’t go wrong with the free version of MinimServer to index, and if you’re on Android, BubbleUPnP as the control point. The only thing missing is the possibility to share playlists across devices - unless they’re indexed as part of your collection - as UPnP control points store them on device.


That sounds like a work around. However you might need to unpack it for me a bit.

What is an UpnP renderer?

Is MinimServer an ap for the computer? Linked to the NAS drive containing the library?

Is BubbleUpnP an ap for my phone ?

Lastly how do I get them all to talk to each other?

Laptop, Sinology NAS, Sonos, phone.?

 


I’ve had Play 1’s for nearly a decade and for the vast majority of that time I’ve used them as UPnP renderers, mainly because the indexing in Sonos is so limited.

You can’t go wrong with the free version of MinimServer to index, and if you’re on Android, BubbleUPnP as the control point. The only thing missing is the possibility to share playlists across devices - unless they’re indexed as part of your collection - as UPnP control points store them on device.

The vast majority of users won’t want to do this, they just want their system to work as it did before. It’s not a big ask really.


Thanks Absolute40

You are right, in that I don't want to do this but nor do I want to lose access to my Music Library. Which as it stands, I have.

It has taken 15 years to put together and has the meta data sorted by genre and album cover art attached.

Sonos has taken it away in one update. I am having a look at the small claims court to see what is legally possible.


That sounds like a work around. However you might need to unpack it for me a bit.

What is an UpnP renderer?

Is MinimServer an ap for the computer? Linked to the NAS drive containing the library?

Is BubbleUpnP an ap for my phone ?

Lastly how do I get them all to talk to each other?

Laptop, Sinology NAS, Sonos, phone.?

 

 

DLNA/UPnP is a media playback protocol that I believe all Sonos products support - although I’m not sure they officially support it.

You’d typically install MinimServer (a UPnP server) on your NAS and point it to your music collection. The server will then perform the indexing and present it to UPnP control points (the app where you view your music and send it to UPnP renderers/speakers).

Within BubbleUPnP (or maybe mconnect if you’re on iOS) you’d select the source of your music (the UPnP server), the renderer you want to play the music on (the Sonos speaker), and then choose what to play, much like you would in the Sonos app.

You’d still need the Sonos app to group speakers (making sure you pick the primary speaker in BubbleUPnP).

UPnP servers are much more flexible than Sonos; with the paid version of MinimServer you can use any Tag as an index, but the free version will likely suit most Sonos users.

 

 


The removal of this feature is a big loss. Also the removal of search, which probably won’t be coming back. They’ve really screwed the local library features. 

Agreed. The loss of one of these features might have been manageable. Both together is unbearable and worryingly neither are on the list for being reinstated in the coming months. 


I remember the S1 to S2 upgrade debacle, so I unchecked the automatic updates on the app and in the Play store prior to this release, to wait and see. I have tried the new web app however.

Your other options are side-loading the old S2 app if you are on Android or restoring the previous app from iCloud (I think this is possible). If you manage this uncheck automatic updates.

You could also install the old Windows/Mac desktop apps.

Hopefully in a few months Sonos will have all the missing functionality added back to the new app, but I’m not hopefully for search to return to local music library because even in the old S2 app, I had to use the “Classic” search option to make that work.

I’m not sure why Sonos can’t support customers that want to play their own Mp3s rather than focus only on streaming services. Prior to streaming this was the only option, but a lot of users still prefer to “own” their music.


Who else has noticed the loss of the A-Z column on the right when browsing music library songs, albums, etc?

 

I have thousands of songs stored on a Synology NAS and now the new app simply shows them alphabetically with no easy way to jump to any beginning with “N” for example?

 

Finally where have our Playlists gone! All I can see are my Apple Music ones but not the ones I created from my music library  

 

I am very disappointed with the new app and have complained to Patrick their CEO twice now  

 

 

 

 

Yes, it is an issue with the new update.  I’m just glad I’m not a fan of ZZ Top.  It’s bad enough I have to scroll to “G” for the Grateful Dead.


Thank you. You are clearly more technologically adept than I am.

 

Where do I find Miniserver?

How do I install it on the NAS?

What does pointing it to your music collection mean?

I think I get the rest by downloading BubbleUPnP on my phone.

However, what is my primary speaker when I have 3 pairs in different room.

 


Absolute40

What does 'sidelining the old S2 ap' mean?


Thank you. You are clearly more technologically adept than I am.

 

Where do I find Miniserver?

How do I install it on the NAS?

What does pointing it to your music collection mean?

I think I get the rest by downloading BubbleUPnP on my phone.

However, what is my primary speaker when I have 3 pairs in different room.

 

MinimServer should be available in the Synology Package center.

The MinimServer documentation for Synology is here. Whilst it looks a bit daunting you may not even need it.

After installation MinimServer will ask where your music folder is.

If the speakers are stereo paired you’ll only see 3 names in the Sonos system section, use these in BubbleUPnP. If they’re grouped, choose the name that’s presented first in each group.

In BubbleUPnP you can hide speakers to keep things simple (the non-primary speakers).


Thanks DivvyBramble

I hope that works on my S2 speakers.

I do feel Sonos has ridden roughshod over some of its most loyal customers. First by forcing the change to S2 and now by the apparent shift to streaming only.


Thanks DivvyBramble

I hope that works on my S2 speakers.

I do feel Sonos has ridden roughshod over some of its most loyal customers. First by forcing the change to S2 and now by the apparent shift to streaming only.

I’m using it with fully updated S2 speakers, so unless they’ve crippled newer speakers it should work.

The default interface in BubbleUPnP can be a little busy, so here’s some customisations I prepared for others in the WiiM forum.

  

    More > Settings > Look and feel:
Change 'Light mode theme' to 'Dark bars and Now Playing tab'
Enable 'Show Devices tab'
Change 'Side menu icon location' to 'Disabled'

More > Settings > Library:
Enable 'Track number'
Enable 'Compact Lists'
Disable 'Immersive grid view'
Grid item size: 150px
Whilst you're here you can also disable (if you're not going to use them) from the 'Virtual folders' section:
Bookmarks
Saved playlists
Recently Played
Random tracks/Random albums

More > Settings > Local Renderer:
Disable 'Allow remote control' (Can cause unnecessary background battery usage)
Enable 'Gapless playback'

More > Settings > Local and Cloud:
Disable 'Enable Local and Cloud Library' (Functionality to allow you to access not only local files, but also Qobuz, TIDAL, SMB Shares, personal cloud storage e.t.c)

More > Settings > Configure device visibility
Hide the non-primary Sonos speakers from the Renderers section, and all the Sonos speakers from the Libraries section (by clicking the vertical ellipsis and selecting Hide)

More > Control:
Change 'Startup screen' to 'Last Displayed'
Disable 'Direct Share'
Disable 'Confirm on exit'
Change 'Removal from Recent Apps' to 'Always exit app'


## Exit the app and restart as requested

## You can only disable this after an app restart because some of the default settings require background processing (Allow remote control and Enable local and Cloud Library).
More > Settings:
Enable 'Battery saving mode'

On the Playlist tab:
Select Album View


On the Devices tab,
For each primary Sonos renderer, click the vertical ellipsis, choose Settings and:
change 'FFmpeg audio decoding' to 'Never use'
enable 'Gapless control'


Then you simply navigate from right to left:
Devices (Speaker icon) > Select your speaker and the Library from which to play music
Library (Folder Icon) > Browse to your album/tracks and enqueue/play
Playlist (List icon) > The current renderers active queue and the progress within it
Now Playing (Musical Note) > Shows the metadata of the current track and its progress
More (Hamburger Menu Icon) > Exit App

 


Dismal. I don’t believe Sonos even care. Any level of beta testing of the new app for local libraries would have picked this up.
 

Scrolling down to reach an artist beginning with ‘S’ on my library is an unbearable chore. 
 

Sonos - address this or I’m out. Not everyone is happy with streaming only. 
 

 

 


I cannot even find my Library.

There is nothing on the ap that allows me to play it let alone choose.

I feel robbed.


My library appeared earlier today: I played an album. But now it’s gone again, and the “recently played” list is empty. Some people can obviously see their library (they’re complaining about searching) but others clearly can’t see it at all.

it’s a mess and I won’t buy more if they don’t fix it.


Many other problems here, no alarms, sleep timer or even queueing tracks? Is this app even slightly ready for action ?


Dismal. I don’t believe Sonos even care. Any level of beta testing of the new app for local libraries would have picked this up.
 

Scrolling down to reach an artist beginning with ‘S’ on my library is an unbearable chore.
 

Sonos - address this or I’m out. Not everyone is happy with streaming only. 

 

I can see that on iPhone at least a force tap on the scroll bar makes it go faster (all over the place in fact). That’s not much help :/