I want to add an app I have in my Android phone in the Services list of Sonos app to cast to my new Sonos system, but can’t find the way. I can only select apps from a closed list. Is there a way? Thank you.
Best answer by Airgetlam
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Userlevel 7
+16
Hi
If the app isn’t showing in the list of music services, then it’s either not available on Sonos or not available in your region.
We have a list of available music services on Sonos that you can view. You can also view what region each service is usable on Sonos in by selecting a service in that menu and opening the availability section.
I hope this information helps!
I have looked the list of apps in Sonos app, I don’t use them.
I bought a full system after hearing it on a friend’s home. Now I have discovered that Sonos is a “closed ecosystem”. I thought that it would be as plug-and-play as other brands, but I see not. Maybe less sound quality and more “connectability” (this words exists in English?) would have been a better choice.
I will end turning On my TV to cast my phone through it to the Sonos speakers. Thanks god my TV has the option “turn off screen”. It would be stupid to burn my OLED while listening to the phone music/podcast.
Not sure what music service you are looking for, but you can ask them to get setup with Sonos. Sonos will allow any music service that wants to be included into the Sonos app.
Also, if you have an iPhone, you can use airplay to send audio to Sonos. The portable speakers and Era speakers have bluetooth.
Also, since Sonos isn’t really a ‘closed ecosystem’, you could certainly ask the company that you want to use to join the Sonos ecosystem, by pointing them to the Sonos partners page for information.
Userlevel 7
+17
What apps would you want to use that Sonos does not provide? Or that can’t be sent via bluetooth (if your Era is not used as surround) or a casting option from the provider’s app (like Spotify Connect)? Maybe we could point you in the right direction.
I have looked the list of apps in Sonos app, I don’t use them.
I bought a full system after hearing it on a friend’s home. Now I have discovered that Sonos is a “closed ecosystem”. I thought that it would be as plug-and-play as other brands, but I see not. Maybe less sound quality and more “connectability” (this words exists in English?) would have been a better choice.
I will end turning On my TV to cast my phone through it to the Sonos speakers. Thanks god my TV has the option “turn off screen”. It would be stupid to burn my OLED while listening to the phone music/podcast.
Sonos is not a “closed ecosystem”, far from it. In fact, any service which wishes to integrate with the Sonos app is welcome to do so, and it is free of charge. However, because of licensing and distribution laws, Sonos cannot simply add the service unilaterally. It is up to the service to initiate support, and submit a their implementation using the Sonos API. This is what has enabled Sonos to support hundreds of music services, far more than any other multi-room system.
So if you wish to see a certain service which is currently not supported, your best bet is to lobby the service themselves.
What I mean with “closed ecosystem” is that, as opposite to when you buy any speaker, you connect it to your phone and phone music sounds, here you are forced to use their app.
Yes, the Era 300 has BT, but they both are synched to Arc and Sub, and I don’t want to cast to one speaker in far one corner of the living room, instead of all of the HT system. And Arc has only Wifi. I can’t believe they didn’t include BT, or even a simple line-in. For this price……
(While writing this post I have a question: if I connect to the Era300 BT, the music sounds through all the synched speakers?)
The apps I use: mainly Ymusic. Also sometimes Google podcasts (I didn’t check on Sonos app because I prefer to use the headphones for this).
What I mean with “closed ecosystem” is that, as opposite to when you buy any speaker, you connect it to your phone and phone music sounds, here you are forced to use their app.
Yes, the Era 300 has BT, but they both are synched to Arc and Sub, and I don’t want to cast to one speaker in far one corner of the living room, instead of all of the HT system. And Arc has only Wifi. I can’t believe they didn’t include BT, or even a simple line-in. For this price……
(While writing this post I have a question: if I connect to the Era300 BT, the music sounds through all the synched speakers?)
The apps I use: mainly Ymusic. Also sometimes Google podcasts (I didn’t check on Sonos app because I prefer to use the headphones for this).
I can't: "When Era 300 is being used as a surround speaker, its Bluetooth functionality is disabled."
Frustrating.
Userlevel 7
+17
So what app do you want to ad? Have you tried contacting the app developers?
So what app do you want to ad? Have you tried contacting the app developers?
You should not need to do anything beyond seeing if the app includes casting or airplay. Most apps that play audio do that. If Sonos won’t accept that from common apps such as Google Podcast or other reputable apps, then this is a Sonos problem. And in my experience it is a Sonos problem. I can cast from many more android apps to non-Sonos equipment than to Sonos equipment.
But the Sonos app doesn’t play any audio, it merely tells the system running on the speakers to play audio?
But the Sonos app doesn’t play any audio, it merely tells the system running on the speakers to play audio?
Here is the situation. I have my android phone on my home wifi network. I open up Google Podcasts and select a podcast to play. I hit the cast button and expect to hear audio come from my Sonos system. Is that so strange to expect? Especially when I have scenario 2: open VLC on android phone, select song and cast to Sonos - music comes out of sonos. What is so different about Google Podcast?
Maybe there is something complicated that cheap knock-off brand bluetooth speaker makers have figured out that Sonos does not understand - becasue I have a 20 USD cheapo bluetooth speaker that I can cast to with Google Podcasts .
But the Sonos app doesn’t play any audio, it merely tells the system running on the speakers to play audio?
Here is the situation. I have my android phone on my home wifi network. I open up Google Podcasts and select a podcast to play. I hit the cast button and expect to hear audio come from my Sonos system. Is that so strange to expect? Especially when I have scenario 2: open VLC on android phone, select song and cast to Sonos - music comes out of sonos. What is so different about Google Podcast?
Maybe there is something complicated that cheap knock-off brand bluetooth speaker makers have figured out that Sonos does not understand - becasue I have a 20 USD cheapo bluetooth speaker that I can cast to with Google Podcasts .
You already have another thread about this topic. No need to talk about it in two places
But the Sonos app doesn’t play any audio, it merely tells the system running on the speakers to play audio?
Here is the situation. I have my android phone on my home wifi network. I open up Google Podcasts and select a podcast to play. I hit the cast button and expect to hear audio come from my Sonos system. Is that so strange to expect? Especially when I have scenario 2: open VLC on android phone, select song and cast to Sonos - music comes out of sonos. What is so different about Google Podcast?
Maybe there is something complicated that cheap knock-off brand bluetooth speaker makers have figured out that Sonos does not understand - becasue I have a 20 USD cheapo bluetooth speaker that I can cast to with Google Podcasts .
You already have another thread about this topic. No need to talk about it in two places
It’s a related problem but a slightly different potential solution and aspect.
Userlevel 7
+17
Not sure you are “casting” to a bluetooth player. The Era speakers that can do bluetooth lose this function when you use them as surrounds, as they are using a direct connection to the soundbar that’s not really two way capable.
Sonos does not do Chromecast, which is a known fact, so you could have known this.
Not sure you are “casting” to a bluetooth player. The Era speakers that can do bluetooth lose this function when you use them as surrounds, as they are using a direct connection to the soundbar that’s not really two way capable.
Sonos does not do Chromecast, which is a known fact, so you could have known this.
I looked at the we page which states wifi connectivity and many other things. Casting works via wifi. You need to take multiple proactive steps to ask the right questions to realize Sonos and Google don’t play with each other.
Sonos could fix it by taking software updates similar to what they already do for Amazon, Apple and others.
But without legal authorization, they’d face a lawsuit from Google. And Sonos isn’t in the position, from what i can see in the financials they publish, that they can withstand that. And, to the best of my knowledge, the devices in question (Sonos’) would need to be authorized in the Android OS.
It would be nice, sure, but I don’t think it’s simple reticence on Sonos’ part.
You mentioned you have Era speakers operating as surrounds, so presumably there’s a Sonos HT device in the mix. So just cast to the TV, or even a device connected to the TV (Google Chromecast or Nvidia Shield etc.) then group the Sonos HT with any other Sonos rooms/players you wish to cast the audio to, problem solved🤷♂️?
Userlevel 7
+17
If a feature is important to you, you need to do your research. Especially when buying expensive devices. When Sonos states it does do Airplay but does not mention Chromecast, should this not be a red flag? Wifi connectivity does not mean Chromecast compatibility. My car can be connected via wifi but I cannot cast to it.
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