Hi @SlamDesi (Brad!) apologies in advance if this ‘splainer is too basic or too complicated!

NAS stands for Network Attached Storage: an appliance that has storage (hard drives or solid state drives) and sits on your network (wired Ethernet or Wi-Fi). It presents itself to computers/devices on your network as a file server. While most of us think of a NAS as a bespoke box dedicated to storage, it can just as easily be a Mac or Windows machine that shares a local directory over your network. Indeed, other computers/devices on the network ‘see’ a bespoke NAS box and a Mac sharing a directory in exactly the same way … you can’t actually tell which is which.

A NAS is not connected to your computer directly over USB*. An SSD plugged into your iMac is called “external storage” and it is not a NAS.

When you share a directory on your iMac, you identify it either on an external USB drive or on the main internal hard drive. Once you’ve shared a directory, other computers/devices on the network have no idea if the shared directory is on an external USB drive or on the main internal hard drive.

Finally, let’s circle back to Sonos insisting on using the term ‘NAS’. As noted earlier, Sonos devices see your music library on a bespoke NAS box or your music library on your iMac in exactly the same way. Sonos devices cannot tell the difference over the network. So while it is certainly counter-intuitive to call a shared directory on your iMac a ‘NAS’, Sonos thinks it kinda-sorta makes sense because that shared directory on your iMac looks like a NAS to other devices on your network.

Having typed the above four paragraphs, I’m not sure the explanation is as clear as I hoped! Fingers crossed it helps at least a little bit. Don’t shoot the well-intentioned messenger. 

* Some NAS boxes actually offer direct connect as an option, but that is an exception

No, I get it press250.  Thanks for the ‘splaination.  If I read you correctly, a storage unit is a storage unit to a blind horse (my nod to Rod Stewart and Faces).  In essence, a hard drive whether internal or external falls under the NAS acronym as it relates to Sonos’ explanation, right?  If so, that takes away another option for me.  Good to know.

Also, to Ken_Griffiths, thank you for your willingness to help out in here. You know MUCH more than I do regarding networking and tech-related issues than I do or, honestly, want to.  Yet, my comment still stands as to how much we consumers need to play detective and, TV repairman, in order to get our expensive Sonos gear back to what it was. I’ve spent time sleuthing audio conversion as it pertains to my blueray player, my TV and, Sonos’ propreitory optical/PCM audio signal.  I got that to work yet, this thing… this is beyond me and can stay that way.  I just want back what I had.  I’m happy for those who are still whole after using the new app.  I’ll still be checking in daily to see if there’s something new that can be done.  Thanks to all.  Brad

buzz…. do you have that connected to a Windows machine or a Mac?  It may not make a difference in my particular situation but, I’m curious all the same.

@Ken_Griffiths 

Hi Ken, thanks for replying to my post. Your screen shot is of the windows app, which I agree works fine. My problem is with the android app. I can now see and browse the music library (already a big win!), but the search function does not search it. It searches online services only.  Any advice? If there a fix planned for this? In the meantime, I have reverted to using an old version ( 16.1), from before the version 80 debacle.

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A NAS can't be connected to a Windows machine or a Mac. It has to be connected to a router.

Ken, thanks again for your knowledge and advice. So many questions but this one beats me. I’m able to seamlessly stream radio stations eg Sonos & TuneIn but when streaming specific tracks or albums on AM , Spotify or Amazon my Sonos network and app simultaneously freeze after a short but random time. At that stage a hard reset of the router is needed. An app stop/start doesn’t fix it.

My Sonos phone support call focused on the primary (first) speaker which acts as the master and changing that sequence. It involved a router reset and changing the order in which I see my units. This worked whilst on the phone but froze later! Graham

I've been trying to share the music library on my Mac with a new Sonos device. (My macOS is Sonora 14.5). After many long phone calls to the UK support/long waits for the chat bot, I've managed to find something that works for me.

The instructions, in Sonos Help on Safari, tell me to start with the Sonos app on the desktop/Manage menu/Music Library Settings - click. That takes one to a dialog box which asks you to choose a location from a choice of three. At first I tried "my Mac HD" but the path that it creates didn't work. Choosing NAS for the location of the music library obviously doesn't work because I don't have a NAS connected to my computer. But choosing the middle option "computer or other storage" (I may not have got the wording correct) is a good choice.

On the next page, there is a little "+" and I can Browse to my Music folder.  Trouble is, the path that shows up in the box and ends at the Music folder does not start with ‘Mac HD.’  But it does allow me to type in “//MacHD/” at the beginning of the path and...at last!..that is acceptable and my Music Library has appeared in the Sonos app. Phew.

I could've added at the beginning that this whole wretched rigmarole has been caused by my Play:1 being deemed too old. But I'm very pleased (now) with a replacement, a Roam 2. Well, very pleased until our masters make the next improvement.

(Apologies if this response has not been entered in the right category on the Community website. If anybody ever read this and thinks it would be helpful, I'd be grateful if it could be put somewhere where more people might stumble across it).

I initially had success restoring the music library on my Mac using the NAS option but it did not allow access to the playlists embedded in the music library saying “unable to browse music”. Subsequently when I go back to play music under the artist tab it will sometimes give me the same message so the NAS option is not a reliable fix for partial access to the library.

I have looked at other options and ROON seems to be a possibility with the caveat you have to pay monthly for its use. 

Having read Ken’s helpful information, my final thoughts are as follows. Those of us with music libraries are likely longtime Sonos users having invested in significant Sonos hardware for multi-zone functions. We are no longer prime customers for Sonos as the only equipment we will purchase in the future is replacement gear as Sonos discards equipment like zone players. The support staff I have talked to over this last 2 months have no apologies and a take it or leave it approach. They have NO incentive to fix this!

With the new update and app update, my music library on my QNAP NAS shows on the ios apps now and even has the search music library function and allows to update the database. It only took Sonos 2 months to restore this. Now i await to see if they add back listing artists, albums etc with the alphabet net to the listings so do not need to scroll through 100’s of albums or artists that takes forever and wears out my arthritic thumbs. Yes, I can search for the artist and album now but the alphabet list on the side is much quicker and more efficient. When will that be restored?

I’m on an iMac and have waited (mostly) patiently for the fix to access my local music library.  Following the “NAS” instructions, I have finally reached a point where Music Library shows up on my desktop Sonos app, along with various folders for Artists, Albums, etc.  But they remain empty, and clicking on the “Update Music Library Now” dropdown doesn’t seem to activate anything.  

Is anyone else running into this problem?  Anyone have a solution?

Thanks to reinstalling S2 and following the same guidelines you did, I got my Music Libraries back and functioning on my iMac desktop but, not the mobile app on my iPhone.  I don’t know if any of you heard but, Spence put out an email that I find insulting: “While these software updates have enabled the majority of our customers to have a robust experience using the Sonos app, there is more work to be done.  A majority of our customers?  Really??  I’d like a show of hands on this statement.

S2 used SMB v1 and HTTP sharing, which the new app does not support, so it’s no wonder the new app can’t see your library.  You need to follow these instructions, making sure you do not skip the links pertaining to sharing your music folder on the network:

https://support.sonos.com/en-us/article/add-your-music-library-to-sonos

Thanks. I followed all of their NAS instructions exactly, and pointed Sonos to my folder - /Music/iTunes/iTunes Media/Music.  And in fact, when I try to update the library, I can see that this location is shown when I click the Folders link.  But the other links (Artists, Albums, etc.) don’t populate.  

jgatie… I’ve followed those instructions more than once and, I’ve had the S2 desktop app operational for quite some time but, never the iOS mobile app since the jacked up app release. I’ve manually input the network path as per the instructions using the Apple mobile app and, after plugging all that in… it does nothing. The “Add” button is grayed out. Doesn’t matter if I Reset the app or, delete the miserable thing and reinstall it.  Same result.

What’s one to do, delete the S2 app and lose ALL functionality?  Why didn’t Sonos release a desktop app that supports SMBv2 and/or 3 then? Or, is the Web App the only answer?

Hi @SlamDesi (Brad!), point of clarification: the Mac & Windows desktop apps do support SMBv2 and SMBv3. Technically speaker, the desktop apps are agnostic about SMB version. The firmware in your Sonos speakers, on the other hand, only speaks SMBv2 and SMBv3.

I hope that explanation makes sense.

If you haven't followed those instructions in a while, then you didn't follow those instructions.  They were recently updated with links to specifically instruct how to setup a share,  and a different choice for how to add that share instead of adding a music folder.

So you’re suggesting I perform the firmware update on my speakers? I’ve hesitated in that operation since I “do” have the S2 desktop controller working on the iMac. For good reason I’m a bit afraid to update the firmware.

Also, it appears that you disagree with jgatie on the SMBv support via the S2 app?

I’ve followed those instructions as well, choosing NAS instead of just a music folder. I’ve typed in the network path and, in this screen shot from my office S2 controller, I believe that I’ve input the paths correctly.  Yes?  No?  And, the Permissions are wide open for the Sonos Music Library folder and for the drive that houses it.

Oddly, I was on the new iMac that the Sonos Family Room drive is connected to and, after opening the Sonos Web App, was surprised that it showed the Family Room library, the contents and, allowed me to play music.  It “did not” allow the iTunes Music to be played though.  It showed the albums, artist and songs but, I couldn’t play them.  I’m assuming THAT share is not set up correctly but, that one could be sacrificed. Also, I couldn’t clear the Family Room cue using the Web App.

As for the iOS mobile app, I’ve typed in the Sonos Family Room path as seen above and, plugged in user name and password but, still have the grayed out “Add” button.

Yea instead of fixing their program for them my solution was to switch to a different app that works out of the box.

​

​I don’t know what a sharing protocol is nor why I need to learn about it just to do what other programs do out of the box. Tech support acts like i give a heck about how secure SMB 3 but it doesnt seem worth it if it cant play music

Simple suggestion

bring back the alphabetical scroll bar on the right to search for music and artist 

it wasnt broke and now it’s a pain to locate anything in my local music library

u guys must really like breaking things just to fix them 

I’ll tell you why I like Dred174d’s comment… It deals directly with the adage “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”  While this may not apply to streamers, it certainly does to those of us who don’t stream.  I realize that Sonos and the moderators in here are doing what they can to plug the hole in the dike yet, nothing short of Sonos releasing an app that will automatically return those of us most radically effected to what we had will suffice.

I think that it’s risky to include spaces in folder and share names.

Anybody getting cover art on Sonos Android App?

I'm still not getting any art after last weeks update.

I can see cover art on the Sonos Windows Program.

Sonos Web App doesn't display cover art either.

Hi @jmw_sono, no local library album art on the Android app or the Web app. Rather disappointing!

Yes!

This Morning’s update fixed My Music Library. The “unable to browse” is gone!!

Everything is playable in native iTunes Playlist form.

More Drama than I prefer, but I am happy again...the Speakers are very good-glad I did not have to sell and start anew with another company.