Song Not Encoded Correctly

  • 26 March 2016
  • 87 replies
  • 37198 views

Good evening. I've had my Sonos Play:1 for a few weeks now and just started having issues with songs skipping completely. The error log reads 'song not encoded correctly.' I'm not entirely sure what this means, considering all of the other songs on the album play without issue. Is it a connection issue? Like I said, I've only had it for a few weeks, but this is the first time I've had a problem. Thank you!

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87 replies

Userlevel 7
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Well


Start at the beginning and confirm that your music are in a supported format. Review this link https://sonos.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/80/kw/formats and navigate to the place where your music is and confirm they are in a supported.

If they aren't in a supported format then get them converted to a format that is.
If they are in a correct format then it is something else. Could be an IP conflict in which switch off (Turn off the power) of your router, your Sonos, computer and ALL devices connected to your wi-fi (yes, that means phones, tablets). Then re-start the router first, let it connect. If you have a bridge or Boost start that next and then the Play 1.
If that doesn't resolve the issue could be interference - make sure the Play 1 is not too close to the router.

Good luck
To confirm: intermittent 'not encoded correctly' errors are almost certainly due to packet/connection loss, i.e. a network problem rather than a format issue.
I've been using Apple Music almost exclusively, so I don't believe the issue is with the songs themselves. I figured it was a connection problem of some sort, but wasn't entirely sure what. I just unplugged and replugged everything earlier this evening. The problem seemed to be fixed for a short period of time, but I ended up having similar issues later in the evening.

My router and the Play:1 are in the same room, though they are across the room. I'm not really sure what else it might be, unfortunately. When it works, it works great, so this is frustrating. Thank you for all of your help.
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I've been using Apple Music almost exclusively, so I don't believe the issue is with the songs themselves. I figured it was a connection problem of some sort, but wasn't entirely sure what. I just unplugged and replugged everything earlier this evening. The problem seemed to be fixed for a short period of time, but I ended up having similar issues later in the evening.

My router and the Play:1 are in the same room, though they are across the room. I'm not really sure what else it might be, unfortunately. When it works, it works great, so this is frustrating. Thank you for all of your help.


Hi TheB1NG,

That error usually occurs when the stream for a song is interrupted, usually due to wireless interference or network congestion. Please send in a diagnostic report and reply here with the confirmation number, I'll take a look for you. Here's how to submit reports.
Confirmation #: 5608326
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Confirmation #: 5608326

Hi TheB1NG,

There's another wireless network in close range that is running on the same channel as your home network. This is causing your Sonos system to lose connection to your network and also causes the error you've described. Please change your home network's wireless channel from 1 to 11 and see if that helps.
I tried changing the network's wireless channel and it worked a treat!
I am having the same problem, but this happens only a few of the tracks, and the same ones every time, any suggestions
All the sudden I'm getting the "not encoded correctly" on every song, but it plays the song anyway.
A similar behavior stated on a single radio station that I am listening to. all other stations are fine.
I'm trying to add a radio station and keep getting this message too- any help appreciated please
I'm trying to add a radio station and keep getting this message too- any help appreciated please
If you're trying to add a custom URL perhaps the audio really is in an incorrect format. Sonos supports MP3, AAC and WMA audio formats for radio. https://support.sonos.com/s/article/260
Thanks. I was adding it from TuneIn, and Sonos was playing it via Alexa, but I kept getting the message when tapping on it via iPhone or iMac. This morning I’ve looked at two versions within My Radio Stations and one of them is working now. Not sure how but I’ve deleted the offender and all seems good. Cheers!
My Sonos is suddenly unable to play music from Alexa/Amazon music. It starts streaming part of a song, then cuts out after a second or so. Later on, it might play a second from the same song, or try moving to the next one. It tells me the music is not encoded correctly, even though I have been streaming Amazon music for years...

Diagnostic information sent: 2140827513.
Just to add some detail: same issue happens when (1) I start music from within the Sonos controller on my Mac, and (2) when I try to play music from Pandora. So I don't think the problem is Alexa or Amazon Music.
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After last Sonos upgrade I am getting intermittent "not encoded correctly" from amazon albums that previously played perfectly. Please don't make some stuff up about this being my problem or information packet loss (implying the problem is my connectivity). This is just another of many disgusting arrogant technerds problems with the sonos system. Fix it !!! please.

BTW, to you newbies or disgusted oldies, I find that a good pair of Lenovo computer speakers for about $100 sounds 98% as good as a $400 pair of Sonos, and can play anything anywhere that your computer can broadcast. I am a classically trained pianist, not some dufus who doesnt have sensitivity to sound quality. There are great classical performances on Youtube for which a $200 TV soundbar is perfectly adequate.
(see Bernstein conduct Bruckner's ninth, or collections of Sibelius tone poems.).

I really do like sonos sound quality, but they desperately need quality control over their engineers..the quality
control at sonos is hapless..and the controller app is disgusting (dark grey on black slidebars, no file system, no bluetooth capability .... etc etc_
a simple 3rd party app I use on Linux is so much better)
I no longer recommend sonos to friends.
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Another thread claims that the Amazon problem with "not encoded correctly" has been fixed (by Amazon). Anyone still seeing this now, please specify which music service and ideally an actual track name.

Hello out there??? Sonos? Anyone?  I’m having this “song not encoded correctly” issue when trying to play Sirius XM.  Had this problem months ago and then the problem went away.  NOW IT’S BACK!!    

BTW my connectivity is great with plenty of bandwidth.

Any help out there? Thanks.

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Same here… I get both “The song is not encoded correctly”, and Unable to add songs to the Q (1001)

Using Sonos Controller and Apple Music. And I gave up trying to play Deezer, Tidal, or Qobuz… To bad Sonos says they can support the CD Quality songs, Not in my house…. 233MBPS down from the Internet. No suggestions needed, I’ve tried everything for MONTHS UPON MONTHS UPON MONTHS.

same here: since I upgraded to Sonos App Version 10.6.1 I experience also skipping songs and ‘the song is not encoded correctly’ errors - looking at my Sonos System Error Log the errors started after the upgrade on my devices (Beam and One) - if Sonos Support tells me so, I can submit the diagnostics report

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This is happening to me a lot with YouTube Music playing on Sonos.  Sometimes a song works, and sometimes it doesn’t, so its definitely nothing with the encoding of the song since its intermittent with the same track.  Very frustrating.

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Hi there @rbrown . Are you still getting the "track not encoded correctly" error when playing back audio from YouTube Music? If so, please submit a diagnostic report from your Sonos system ( Settings > Help&Tips > Submit Diagnostic ) Please include the confirmation number in a response so that I can take a look at what is going on here. 

Userlevel 1
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Hi there @rbrown . Are you still getting the "track not encoded correctly" error when playing back audio from YouTube Music? If so, please submit a diagnostic report from your Sonos system ( Settings > Help&Tips > Submit Diagnostic ) Please include the confirmation number in a response so that I can take a look at what is going on here. 

Hi, I just did a quick test and the last 2 songs failed, diagnostic 1266361644

FYI I was asked in another thread to try with AirPlay, I haven’t had a chance to check that sadly.  Hopefully this diagnostic can help though, it’s roughly 20% of songs that fail, makes for very choppy listening and the songs can cut at any time.

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Hi @rbrown thanks for submitting a diagnostic report. 

I have a couple of general questions about your set-up so I can have a better understanding of your issue.

Is your Beam wired directly into your router or do you have a network switch?

Is there a particular reason why the Wi-Fi has been disabled on your Beam and how far from your Sonos One in the kitchen is it?

Have you rebooted your router since you have been experiencing this issue?

 

Userlevel 1
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Hi @rbrown thanks for submitting a diagnostic report. 

I have a couple of general questions about your set-up so I can have a better understanding of your issue.

Is your Beam wired directly into your router or do you have a network switch?

Is there a particular reason why the Wi-Fi has been disabled on your Beam and how far from your Sonos One in the kitchen is it?

Have you rebooted your router since you have been experiencing this issue?

 

Hi,

 

My Beam is wired into a switch, which is wired into my router (Beam is upstairs, router is downstairs).

I disabled the wifi on the Beam because I figured it wasn’t using it.

Distance between the two devices is probably 5 meters or so, on different floors of course.

I have rebooted the router yes.

 

Please let me know if you need any other information, on the other thread I was told to put all APs on the same channel, and various other things related to wifi, but to be honest I couldn’t see that as the issue because even with all APs disabled except the router, I still had the issue.  FYI, I have 3 APs in the house, on channel 1,6,11.