Contributor I

Answered

Accessing the "Manage" menus

Forum|Forum|7 years ago
October 16, 2018
17 replies
2628 views

All the options in the "manage" menu are grey-ed out. That makes it impossible to add a music library and so I can only play music from streaming services and radio on Sonos. How do I get access to the "manage" menu so I can access my music library sorted on my Mac?

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Best answer by AjTrek1

@All who have contributed

As I understand chmjef’s dilemma his Mac is not able to run macOS 10.11. I have a late 2009 iMac that cannot run Mojave; it’s permanently relegated to Sierra. That happens with Apple computers (or Windows for that matter) they are sometimes left out of the new OS because of internal components.

@chmjef

You have the option as I mentioned before to store all your music in iCloud via iTunes. Once everything is setup you can get an iOS device capable of running the latest Sonos controller_v9.2

All the steps require that you use the same Apple ID. You may use a different ID for the iTunes store if you like.

Step 1_Requires an iOS device that can run Sonos Controller_v9.2. I recommend an iPad Mini with 128GB. The average song is about 7.032MB translating into 18,639 songs. The newest model (versus used or refurbished) should take you through at least 5 years of iOS upgrades.

Step 2_Download iTunes on both your Mac and the iOS device

Step 3_Authorize each device for the same iTunes account
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201251

Step 4 _Setup iCloud on your Mac and the iOS device
https://support.apple.com/kb/ph2609?locale=en_US

Step 5 _Import you music into the iTunes folder on your Mac

5(a) File Import *
https://www.noterepeat.com/articles/how-to/232-itunes-importing-audio-files-into-your-music-library-and-converting-them-to-mp3

5(b) CD Import **
https://support.apple.com/guide/itunes/import-songs-from-cds-itns2935/mac

* You don’t have to convert to MP3
** The process is the same regardless of the macOS build

Step 6_Share your iTunes on Mac with other devices
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202190

Now that Home Sharing is enabled you should be able to download your music to the iOS device and the Sonos Controller v9.2 will see it.

The other option for storage is a NAS. That’s all I have to offer by way of a possible solution. Good Luck and I hope you are able to enjoy your Sonos soon.

Cheers!

Show previous replies

C

chmjefAuthor

Contributor I

Hi Ryan S. Your reply suggests that Sonos is now redundant for me. Really regretting bring out for a PlayBar recently at vast cost. I knew I should have gone for the Bowers & Wilkins system. Matt

AjTrek1

Hi chmjef

This is assuming I understand your issue. If you own the music on your Mac...meaning you paid for it and downloaded it to the drive...you should be able to export the music to iTunes. Once in iTunes you can turn on Home Sharing and the music will be visible to any Mac or iOS device with iTunes via the cloud. Since you own the music you can download it to that device and if it is capable of running Sonos v9.2 you'll be back in business. The iPhone 6 is still available refurbished and/or used that meets the iOS requirements for Sonos v9.2. It's cheaper than purchasing a used Mac or Macbook to run iOS 10.11 or higher. Then again I don't know your finances :8

Also if your collection is huge I suggest you move it to a NAS. However, you'll still need a device that can run Sonos v9.2,

Cheers!

Together Everyone Achieves More = T.E.A.M.

MikeV

If you have all of your music files on your computer, whether or not it's in iTunes (not required for it to be), you'll want to download and install the Sonos controller onto your Mac. Then launch it (make sure to choose that you want to connect to an existing system!) and go to the Manage menu and choose Music Library Settings. There you'll be able to add the folder on your Mac that has your music, and Sonos will be able to play the music from your Mac as long as your Mac is powered on (not asleep or off; the screen can be off, but the computer itself still needs to be awake/running).

The controller can be downloaded from here: https://www.sonos.com/redir/controller_software_mac
Info on adding your music library to Sonos: https://support.sonos.com/s/article/257

The S in IOT stands for Security.

C

chmjefAuthor

Contributor I

Thanks AjTrek1. That sounds like a good answer, except I can't work out how to download the music I own to my iOS device (iPhone 7). The issue I have is that all my music is on CD. I have uploaded it all to a desktop Mac running OSX 10.10.5 but can't now get at it from Sonos, nor can I transfer it to my iPhone or iPad. If I physically plug my phone into my Mac it doesn't recognise it (cheers Apple) and I can't work out how to transfer stuff using iCloud. Bummer.

Mike V -I don't understand. The reason for this post is that the Manage menu is not available to me on Sonos - everything is greyed out (see the first post in this string). Thanks for responding.

M

Misfit

Enthusiast II

Mike V -I don't understand. The reason for this post is that the Manage menu is not available to me on Sonos - everything is greyed out (see the first post in this string). Thanks for responding.

my Mac is running OS 10.10.5

For Mac you'll need to be on macOS 10.11 or higher.

You need to update your computer's OS.

MikeV

That would be it... completely missed that. Sorry!

The S in IOT stands for Security.

AjTrek1Answer

@All who have contributed

As I understand chmjef’s dilemma his Mac is not able to run macOS 10.11. I have a late 2009 iMac that cannot run Mojave; it’s permanently relegated to Sierra. That happens with Apple computers (or Windows for that matter) they are sometimes left out of the new OS because of internal components.

@chmjef

You have the option as I mentioned before to store all your music in iCloud via iTunes. Once everything is setup you can get an iOS device capable of running the latest Sonos controller_v9.2

All the steps require that you use the same Apple ID. You may use a different ID for the iTunes store if you like.

Step 1_Requires an iOS device that can run Sonos Controller_v9.2. I recommend an iPad Mini with 128GB. The average song is about 7.032MB translating into 18,639 songs. The newest model (versus used or refurbished) should take you through at least 5 years of iOS upgrades.

Step 2_Download iTunes on both your Mac and the iOS device

Step 3_Authorize each device for the same iTunes account
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201251

Step 4 _Setup iCloud on your Mac and the iOS device
https://support.apple.com/kb/ph2609?locale=en_US

Step 5 _Import you music into the iTunes folder on your Mac

5(a) File Import *
https://www.noterepeat.com/articles/how-to/232-itunes-importing-audio-files-into-your-music-library-and-converting-them-to-mp3

5(b) CD Import **
https://support.apple.com/guide/itunes/import-songs-from-cds-itns2935/mac

* You don’t have to convert to MP3
** The process is the same regardless of the macOS build

Step 6_Share your iTunes on Mac with other devices
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202190

Now that Home Sharing is enabled you should be able to download your music to the iOS device and the Sonos Controller v9.2 will see it.

The other option for storage is a NAS. That’s all I have to offer by way of a possible solution. Good Luck and I hope you are able to enjoy your Sonos soon.

Cheers!

Together Everyone Achieves More = T.E.A.M.

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