Cast from apps on Android?

Or is it Google who’s unwilling to provide access to Chromecast to Sonos, perhaps due to their ongoing litigation? What if Sonos has been begging them to allow this for years, and there’s been no positive response from Google, so Sonos just implemented the Apple version in the hopes that it would push Google over the edge?

Not sure I understand why it is “preferential” treatment. Any more so than one service provider allowing all content, and another, such as the BBC, only allowing certain streams to exist on Sonos. Is that also preferential treatment by the BBC to allow access only on their own application, and not on Sonos?

Maybe one reason for Airplay 2 being implemented and not Chromecast is that Apple are clearly fully committed to Airplay for audio streams, whereas Google canned the Chromecast audio device years ago

But let’s just deal with the glaring factual inaccuracy.  “Only Spotify (thanks to Spotify Connect) allows Android users to cast directly from the app, no other app can do it”.  Apart from Amazon Music, Tidal and Pandora.  Plus Audible and a few others.  It is kind of funny and ironic that you have even tagged Amazon Music and Pandora in your post.

https://support.sonos.com/s/article/3549?language=en_US

The first app that could be cast to Sonos was Google Play Music. This was available only on Android, and Airplay was not then supported.  (The obvious conclusion is that at that time all the Sonos execs had Android devices.)  Google replaced GPM with YTM, but casting hasn’t (yet) been made possible.  Perhaps Sonos and Google are working on this, perhaps not.  I’m sure Sonos would welcome this facility. 

There is also ‘On this mobile device” on the Sonos Android app (only) to allow streaming of music stored on an Android mobile device to any Sonos speaker / player.

@ralx .  I am surprised you are still taking an interest in this topic, given that you informed us in a post 10 months ago that you had sold all of your Sonos speakers because of this issue.

Amazon Music doesn't work for me to Cast from my Android device, can you post an screenshot showing it working from an Android device? It only lists my Chromecast compatible TVs and Speakers. I already pay three services, are you telling me I should pay two more?

There are more than two dozen brands working with Chromecast protocol (including my Vizio and Sony TVs, and some Harman Kardon, JBL and Sony speakers I tried in the past) so not sure what you're talking about.

And yes, I bought an Arc, a Sub and and two ones (lots of money) for a home theater because I like the sound better, I still have the Google Nest for other uses but would prefer to fully use Sonos without having to use my work iPhone when I don't use Spotify.

But reading messages like yours one can understand why Sonos couldn't care less about this, you even checked my past posts to search for something to attack me personally. Remember that Sonos is just another faceless company that doesn't care about improving customer experience as much as increasing price and profits, so don't waste your time defending them unless you have a financial interest there.

I mean there are more than two dozen companies (bigger and smaller) working with Google https://www.google.com/intl/en_us/chromecast/built-in/.

Do you have any specific reason to think they are blocking Sonos? Or it's just plain speculation?

I presume it’s the possibility of the litigation between the two companies, as I stated in the quoted post. Not working for either one, I can’t be sure about that. But yes, as an outside observer, just like your assertions, they are pure speculation. 

The way to make profits long-term is to offer a good customer experience at prices enough people think offer better value than the competitors.  There is no conflict between the two aims.  You can’t please everyone, obviously.

Do you have the Sonos skill for Alexa installed so as to cast from Amazon Music?  (Please see the document I linked.)

Has there been any news on this? I frequently switch between iOS/Android and macOS/Windows. It’s incredibly annoying that AirPlay 2 allows me to send any audio, but using Android or Windows severely limits what I can do with the exact same set of speakers.

Is Apple paying Sonos? All this does is make me want to abandon Sonos in the future as I can’t use whatever device I’d like with them. If I want the best Sonos experience, I must use Apple products.

How in the world does that make sense for Sonos from a business perspective? 

It doesn’t, generally speaking, but it’s up to Google to implement the API/feature that already has been implemented by Apple. Given that Google just lost a bunch of lawsuits for stealing tech from Sonos, it’s unlikely they’re particularly excited about adding features to a Sonos user. 

https://www.theverge.com/2022/1/6/22871121/sonos-google-patent-itc-ruling-decision-import-ban

Sonos doesn’t have the ability to go into the Android code, and add a full “cast” feature, that has to be done by Google themselves. 

Perhaps I should’ve been more specific. All I need is cast support. Like literally any of the speakers made by the companies on this page: Chromecast built-in - Audio (google.com)

Vizio, Sony, LG, Philips, B&O Play, Grundig, Polk, Bang & Olufsen, Raumfeld, Brookstone, NAD, Onkyo, Integra, Pioneer, Rivawand, Grace Digital, Jensen, VSSL, harman/kardon, JBL, Feton, Primare, Toshiba, and Solis did not have to go into Android code (or Windows) to make their hardware cast compatible. 

And Google losing to Sonos doesn’t make me want more Sonos products. Sonos supporting Google’s Chromecast like nearly every other major speaker manufacturer would make me consider continuing to buy their products. I don’t want Sonos to be the reason I’m locked into Apple’s ecosystem. 

It’s idiotic to me for Sonos not to implement cast. It’s hurting them, not Google. 

I suspect that you greatly overestimate the importance of casting to the Sonos userbase. If I were an Apple user I wouldn't use Airplay on Sonos. As an Android user I wouldn't use Chromecast. 

Maybe I am in a minority. Time and market forces will determine whether this is an important omission or of little significance.