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Trending Lyricist I
October 11, 2014

Limited functionality > Sonos controller & Google Play Music All Access

  • October 11, 2014
  • 21 replies
  • 10389 views
I have subscribed the Google Play Music All Access. The Radio recommendation is great - and the reason for my choice of Google - yet I am generally dissapointed by the fact that features available on the web interface are not available on the Sonos controller. The Sonos controller (for Google Play) is a very poor transposing of the features available on the web interface.

Here are some examples :
> auto playlists (Thumbs up) not available on Sonos.
> no possibility of seeing the upcoming tracks of a 'radio', very very frustrating.
> access to the button for creation of a 'radio' is hidden behind the 'info & options' button.

Hopefully Sonos and Google can work together to enrich the user experience. I feel leftover over with a sub standard service/product using the Sonos controller.

I am so frustrated I am contemplating alternatives.
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21 replies

jgatie
October 11, 2014
Did you know that you can play to Sonos directly from the Google Play Music app? That way you get full functionality. See this link for details: https://sonos.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/2452/session/L2F2LzEvdGltZS8xNDEzMDQ4MDkwL3NpZC9haUM3RUM0bQ%3D%3D
DimitriAuthor
Trending Lyricist I
October 11, 2014
I know... But only on Android and I am on apple devices. Another victim of the apple/google wars. Thanks for the answer though!
Lyricist I
November 26, 2014
I will also add my voice to wanting the Auto playlists to show up in the Sonos software.
Lyricist I
January 28, 2015
I agree the Sonos controller is really lacking features for Google Music. No adding to playlists. No creating playlists. No auto-playlists. No "listen now" playlists. When can we expect to see the missing functionality added?
Enthusiast II
November 10, 2015
I agree the Sonos controller is really lacking features for Google Music. No adding to playlists. No creating playlists. No auto-playlists. No "listen now" playlists. When can we expect to see the missing functionality added?

To add a few things to this thread regarding GPM within the Sonos app:

1. Re Auto Playlists, the Sonos app does now show the 'Thumbs up' list, but not the 'Last added' list - the latter would be a very useful addition.

2. Within the GPM native app or the web interface, the 'Listen Now' view contains:
(i) The Songza time-of-day/themed suggestions
(ii) Recent activity
(iii) Recommended for you
...and is one of (along with the 'Thumbs up' & 'Last added' Auto Playlists) the most useful views within GPM. BUT, the Sonos app does not contain this view. Again, this would be a VERY useful addition. This Listen Now view within the GPM native app and web app is one of the main ways in which new music discovery occurs (and effortless new music discovery is one the great features of GPM), so it's absence from the Sonos app is a very big deal, IMO.

3. There's a terminology inconsistency between GPM and the Sonos app: GPM uses the term 'Stations', but the Sonos app is using 'Radio' in some places (eg. within My Library) but 'Stations' in other places. It should be consistent and be the same as the GPM app and the web app.

4. There's a bug in the Sonos app's list of Stations ('Radio') within the My Library View. It appears to include all the GPM Stations you've ever had, ie. including all those Stations you've long since deleted. As such, the list is wrong and essentially unusable.

If these are all issues needing Google staff to fix, perhaps Sonos could give them a nudge behind the scenes. Thanks.

If Sonos do talk to GPM staff, then it might be an idea to mention this issue to them also:
https://en.community.sonos.com/troubleshooting-228999/wakelock-when-casting-from-google-play-music-app-6732137

Very recent native GPM Android app releases have introduced a bug that causes it to record sky-high Keep awake times when casting to Sonos, essentially destroying battery life. It's because of this battery life issue that I've recently switched from using the native GPM app (casting to Sonos) to instead selecting GPM as a source within the Sonos app, discovering the above shortcomings in the process. I'll try to post more if I find them.
Enthusiast II
November 10, 2015
duplicate
Enthusiast II
December 23, 2015
4. There's a bug in the Sonos app's list of Stations ('Radio') within the My Library View. It appears to include all the GPM Stations you've ever had, ie. including all those Stations you've long since deleted. As such, the list is wrong and essentially unusable.

Any chance this could be investigated (or the issue passed onto Google)? Tricky for me to flag this directly with Google as the native GPM app/webapp work correctly.

FWIW, this looks like it may be an API issue: if I use BubbleUPnP to set up new access to Google Play Music, the exact same problem manifests. Just like the Sonos app, it shows 232 Stations, instead of the (correct) 48 that the GPM Android or Webapp show. Both the Sonos and BubbleUPnP apps show *all* the GPM Stations that I've ever had, ie. they erroneously also include all those Stations that I've deleted in the past as well. Seems a coincidence they're both doing this, so maybe the API you're using is duff?

Thanks.
Enthusiast II
December 23, 2015
+1 Sonos please get this fixed!

I've just taken out a GPM subscription due to the imminent demise of Songza, and as stated above "As such, the list is wrong and essentially unusable", which makes the GPM integration a step down from what Songza integration provided.
pcgeek86
Contributor I
March 4, 2016
I am not able to see Google Play radio stations in the Sonos Controller. Please fix this, Sonos.
Paulw123
Virtuoso
March 4, 2016
If you use android tablet you can cast to sonos from within Google cast app, using GPM app and not use the sonos app at all. Not sure what extra functionality it would give, I'll have to experiment with it.