Skip to main content
bjw10
Enthusiast I
August 1, 2022

Sonos Music Library on Move via Bluetooth

  • August 1, 2022
  • 18 replies
  • 352 views

I know I should probably direct this question elsewhere, but thought I stood a better chance of getting a sensible response from this support community.

I have a 38Gb approx Sonos Music Library that comprises a mix of .wma and .m4a files.  Occasionally I would like to play this same music on my Sonos Move (and maybe AirPods, too) via the iPhone/AirPlay in the garden where i have no wifi signal.  The problem is this requires loading the music into Apple Music, which I am happy to do, since there is plenty of spare memory on the iPhone.  Unfortunately, all of the .m4a files import into Music with no problem as you’d expect, but not the .wma files (thanks a bunch Apple!).

I have looked at various file converters to convert the .wma files to .m4a, but they are quite laborious and then do not do a good job of converting the Track and Album art.

Any ideas as to the easiest way to sync the 2 libraries to ensure all album info exists in both places?

 

This topic has been closed for further comments. You can use the search bar to find a similar topic, or create a new one by clicking Create Topic at the top of the page.

18 replies

Show previous replies
John B
August 2, 2022

There is a MacVersion, which is how I discovered that .wma files are not supported.

I don't understand your updated comment about the Sonos Library.  The Sonos library is just a set of files and directories like any other data.  What has this got to do with BT and the Sonos app?  I am playing from an Apple Music library when I play on the Move via my iPhone.  I would just like to have the exact same music available on the Move whether it is playing via the Sonos app or via BT and Apple Music.

The Sonos library is NOT a set of files and directories.  Also the Sonos app is not a music player, it is a remote control for the Sonos networked system.  The Sonos Music Library consists of the indexed filepaths to all the files wherever they are stored on the local network.  The filepaths are stored on each speaker, not in the app.  To play a track from your music library on a particular speaker, the Sonos app instructs the speaker to find the track from the stated location on the network and play it.  This is an integrated coherent system in which app, speaker and file store work together across the network.

When you play non-networked over BT, you are not using the Sonos system at all.  The Sonos app is irrelevant and you just have a dumb BT speaker to which you would play as you would to any other dumb BT speaker.  The Sonos Music Library only exists as a concept within the networked system.

You need to find a means to play your music files from wherever they are stored by BT to your dumb, Sonos-branded speaker.  How the Sonos Music Library is defined in the Sonos system is as irrelevant as if you were playing to a Bose BT speaker.

i hope that makes sense and is helpful.  If it doesn’t and isn’t, I’m afraid it is the best I can do.

 

    Ken_Griffiths
    Ken_Griffiths
    August 2, 2022

    @bjw10,
    It’s been mentioned already, but one of the ways I have found to achieve this when travelling, is to connect a mobile device, like an iPhone (with a mobile data connection) over Bluetooth to a Sonos Move or Roam and then play from the Plex App. That’s after setting up remote access to the local NAS or PC music library with the free Plex server software.

    It’s usually a simple case of forwarding port 32400 on the local router to the Plex server (Note however, that it requires a Plex Pass (purchase) in order to get remote access).. it looks like this…

    See example side by side screenshots from the Plex App whilst connected over Bluetooth - the mobile has no WiFi connection. All is streamed from the NAS Plex server back at Home via the mobile data connection to the speaker over Bluetooth.

      bjw10Author
      Enthusiast I
      August 2, 2022

      @John B 

      I am afraid I disagree.

      The Music Library that I specify to Sonos is nothing but a standard set of files/directories accessible via the Mac Finder.  We might be back to semantics (see the first reply to my original post), but what Sonos does to the data internally thereafter to make the system work is a complete black box and therefore entirely irrelevant in this situation.  I did not understand your detailed description of what is going on internally and neither should I need to.  My issue is quite straightforward and you are just overcomplicating it, sprinkled with a liberal dose of sarcasm/irony, for reasons best known to yourself.

      I think we might both agree that via the Sonos app I can play everything on my Sonos library on the Move connected via wifi.  Similarly, one of the key features of the Move is that when I am out of range of wifi, I can use another music app on my phone e.g. in my case Apple Music, to play music on the Move connected via BT.  All I am trying to do is create an identical library on the iPhone to match the albums in the Sonos Music Library on my Mac.  Unfortunately the one thing stopping me is not being able to easily convert the .wma files on the Sonos Music Library into .m4a files so that they can be read by Apple Music.

      Thanks for the tip re the NCH software, but that was one of the first converters I tried.  I am prepared to admit I did not use it properly, but whilst the individual .wma files were converted to .m4a format, the album art was completely ignored.

      bjw10Author
      Enthusiast I
      August 2, 2022

      @Ken_Griffiths 

      Thanks for the further suggestion re Plex.  Since I have now resurrected the old Mac which runs Fusion, I am persevering with that option for now.  It runs iTunes (instead of Apple Music) and I thought that there was a way to use it to convert my .wma files to .m4a.  That isn’t going too well right now, but I haven’t explored this option fully yet.  Failing that I think I will try installing an XP version of dBpoweramp and leave Plex as the fall back position before giving up the idea entirely.

      A key aim at the back of all this is to create a situation that can be easily understood by a non-technical person, namely my wife.  This whole environment is now so complex to her that she, unsurprisingly, freaks out when any sort of problem occurs and wants to go back to a radiogram and vinyls (not that we have one)!

        Ken_Griffiths
        Ken_Griffiths
        August 2, 2022

        @bjw10, 
        Admittedly I thought iTunes was able to convert .wma files to .m4a when you either ‘drag & drop’ or import them .. 🤷‍♂️

        Perhaps see if this link might assist:

        https://www.videosolo.com/tutorials/convert-wma-to-itunes.html

        melvimbe
        melvimbe
        August 2, 2022

        @John B

        I am afraid I disagree.

        The Music Library that I specify to Sonos is nothing but a standard set of files/directories accessible via the Mac Finder.  We might be back to semantics (see the first reply to my original post), but what Sonos does to the data internally thereafter to make the system work is a complete black box and therefore entirely irrelevant in this situation.

         

        I think the point that we’ve been trying to be make is that Sonos doesn’t do anything to do the data, the music files, sitting on your NAS. When you connect the directory(s) in the Sonos app, nothing is written or modified on your NAS.  Your  Sonos speakers just store an index file of your files for easier searching an access.  Many others who don’t understand this before, believing that Sonos has modified the files on their NAS, has also referred to it as their “Sonos Music Library”...as if the files can only be used by Sonos now.  I think you understand how it works, but the frequent reference to your files as specifically the Sonos Music Library as casting some doubt.

        You are correct that it likely isn’t relevant to a solution to your issue, but we still would want to clear up confusion.  For example, if you went with Plex as a solution, we wouldn’t want you to think you’d have to create a second copy of all your music files, one for plex and one for Sonos, as if they can’t access the same files.

         

         I did not understand your detailed description of what is going on internally and neither should I need to.  My issue is quite straightforward and you are just overcomplicating it, sprinkled with a liberal dose of sarcasm/irony, for reasons best known to yourself.

        I think we might both agree that via the Sonos app I can play everything on my Sonos library on the Move connected via wifi.  Similarly, one of the key features of the Move is that when I am out of range of wifi, I can use another music app on my phone e.g. in my case Apple Music, to play music on the Move connected via BT.  All I am trying to do is create an identical library on the iPhone to match the albums in the Sonos Music Library on my Mac.  Unfortunately the one thing stopping me is not being able to easily convert the .wma files on the Sonos Music Library into .m4a files so that they can be read by Apple Music.

        Thanks for the tip re the NCH software, but that was one of the first converters I tried.  I am prepared to admit I did not use it properly, but whilst the individual .wma files were converted to .m4a format, the album art was completely ignored.

         

        I personally am not a big fan of trying to keep two or more versions of music files in sync across multiple devices.  Every time you add a file, you’ll have to manually update to multiple places, or have some automation in place to handle it.  I like the idea of using a music service like plex that can read my sole source of music, including any playlists and metatags, without me having to worry about it.  Plex is what I know, but perhaps there is a similar music service that does the same job that better suits you?

         

         

        Danny
          John B
          August 2, 2022

          @bjw10 . I genuinely tried to explain what is really going on and to help you see why nothing from the Sonos system is available when using BT.. Other than the flippant opening comment, no sarcasm was intended and I am puzzled as to why you think it was.

          The only way you will get an identical set of files for BT is to see what files are referenced by the Sonos library and make the same files available independently of Sonos. 

          The fact that the Sonos system does not contain any music files is more than mere semantics.

          Good luck and goodbye

            Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement