Alternative to SONOS app for streaming to speaker

  • 13 September 2018
  • 17 replies
  • 13779 views
L
Userlevel 3
I would like to stop using the Sonos app completely with a SONOS 1 that I own. Is it possible for me to overwrite the firmware and use the device with other software to stream audio? I'm thinking of some sort of service running on a separate device that the SONOS can pick up, similar to bluetooth streaming.
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17 replies

pwt
Userlevel 7
Badge +20
I would like to stop using the Sonos app completely with a SONOS 1 that I own. Is it possible for me to overwrite the firmware and use the device with other software to stream audio? I'm thinking of some sort of service running on a separate device that the SONOS can pick up, similar to bluetooth streaming.
I think you probably know the answer regarding replacing the firmware.

Perhaps you could elaborate on what you're trying to achieve, or what aspects of the standard Sonos experience don't work for you. There may be other ways of meeting your requirements.
4 x P:5 | Sub | 4 x P:1 | 3 x Connect | 2 x Boost | Connect:Amp | 2 x One | Amp | Move | Port
L
Userlevel 3
Actually, I don't know anything about how the hardware OS is maintained. I just figured that someone out there has figured out a way to circumvent the as-sold system software and implement an Open Source alternative.

I have extremely flaky functionality from this one speaker with the SONOS application running on my Android devices and would prefer to simply stream sound from them onto the speaker. Also, I can't connect to it anymore with my Chromebook, which I find annoying. Basically, I find there to be too much overhead in using the SONOS software ecosystem and would prefer to use the hardware in the way that suits me best.

Thanks for the advice.
L
Userlevel 3
Spotify appears to be a partial solution. It appears that from my phone it can stream directly to the SONOS 1 without needing the SONOS app. Doesn't work from the Chromebook though, at all.
AjTrek1
Userlevel 7
You should send in a diagnostic and post the reference ID in this forum to determine if it is your network or a faulty speaker causing the problems. Here's the link on how to: https://support.sonos.com/s/article/141?language=en_US

Cheers!
Together Everyone Achieves More = T.E.A.M.
L
Userlevel 3
Thank you for the suggestion, but quite simply - "no".

Best regards.
Stanley_4
Userlevel 7
Badge +22
Overwriting the firmware isn't an option.

Not wanting to seek the Sonos staff's advice on the issue seems counter-productive as they are the only folks that can see much of the internal Sonos data. The users here can provide limited assistance in situations like yours.
MikeV
Userlevel 7
Badge +21
The short answer is no, no one has decided to risk bricking their $200+ digital audio playback devices from Sonos to try and come up with their own firmware instead.

The Spotify functionality you've found is part of Sonos' cloud-based API system. Pandora also allows using their own app to play to your Sonos speakers. And others can do this too, if they feel so inclined; Sonos' API is available for any developers that want to use it. But it's all still Sonos on the back end. Sonos firmware, Sonos servers sending the commands and controls to the speaker...

So if you want to get help resolving your issue, submit a diagnostic and let a Sonos employee see what's going on so they can help get your system working properly.
The S in IOT stands for Security.
U
Have you tried this?

https://github.com/stephen/airsonos

I haven't played with it, so I can't vouch for anything. But the code IS well commented, which is usually a good sign.

But this at least shows that it certainly IS possible to to access the Sonos hardware without their [ahem, crappy] software. It'd be really nice if their API was more easily accessible; I'd re-write their software in a heartbeat.
jgatie
Have you tried this?

https://github.com/stephen/airsonos
I haven't played with it, so I can't vouch for anything. But the code IS well commented, which is usually a good sign.

But this at least shows that it certainly IS possible to to access the Sonos hardware without their [ahem, crappy] software. It'd be really nice if their API was more easily accessible; I'd re-write their software in a heartbeat.


Have at it:

https://developer.sonos.com/
J
Be careful what you wish for. It may come true.
A
I'm confused - why couldn't the OP use something like Hifi Cast to stream his music direct to the Sonos player? I only have a Play5 here, but I'd have thought that they's have worked the same...
J

If you’re a programmer, there’s the Python library “soco” and a command-line tool called “socos” that you can use to control the speakers.

 

M
Userlevel 2
Badge +6

There are a few NodeJS based Sonos libraries, including a web based controller (https://github.com/jishi/node-sonos-web-controller).  I found it a tad unpredictable when I tried it before (it kept setting my volume levels to 0) but it might hav improved.  There’s also a rest api (https://github.com/jishi/node-sonos-http-api) which I use to do some menial tasks (like capture what I was listening to at the end of the day).

Only worth a go if you’re happy dabbling with node.

Also, I saw Macronos for Android on the google play store.  It’s not a replacement for the Sonos controller, but it has some other functionality.  (It isn’t free so I’ve not yet tried it).

I get the impression you want more than a new controller though?

controlav
Userlevel 7
Badge +23

You cannot change the code in the players, obviously. However you are free to write controller code, as many of us have already done. Third party alternatives are available for all platforms if you can’t write your own.

Author of the leading independent Sonos app for Windows, the only Sonos app for Xbox, and a Sonos app for iOS
F
Userlevel 2
Badge +3

The Sonos player for the Mac is a terrible application, lacking in intuitive controls and a bizarre UI.   I’ve asked Sonos, repeatedly, if they plan on making this better -- met by silence.   


They need to listen to their customers and improve these interfaces, for the price we pay for the speakers and the proprietary nature of how their sound gets balanced for playback, I expect a lot more from this.

 

D

I may be missing the point here, but since the speakers are all DLNA compliant, then any DLNA controller would work for you.

I use SONOS for my no-critical listening environments and for historic reasons continue to use a Squeezebox in my main listening system. I control the Squeezebox with Logitech Media Server (7.9.3) and it can also control all of my SONOS systems (2 mono PLAY:1 and 1 stereo PLAY:3 pair) that way. As a further benefit, as I have over 170K tracks in the library, I am not bound by the 64K SONOS limit. YMMV.

chicks

Yep, lots of UPnP/DLNA apps out there that can use Sonos speakers as targets. Most won’t recognize stereo pairs, sadly, but LMS will. 

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