Feature Request: Export and Import Sonos Playlists

  • 25 February 2013
  • 216 replies
  • 28932 views

Userlevel 4
Like many users, we use Sonos in two different houses. We have two NAS's of music that I'm planning on keeping synchronized with RSYNC. What doesn't sync or cant get exported are Sonos Playlists. It would be great to be able to ad-hoc export them and then to import them as well. Using the UPnP interface, I've noted a Java program that can export playlists, but importing them is a bit troublesome. It would be great to have this feature.

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216 replies

Userlevel 2
I also have had a need for a backup of playlists. As after spending considerable time creating a number of playlists, I then had a need to do a factory reset. The results, which are now obvious, was the loss of months of playlist generation, If I had had an option of backing up the playlists and then restoring after the reset, it would have made the whole process far less stressful. My admiration for Sonos took a dent that day. Barry
Userlevel 1
What can I say that hasn't already been said, the only thing that lets Sonos down is the back up function,
Userlevel 1
I have also had to do a reset and bemoan the loss of my playlists. Sonos does it all so well, and I think the system is fantastically designed but this is letting us, the consumer, down on basic functionality. Rule 1 always have a back-up! Mick
Userlevel 2
Sonos already has this. They used it to allow me to backup my playlists when they were helping me with a problem. It is a simple file called PLAYLISTEXPORTER-PC.exe (though the 2012 version I have doesn't seem to work anymore, probably due to recent updates) and there is another called (you guessed it) PLAYLISTRESTORER.exe that restores the exported playlists to your Sonos unit. The point is that the support folks at Sonos use these tools all the time, so why not just release them?
Userlevel 1
It's hard to believe a company as great as Sonos has ignored a basic export feature request for years... Sad.

1) I need to export my playlist so I can import it on a second Sonos system at another location.

2) I also want an export just for basic backup purposes. My playlist was put together over years and I need a text file in case I lose it.

3) Also, a quick sort alphabetically feature would be appreciated. It's hard to scan for duplicates, or find a specific song on a long playlist.

4) A search Sonos playlist feature would be very helpful as well.

Aren't all of these things basic? I'm really surprised all of them we're added years ago. I'm all for keeping things simple, but not for not adding basic functions that anyone would need sometimes.
Userlevel 1
Badge +1
This reply was created from a merged topic originally titled Import and export playlists. If you have 2 or more Sonos systems at different locations, it would
be so helpful and easy to export your playlists and import them at the different location. This would save a lot of time and is a big convenience.
Maybe a kind of syncing-option would be great as well !!
Userlevel 7
Badge +18
1) I need to export my playlist so I can import it on a second Sonos system at another location.
I can see that might be hard to implement, if the two music libraries at the two locations aren't the same.

2) I also want an export just for basic backup purposes. My playlist was put together over years and I need a text file in case I lose it.
I fully agree and would expext Sonos to make this possible. Rather sooner than later.

3) Also, a quick sort alphabetically feature would be appreciated. It's hard to scan for duplicates, or find a specific song on a long playlist.
Agreed.

4) A search Sonos playlist feature would be very helpful as well.
Agreed.

Aren't all of these things basic?
Yes, they are and in my humble opinion it's a shame Sonos hasn't shown any willingness to solve this problem.
Would like to export and import a play list on my Sonos system pleeeeeeeeease🆒
Agree -- backing up playlists is an important missing feature. I've lost my playlists several times now. I can use playlists from the streaming services, but one of the reasons I bought Sonos was the integrated interface across all the services. Playlists I've built with music from several sources can't be backed up? That's nonsense!
Userlevel 5
Badge +3
Another vote for a way to back-up or export. Something that doesn't require me or my clients to become computer programmers because I have no clue what to do with Python. Sorry, but life's too short.
Userlevel 2
My music is backed up, my playlists which I've created over years are not. When I had issues with Sonos previously a factory reset was the fix; lost everything and had to rebuild what I had then. Time has moved on and the playlists are bigger.

Would also mean that I'm able to replicate these playlists in the two locations I go between (network drives and file layouts are backed up between the locations so they're identical).

I'd also like other 'stupidly basic' features which would be helpful but it seems Sonos aren't interested in those either.
e.g Actual track location (e.g. file name/directory) to be shown where it's streaming from. Would be ideal for hunting out quickly duplicate tracks, but this is not the place to bring those up.
Userlevel 7
Badge +22
And seems like an easy thing to implement to. I lost all mine a while back . . once I get to point I have a lot of them again and don't want to lose them . . I am going to take an old bridge I have I don't use anymore. Hard Reset it and add it to the system. Then unplug it and store it aside somewhere. Then if I ever need to start the system from scratch again I can just disconnect all my other devices and start the network again from that backup bridge.
Userlevel 1
Quote from Mike Lucas "I recently moved my library from a PC to a NAS device.  That broke all of my playlists".
Hadn't realised this broke the playlist.
Now there is another reason why this feature needs to be implemented.

Come-on Sonos, too many people have been asking for this. Get your great tech guys working on this as a matter or priority.

* SONOS is all about having a great way to listen to your music.
* Playlists are all about an individual's personal music preferences, and they become very treasured.
Not being able to save your playlist (or export them) is a huge missing feature to a premium product.
Userlevel 3
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Just to add my +1 to this feature request, and to keep the thread live. Can't believe that the functionality doesn't exist yet.
+1
I have bad internet, so I'd purchase some stuff locally after finding it on deezer. It would be nice to be able to fix the playlist to point at new local and replace remote content ... Also I'd like to be able to down load the pl for song managemen
I want to export a list so I can easily create the same list with iTunes for my kids iPod
Userlevel 2
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Please consider my Dear Sonos people
Userlevel 2
Yes, none of which I use or have a need for.


They're that low on Sono's priority list that this request thread has been open for five years. Lost count of the number of updates they've pushed out in that time.
Userlevel 5
Badge +10
It is not a 'nice to have', it is an absolute necessity given the number of users that have lost their playlists (like me) and the length of this thread, And the solution is so easy to implement, and has been proposed many times before.

Out of curiosity, what is this "easy to implement" solution? There's no in-built Sonos ability to write to local filesystems, no cloud storage with your Sonos account, and providing raw API endpoints for the brave isn't really the Sonos style. So how would you suggest implementing an "export playlist" feature?
This reply was created from a merged topic originally titled Export playlist from Sonos. It would be great to be able to export my Sonos playlist and then be able to re-import them again.  Two reasons why:
1. Backup of my playlists.  Some of the have taken a long time to perfect.
2. I recently moved my library from a PC to a NAS device.  That broke all of my playlists.  A simple export, search and replace and then re-import would have solved that problem.  Instead, I had to recreate them all manually 😞
Userlevel 2
Badge +2
Okay Team Sonos! That's a year we've been asking for the functionality of saving/exporting playlists - I think it's about time we were given an update on where this sits in your priorities.
I lost all my Playlists by moving my  Sonos parts to other Rooms during disconecting. It's a big mass.

Sonos -> Please be so kindly to start immediately to find a solution for that.

Even a full backup with restore function will help in the first step. (I'm sure, this functions exists in your development box, it's just not user ready.)

PS: Generally is the quality of the components and functions top. But without the posibilities to save his work, a lot of users are forced to switch to other components.

best regards
Peter
Userlevel 2
time to stop begging. sonos doesn't answer this request. they have the tool to do this because their techs do it. They don't want you to have the tool and I don't know why. But years of asking has produced nothing so probably time to stop.
I was just told to add my voice to this conversation. I am switching NAS, I don't want to lose my playlists. Or should I just always make sure to only use Spotify?
Get. on. it.

Backing up & restoring preferences are crucial Especially as I've added all these radio station streams manually & there is no way (I can see) to export or import them back in.

It took hours to put them in one.at.a.time.