Support Spotify Connect to allow users to use the Spotify app as the controller.

  • 3 September 2013
  • 366 replies
  • 41411 views

Userlevel 3
Spotify Connect was just announced and I was surprised that I didn't see Sonos in the list of companies that would provide support. Many Spotify users have been asking for a long time to be able to use the Spotify app as the controller for selecting songs, as it provides a superior experience (you still can't even see the Top 5 songs in the Spotify view within the Sonos app, and it is difficult to look through an artist's collection to find a specific song unless you know which album it was in). Please support spotify connect. Additional details on Spotify Connect are here: http://www.theverge.com/2013/9/3/4688166/spotify-connect-launches-to-stream-music-to-compatible-speakers If you look at the post on theverge, even the first comment was one asking for Sonos support for the feature.

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366 replies

Userlevel 7
Badge +17
more companies jumping on the Spotify Connect bandwagon.
http://www.slashgear.com/spotify-connect-adds-more-speakers-plus-multi-room-27342996/

I dont understand why Sonos are shunning this.  It makes no sense to let your competitors find another edge over you.

The statement "Of course, if you already have Sonos, you can add Spotify as a source for streaming content."  doesnt mention that its a highly inferior stripped down version missing half of the functionality.

Come on Sonos - do the right thing.
Userlevel 1
more companies jumping on the Spotify Connect bandwagon.
http://www.slashgear.com/spotify-connect-adds-more-speakers-plus-multi-room-27342996/

I dont understand why Sonos are shunning this.  It makes no sense to let your competitors find another edge over you.

The statement "Of course, if you already have Sonos, you can add Spotify as a source for streaming content."  doesnt mention that its a highly inferior stripped down version missing half of the functionality.

Come on Sonos - do the right thing.


I too think Sonos should sort something out here. I use Spotify (although I wish there was an alternative which is as slick as theirs as I cannot stand the company). I am a massive fan of Sonos and have been for 10 years. I am also heavily invested in Sonos. However, unless Sonos get their act together and better integrate their software with the services of the music subscription services, I will utilise the decent second hand value of Sonos equipment, sell the lot and go for one of the newcomers like LG or Pure. It is crazy that the music curation functionality of services such as Spotify, Beats etc. just aren't supported by Sonos. It makes us loyal Sonos users miss out on so much! Real shame.
Userlevel 1
spotify today just released a new desktop app with ''connect'' built in. you can now control all your music from the spotify app all over your home. UNLESS you have Sonos, which sucks big time. Google Play is only on Android, and the google play IOS/iPhone app sucks. They never update, it is a mess I tried it and dumped it. Just read the itunes reviews on it. I am a new sonos customer, love it so far but was really let down by deezer, and no spotify app use. Ready to bail on sonos and buy new speakers and use the new spotify connect. Hope sonos will at least address this honestly and let us know if they are in bed with Google and have no plans to let us use spotify connect. 
spotify today just released a new desktop app with ''connect'' built in. you can now control all your music from the spotify app all over your home. UNLESS you have Sonos, which sucks big time. Google Play is only on Android, and the google play IOS/iPhone app sucks. They never update, it is a mess I tried it and dumped it. Just read the itunes reviews on it. I am a new sonos customer, love it so far but was really let down by deezer, and no spotify app use. Ready to bail on sonos and buy new speakers and use the new spotify connect. Hope sonos will at least address this honestly and let us know if they are in bed with Google and have no plans to let us use spotify connect. 
Funny, before the Google Play support arrived, many users were accusing Sonos of being in bed with Spotify. 😉
Userlevel 1
spotify today just released a new desktop app with ''connect'' built in. you can now control all your music from the spotify app all over your home. UNLESS you have Sonos, which sucks big time. Google Play is only on Android, and the google play IOS/iPhone app sucks. They never update, it is a mess I tried it and dumped it. Just read the itunes reviews on it. I am a new sonos customer, love it so far but was really let down by deezer, and no spotify app use. Ready to bail on sonos and buy new speakers and use the new spotify connect. Hope sonos will at least address this honestly and let us know if they are in bed with Google and have no plans to let us use spotify connect. 
well it is obvious to me otherwise it would not only be google play but spotify too now that connect is right there on spotify. Also obvious because you can only use google app with sonos on android, not apple. Google owns android, google hates apple. Google Play app on Ios/Apple is months behind, hardly updated, IOS users complaining every day and Google does nothing. Sonos is punishing IOS users because Google punishes IOS users. If that is not true, than why would Spotify Connect not be available on Sonos? Or the Google IOS app for that matter? 
Userlevel 7
Badge +17
OK - this is getting silly now.  Bose are now updating the Soundtouch app to support Spotify Connect.  see here http://www.cnet.com/news/bose-unveils-soundtouch-series-ii/

That pretty much leaves Sonos as the ONLY wireless streaming system that doesnt support it.
This is so disappointing.  Before anyone says it - Ive tried all the others (more than once in case things have improved) and Spotify is still the one for me.  As btltez says, the Google Music on IOS is terrible and Im too emdeded with both Apple and Sonos to change either one.

Whats the problem here Sonos ?? - your integration of Spotify sucks for which you blame the Spotify API, fair enough, but Spotify Connect support would solve ALL of these problems.  You would probably get a boatload of new customers and could trumpet the announcement from the rooftops just like EVERYONE else does (Bose, Panasonic, Philips, Denon, Pure, Marantz, Yamaha, Onkyo, Polk, Pioneer...)

The 'Not Planned' status stinks of arrogance and stubbornness at the highest level and plays well into the hands of the ever increasing competition.
Userlevel 1
I have two days left to return my 3 play 1's to Best Buy. Am thinking of returning them and getting the Denon Heos system. The reviews are great. I have the beta for the new spotify mac desktop and all you do is click a button and it lists all your devices, computers, and sound systems that you want to blast spotify from. If Sonos would at least make a statement here I would keep Sonos, I like it, and their support was great helping me connect to Deezer (which is unusable for a music collector-hated it-no organization and the sonos control is even worse) but ALL my music is on Spotify, I have been building folders for years on Spotify now and it is a must for me. I'm sure I am not the only one. You would think with all these posts Sonos could at least give their paying customers some sort of updated reply. Really turns me off. 
spotify today just released a new desktop app with ''connect'' built in. you can now control all your music from the spotify app all over your home. UNLESS you have Sonos, which sucks big time. Google Play is only on Android, and the google play IOS/iPhone app sucks. They never update, it is a mess I tried it and dumped it. Just read the itunes reviews on it. I am a new sonos customer, love it so far but was really let down by deezer, and no spotify app use. Ready to bail on sonos and buy new speakers and use the new spotify connect. Hope sonos will at least address this honestly and let us know if they are in bed with Google and have no plans to let us use spotify connect. 
Maybe Spotify wants to protect their Connect partners by limiting Sonos' implementation, and Apple wants to protect their iTunes revenue by limiting Google's Play Music implementation (I heard somewhere that iTunes is pretty lucrative, I could be wrong 😉 ).

Or maybe we all need one of these:

http://smile.amazon.com/Aluminum-Foil-Deflector-Beanie-Protection-ebook/dp/B00IO02024/ref=sr_1_1?ie=...
Userlevel 1
spotify today just released a new desktop app with ''connect'' built in. you can now control all your music from the spotify app all over your home. UNLESS you have Sonos, which sucks big time. Google Play is only on Android, and the google play IOS/iPhone app sucks. They never update, it is a mess I tried it and dumped it. Just read the itunes reviews on it. I am a new sonos customer, love it so far but was really let down by deezer, and no spotify app use. Ready to bail on sonos and buy new speakers and use the new spotify connect. Hope sonos will at least address this honestly and let us know if they are in bed with Google and have no plans to let us use spotify connect. 
that makes no sense. you can get all google apps on itunes. google has not updated the ios app since early august. with ios8 the google play app is unusable. and they have yet to update it. you can use the android app with sonos but not the ios app. do you just reply to ppl here without researching one word you say? seems like it. 
Userlevel 1
spotify today just released a new desktop app with ''connect'' built in. you can now control all your music from the spotify app all over your home. UNLESS you have Sonos, which sucks big time. Google Play is only on Android, and the google play IOS/iPhone app sucks. They never update, it is a mess I tried it and dumped it. Just read the itunes reviews on it. I am a new sonos customer, love it so far but was really let down by deezer, and no spotify app use. Ready to bail on sonos and buy new speakers and use the new spotify connect. Hope sonos will at least address this honestly and let us know if they are in bed with Google and have no plans to let us use spotify connect. 
also, spotify invited sonos to spotify connect and the ceo of sonos declined. that was a year ago last month. and in that time hundreds of sonos customers have asked for it, and sonos says only ''no plans." and THAT comment was a year ago now. 
spotify today just released a new desktop app with ''connect'' built in. you can now control all your music from the spotify app all over your home. UNLESS you have Sonos, which sucks big time. Google Play is only on Android, and the google play IOS/iPhone app sucks. They never update, it is a mess I tried it and dumped it. Just read the itunes reviews on it. I am a new sonos customer, love it so far but was really let down by deezer, and no spotify app use. Ready to bail on sonos and buy new speakers and use the new spotify connect. Hope sonos will at least address this honestly and let us know if they are in bed with Google and have no plans to let us use spotify connect. 
2 days ago you said you had 2 more days to return your Sonos if Sonos made no statement about supporting Spotify. I figured you'd be a delighted owner of Denon Heos by now. What happened?
I was really hoping that Sonos would eventually support connect, but having read this thread it looks highly unlikely. I can't really afford to change to another manufacturer, so for now I have bypassed the problem by connecting an old android device to the line-in and using Spotify connect on my iPad to control that device. Not a seamless solution but at least I get to use the Spotify app through my Sonos speaker. Hope that helps someone else relieve the pain a little. Alan
Userlevel 7
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does anyone else NOT receive notifications when this thread is updated or is it just me ??
Userlevel 2
I would be quite happy if they just allowed you to access all the Services that Spotify has to offer through the Controller App.  I can see why people would like to use Spotify Connect to control it and it does have it's advantages.  I quite like using the multiple services to amend my queue (Soundcloud, Spotify etc) 
Userlevel 7
Badge +17
I would be quite happy if they just allowed you to access all the Services that Spotify has to offer through the Controller App.  I can see why people would like to use Spotify Connect to control it and it does have it's advantages.  I quite like using the multiple services to amend my queue (Soundcloud, Spotify etc) 

Colin,
I agree - however Sonos have stated that the features available in the Sonos app are limited to only those provided by the Spotify API.  I doubt Spotify are going to invest any more effort into improving their API since they released Spotify Connect.

 Connect is well within Sonos' capability to support but Sonos have no control over the (separate) API used by the app.  If there are technical issues that prevent Sonos supporting connect then they should just come out and say so rather than the meaningless 'official response' they provided a year ago.
Userlevel 1
does anyone else NOT receive notifications when this thread is updated or is it just me ??

I don't
I´m sorry to say that I have started too look elsewhere on other streaming produkts, just because Sonos does not allow me to use Spotifys own API, Spotify connect... 
I´m sorry to say that I have started too look elsewhere on other streaming produkts, just because Sonos does not allow me to use Spotifys own API, Spotify connect... 
Bluesound seems to give me all that Sonos don´t. 
Userlevel 7
Badge +17
In their continued quest for world domination, Spotify Connect is now also available using Windows as well as IOS and Android.  Beta link is here https://community.spotify.com/t5/Spotify-Ideas/Spotify-Connect-For-Desktop-App/idi-p/689688.  Thats only the Mac thats left before they cover the same platforms as Sonos.

Sonos - any further comment beyond 'Not Planned' and your bizarre statement a year ago claiming "We have an excellent partnership with Spotify" yet you wont support Spotify Connect which would give us all their features on Sonos rather than the 40% we're now left with ??
I only use Spotify as my music source. After reading this thread I decided to give up Sonos. 
Userlevel 4
Badge +1
Agree with most of the above. It is truly appalling that Sonos refuse to support Spotify connect. I see no reasonable reason why they would do this.

Along with their lack of support for DTS on the Playbar (home theatre solution? I think not), I sincerely regret investing in Sonos. I've turned more than a few people away from this system. I wish these new systems from other manufacturers had been around when I was looking.

I've wasted way too much time on Sonos-related issues and feel hampered by their lack of technological innovation or adoption. The arrogance of Sonos will be their undoing.
I have been waiting for Sonos and Spotify to come together and solve their differences and implement this option. However both are pointing to one and other to be the source of this missing feature. If you are looking for a system that holds the Spotify Connect feature you might want to take a look at https://www.gramofon.com. You can connect this very cheap device through a Sonos Connect or use it without any Sonos equipment. Lets hope this cheap device is an example for Sonos to see that this could be implemented quite easily.
Hello sonos, I really want to be able to use spotify to push music to my sonos system, selecting music there is much easier. Why is it still not there, is spotify connect not a good way for you guys to make a connector? I'm now able to cast spotify directly to my chromecast, so be carefull because competitors are getting close...
Userlevel 1
Hello,

This is possible if you use AirPlay (Apple). It works great with all Apple devices for istening to Rdio, Spotify and Deezer through Sonos WITHOUT using the Sonos App.  Easy and cheap to setup too. I am also sure it is possible with Android too. More often than not I listen to music on my Sonos setup using Rdio (and currently Deezer). I don't like Spotify, but that works great too with AirPlay. 
Userlevel 1
I finally worked out that Sonos supports Airplay (I am sure DLNA as well with a similar adapter). When I say "supports", you need to add a compatible piece of hardware, but the Menu options in the Sonos App (on the Mac and iOS devices) includes AirPlay options.

YouTube Video: Search for "Configuring Sonos for AirPlay" and select the video by butterscotchcom

http://youtu.be/8F-6HwuHGs8

This is fantastic and works great. I have been trying for years to get an Airport Express (AE) to work with Sonos, but never set it up properly. 

All you need to do is connect an Ethernet cable between the AE and any Sonos device, turn off the WiFi on the AE and connect an Audio Line-in between the two (Play 3 doesn't have a Line-in). Name the AE "Sonos" and then select Sonos from any Air Play device (Mac's, iPad's, iPhones and iPods).

Then in the Room settings on the Sonos App, select the Sonos device, select Line-In, Select AirPlay from the Line in drop menu, select AirPlay from the Line-In source level drop menu and then select the room you would like Sonos to autoplay in (doesn't need to be the Room where the AE is connected. 

Playing musing from Spotify, Rdio and Deezer from my MacBook Apps works great. 

HOWEVER, from the iPhone depends greatly on the WiFi signal the iPhone is receiving. Near the router is no problem. However, if the phone is in a blackspot it drops. 

That said, it does work well when the iPhone is in a decent WiFi area of the house. Also, no problem on the MacBook anywhere. 

I had a quick look online for DLNA adapters, similar to the AE that support various standards "AirMusic Receiver WiFi DLNA QPLAY AirPlay For IOS Android" for about £20 for those who prefer Android. 

Anyway, I was quite pleased but I cannot understand why Sonos don't include this information in their FAQ section. I have read that you can connect an AE, but not with the correct set up instructions. 

It is still a Shame Sonos don't support AirPlay / Spotify Connect or better ways of integrating the ability to stream music from Music Service Native Apps, but this works great for me. 

For those who may be looking for an alternative to Sonos, it looks like Bose is on the warpath with their SoundTouch® systems...  They do look very good and we all know how good Bose sounds. They also include some functionality Sonos is lacking and it looks like they include native support for AirPlay and DLNA etc. 
http://www.bose.com/controller?url=/shop_online/wifi_music_systems/soundtouch_music/index.jsp#story