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Today is the day of the AMA!

The new app design has been out for a week, and most of you have had a chance to get used to the new UI.

Some of you might have questions when you have had a week to get to know the new Sonos App interface. Because of that, we want to give you all a chance to ask some of the people who were integral in its creation and design, the questions that have come to mind while you have used the app.

As we mentioned in the event.

Our panelists will be:

  • Diane Roberts, Senior Director of Software Development
  • Kate Wojogbe, Senior Director of User Experience
  • Tucker Severson, Director of Product Management

It will be hosted on the 14th of May from 11:00 until 14:00 GMT -07.

But instead of me telling you what they do and what their role with the app update has been, here are their own introductions:

 

Diane

Diane Roberts is the Senior Director of Software Engineering and Product Management at Sonos responsible for the Sonos Apps. Her group of cross-disciplinary teams build Configuration, Control, and Content experiences on a foundation of Core mobile application technologies. She received dual Bachelors’ of Science in Computer Science and Music from WPI. Diane holds 6 granted patents as a co-inventor.

 

Kate

As Senior Director of User Experience, Kate leads the UX team responsible for Sonos’ home audio hardware, software, and app user experiences. This includes user interfaces on speakers and soundbars, setup for hardware and services, first and third party content experiences, and a variety of methods of control of the Sonos system. Kate graduated from the University of California Los Angeles with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Design.

 

Tucker

Tucker Severson is the Director of Product Management and leads the PM team responsible for the Sonos Apps. Tucker received his BA from Bates College and his MBA from the University of Vermont.

 

We will do our best to answer as many of your questions as possible within the 3-hour window, but we can’t promise to answer every question, especially those you know we can’t discuss.

But if we see a question repeated or a reply getting a lot of likes, don’t worry. We will prioritize those to ensure that many people get the answers they seek.

 

Remember, we can’t talk about things on the roadmap - but if you have questions or feedback about the app redesign, want to know more about our panelists, like their background or favorite band, then the sky is the (cough cough.. NDA) limit!

Thank you, everyone, for participating. We covered as many of the most asked questions as possible. We know tracking the responses wasn't as easy as we had hoped. But we wanted to let the community air frustrations and have their questions answered.

I got a lot of DMs during the AMA, and I will be sure to answer them when I can. Thanks for reaching out!

Keith and I will work on recapping all the questions and feedback we have responded to, and we will update the post here when that is complete. If we didn't get to your question, don't worry. Keith and I are grabbing all the feedback from this thread, even the things we didn't respond to, and ensuring the right people will see the message. This was the first time we created a live AMA in the community, and we learned a lot for future AMAs.

We appreciate all the feedback and questions you gave through this AMA. It helps us understand your most significant feedback and your reasoning. We hear you, and we will ensure the right teams get your feedback. They are listening.

We look forward to rolling out the updates with features (new and old) as soon as they are ready. Keith shared an overview of the timeline for expecting these features to return to the app. Today was the first update, reintroducing alarms and improving the iOS voiceover.

We look forward to seeing your reactions to our future app developments. We hope you all appreciate the work our developers are putting into making the app as fast and easy to use as possible for the general user.
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Final nail in the coffin. I will be moving to Roon, so I am not tied down to a single manufacturer.

I will be flogging my equipment on ebay if any of you are interested. This shower of sh!t are a disgrace.

To the management panel,  you could have scoured the community and socials for the past 5 days and come up with an opening statement for this AMA that addressed the most common complaints over this joke of an app upgrade - you knew the complaints were coming.  Instead you over-promise an “Event”  and 600 of us show up here for this AMA, and it takes 40 mins to answer the first concern with, frankly, a canned response that means nothing and tells us even less.

I’m out.

What was the thought process behind releasing the app update in an obviously unfinished state, instead of waiting for critical issues to be resolved?

Thank you @veryblocky @YorkSteve @umiami91. Since you all had similar questions, I’d like to answer them together.

An app is never finished! 

It’s probably a good idea to give you some background. This is a new app - we started from an empty project file. As the project progressed, we stopped investing our time in the old app code. Over time we “cross-faded” our engineering attention into the new app. We need to make the new app be the app going forward so we stop splitting our attention.

We decided that now is the moment to bring you the new app. This is the beginning, and we will be continually iterating going forward. As I said - an app is never finished.

 

Sorry Tucker but that’s not true and you know it.

An app needs to be at least *working* before it’s released. 
The app you guys released was not, in any sense of the word, ready for release.

It doesn’t work. It simply isn’t fit for purpose. 

 

Mod edit: Removed swearing

What was the thought process behind releasing the app update in an obviously unfinished state, instead of waiting for critical issues to be resolved?

Thank you @veryblocky @YorkSteve @umiami91. Since you all had similar questions, I’d like to answer them together.

An app is never finished! 

It’s probably a good idea to give you some background. This is a new app - we started from an empty project file. As the project progressed, we stopped investing our time in the old app code. Over time we “cross-faded” our engineering attention into the new app. We need to make the new app be the app going forward so we stop splitting our attention.

We decided that now is the moment to bring you the new app. This is the beginning, and we will be continually iterating going forward. As I said - an app is never finished.

That is all understandable --- but why is there no Alpha - Beta Project and then, after all is fixed and work with and for the beta customers transfer into the productive version for worldwide access? I know that from my work that only this way can work for such an important software for the company Sonos. 

This is my meaning about the controversy you have created with the delivery of this part of software with no way back… 

Sorry 

 

Mod Edit: Removed profanity

I can’t quite believe that we have all been left hanging and that no one is going to answer a single question or even acknowledge our existence. 

We really should make this fiasco public.

 

Will My Library be added back to Global search?

@Richard Schiffman Yes! We will be adding your local music library to search in the coming weeks.

Then why release it in the first place? My non tech wife asked me why the Sonos system is not working. Do I tell her “the dev team decided it was time for this? Sorry hon.” 

I’m going off to play my guitar - much better for my blood pressure.

Sorry guys but app and ama are a bit of a fail.

Bye

Can you explain the benefits to users of going to a cross-platform based solution thats based on web-technologies when your most significant use is on iOS, iPadOS and Android? In my point of view it would be more valuable to users to have native apps for the key platforms that adhere to the design guidelines respective to each platform, and use their native APIs and feature sets to ensure a performant app that looks at home on the respective platform. You are now limited by the features your cross-platform code base supports and not features unique to the iOS ecosystem for example. 

What was the thought process behind releasing the app update in an obviously unfinished state, instead of waiting for critical issues to be resolved?

Thank you @veryblocky @YorkSteve @umiami91. Since you all had similar questions, I’d like to answer them together.

An app is never finished! 

It’s probably a good idea to give you some background. This is a new app - we started from an empty project file. As the project progressed, we stopped investing our time in the old app code. Over time we “cross-faded” our engineering attention into the new app. We need to make the new app be the app going forward so we stop splitting our attention.

We decided that now is the moment to bring you the new app. This is the beginning, and we will be continually iterating going forward. As I said - an app is never finished.

Thanks Tucker, but that really doesn't answer the question. Didn't you realise that so many important functions were missing? Why didn't you release it as an optional upgrade? 

What was the thought process behind releasing the app update in an obviously unfinished state, instead of waiting for critical issues to be resolved?

Thank you @veryblocky @YorkSteve @umiami91. Since you all had similar questions, I’d like to answer them together.

An app is never finished! 

It’s probably a good idea to give you some background. This is a new app - we started from an empty project file. As the project progressed, we stopped investing our time in the old app code. Over time we “cross-faded” our engineering attention into the new app. We need to make the new app be the app going forward so we stop splitting our attention.

We decided that now is the moment to bring you the new app. This is the beginning, and we will be continually iterating going forward. As I said - an app is never finished.

Oh for goodness sake, this answer alone makes me want to never buy another product from Sonos ever again.

The best part of the answer was that it was the best answer that could be produced after 30 minutes!

What was the thought process behind releasing the app update in an obviously unfinished state, instead of waiting for critical issues to be resolved?

Thank you @veryblocky @YorkSteve @umiami91. Since you all had similar questions, I’d like to answer them together.

An app is never finished! 

It’s probably a good idea to give you some background. This is a new app - we started from an empty project file. As the project progressed, we stopped investing our time in the old app code. Over time we “cross-faded” our engineering attention into the new app. We need to make the new app be the app going forward so we stop splitting our attention.

We decided that now is the moment to bring you the new app. This is the beginning, and we will be continually iterating going forward. As I said - an app is never finished.

This kind of corporate speak really isn’t going to mend the badly damaged customer relations.

What was the thought process behind releasing the app update in an obviously unfinished state, instead of waiting for critical issues to be resolved?

Thank you @veryblocky @YorkSteve @umiami91. Since you all had similar questions, I’d like to answer them together.

An app is never finished! 

It’s probably a good idea to give you some background. This is a new app - we started from an empty project file. As the project progressed, we stopped investing our time in the old app code. Over time we “cross-faded” our engineering attention into the new app. We need to make the new app be the app going forward so we stop splitting our attention.

We decided that now is the moment to bring you the new app. This is the beginning, and we will be continually iterating going forward. As I said - an app is never finished.



Also, @tuckerseverson, as a consumer/user of Sonos products, I’m not terribly interested in whether or not this is a new app, started from scratch or not. That has no impact on my use. Are we supposed to glean something from the fact that you started from scratch?

Are you expecting us to be grateful? Impressed? I’m not sure the relevance of the “behind-the-scenes” info to this AMA, nor the user experience.

I see in the description above.. it says: “14th of May from 11:00 until 14:00 GMT -07” I am sure that was supposed to be PT not GMT !!!  Did they start 5 hours ago without us all ? very courageous

GMT -07  is another way to say “7 hours west of GMT”, which is the same as PDT.

 

For the app to be missing features and functions, there must have been issues with the scope of the project and feedback from the Beta testers.

Did you know it was missing key features before you released it?

Did your Beta testers advise you of what was broken?

I do like the look and feel of the app, but it appears that it was not ready for release.

What was the rush? Why did you need to release this now?

is anybody getting anything useful from this joke of an event? I’m not sure why I hoped it would be accessible or at all useful, when Sonos clearly does not care about users who are blind. Many of us have invested a great deal of money into our sound systems and with this update, we now own expensive paper weights

There are some updates. The ones I’ve read are without an apology and written from a perspective that we (consumer) don’t understand.

“ We decided that now is the moment to bring you the new app. “

 

Narrator:  “It wasn’t”.

What was the thought process behind releasing the app update in an obviously unfinished state, instead of waiting for critical issues to be resolved?

Thank you @veryblocky @YorkSteve @umiami91. Since you all had similar questions, I’d like to answer them together.

An app is never finished! 

It’s probably a good idea to give you some background. This is a new app - we started from an empty project file. As the project progressed, we stopped investing our time in the old app code. Over time we “cross-faded” our engineering attention into the new app. We need to make the new app be the app going forward so we stop splitting our attention.

We decided that now is the moment to bring you the new app. This is the beginning, and we will be continually iterating going forward. As I said - an app is never finished.

The app you've released is barely started. You're a joke. 

Do you think it’s fair to put you in front of this crowd?

I mean, they don’t appear to be actually putting anyone in front of this crowd at all...

What was the thought process behind releasing the app update in an obviously unfinished state, instead of waiting for critical issues to be resolved?

Thank you @veryblocky @YorkSteve @umiami91. Since you all had similar questions, I’d like to answer them together.

An app is never finished! 

It’s probably a good idea to give you some background. This is a new app - we started from an empty project file. As the project progressed, we stopped investing our time in the old app code. Over time we “cross-faded” our engineering attention into the new app. We need to make the new app be the app going forward so we stop splitting our attention.

We decided that now is the moment to bring you the new app. This is the beginning, and we will be continually iterating going forward. As I said - an app is never finished.

“Cross fade”.  Does this mean “dump all the things that everybody uses every day, and then release it”?  Please don’t use market jargon words on us.  Treat us with some respect.  AND LISTEN TO US.  It’s not all about you.

 

What was the thought process behind releasing the app update in an obviously unfinished state, instead of waiting for critical issues to be resolved?

Thank you @veryblocky @YorkSteve @umiami91. Since you all had similar questions, I’d like to answer them together.

An app is never finished! 

It’s probably a good idea to give you some background. This is a new app - we started from an empty project file. As the project progressed, we stopped investing our time in the old app code. Over time we “cross-faded” our engineering attention into the new app. We need to make the new app be the app going forward so we stop splitting our attention.

We decided that now is the moment to bring you the new app. This is the beginning, and we will be continually iterating going forward. As I said - an app is never finished.

So we’re not gonna get anything of use here? No apology. No explanation. No accountability. What a joke. 

This is so insulting, nearly 45 minutes and just now seeing buried replies in posts our time is valuable and we have shown up, you could at least do the minimum and do the same.

There is certainly no courage here, just contempt for you customers, cowardice and a continued double down on the tone deaf path you seem to think is the way forward.

Shame on you Sonos

What was the thought process behind releasing the app update in an obviously unfinished state, instead of waiting for critical issues to be resolved?

Thank you @veryblocky @YorkSteve @umiami91. Since you all had similar questions, I’d like to answer them together.

An app is never finished! 

It’s probably a good idea to give you some background. This is a new app - we started from an empty project file. As the project progressed, we stopped investing our time in the old app code. Over time we “cross-faded” our engineering attention into the new app. We need to make the new app be the app going forward so we stop splitting our attention.

We decided that now is the moment to bring you the new app. This is the beginning, and we will be continually iterating going forward. As I said - an app is never finished.

Cheers for that absolute load of nonsense, functionality was REMOVED on purpose how do you explain that?

Bunch of BS and wasted time for everyone here. Not sure what their goal of this AMA was. I suggest Everyone move to Roon. Much better experience and player options.

✌🏽

Will it be possible to add a custom url to a music streamer in the new sonos app?

you are editting posts

 

I thinks as long as people are not offensive, you should give them some room to express their frustration

Are you really proud of this release?

 

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