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Google Assistant Support


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When does Sonos expect to have support for Google Assistant?
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Best answer by Ryan S 14 May 2019, 21:10

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OK Google, play my playlist Brian on Sonos 5
"Sure, my playlist Brian from Google Play Music, playing on Sonos 5"
"Sorry it looks like the subscription tier for Google Play Music is not supported"

That playlist consists of albums from Brian Culbertson in my Google Play Library. These are albums that I own on CD, and I have uploaded to Google Play Music.

If I ask for a specific song, I get the same error response.

It's as if the assistant assumes only one type of music source - a paid subscription account.

Yet, I can ask it to play the same stuff WITHOUT the Sonos, and it works... plays the music directly on the Google Home device speaker.
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Anyone else getting "subscription tier for google play music is not supported"? Do I require a paid subscription for this now?

I get this when trying to stream to sonos but not when I stream to google home device.

Thanks.
I'm getting this same error from the google assistant.
Someone said you need to have a CC on file with Google Play Music even if you're using the free account. Well I have that and it still doesn't work. I even have a $25 Play Music credit.
Using the Sonos App on the phone, I can get Sonos to play my library songs that I uploaded to Google Play Music.
But it won't do the same thing when I ask Google Assistant.
It's acting as if the only supported music source is to stream from a paid account at Google Play Music.


At this time, Google Assistant needs to use a Google Play Music Premium account to play music on Sonos. I'll make sure to let the team know you're looking for this, but for now, the only free services supported are TuneIn and Pandora when using Google Assistant.
OK Ryan, that's good to know, thanks. I suspect lots of folks are like me, using the free tier.

BTW I can startup iheartradio successfully on the Sonos via Google Assistant. But II couldn't get the typical transport controls to work - i.e. volume up/down via voice commands did nothing. Assistant accepted the commands and didn't complain about anything but the volume wouldn't change.

Do you know of any supported ways to play local network content on Sonos and controlled through Google Assistant? Things like network share drives, DLNA, uPnP, etc. I currently use Plex service for this through the Sonos app, but so far I can't find any way to do this through Google Assistant with Sonos speakers.
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Local content isn't available as an audio source for Google Assistant on Sonos at this time.

There is currently a partial outage of some of the online services, which could be giving you the issue with the volume controls. You can keep an eye on this page for status changes. Until it's back up, I wouldn't worry too much about commands that should work and aren't. As they could just be broken due to that outage.
When will it be coming to Denmark. Have waited 1 1/2 year now.

At this time, Google Assistant needs to use a Google Play Music Premium account to play music on Sonos. I'll make sure to let the team know you're looking for this, but for now, the only free services supported are TuneIn and Pandora when using Google Assistant.


This is just painful. Such a long wait for such an arbitrarily limited delivery.

I have a large library of music sitting in my computer, which has the Sonos Desktop Controller installed. This same collection is in the Google Cloud and available through Google Play Music. I also have an Amazon Music subscription. All those work well with the Sonos app, but I can't touch any of them with the Google Assistant-Sonos bridge. What a let-down. It's the kind of thing that makes you just want to give up. Had a bought a Google Home Max none of this would be happening.

I am a software engineer and I have written silly apps integrated with Google Assistant. All you need is an OAuth server, a server to handle the GA requests, and the will to do it. Two years and all we get is this. Man...
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> HTBruce wrote:
>
>JoeCW wrote:
>Anyone else getting "subscription tier for google play music is not supported"? Do I require a paid >subscription for this now?
>
>I get this when trying to stream to sonos but not when I stream to google home device.
>
>Thanks.
>I'm getting this same error from the google assistant.
>Someone said you need to have a CC on file with Google Play Music even if you're using the free >account. Well I have that and it still doesn't work. I even have a $25 Play Music credit.
>Using the Sonos App on the phone, I can get Sonos to play my library songs that I uploaded to Google >Play Music.
>But it won't do the same thing when I ask Google Assistant.
>It's acting as if the only supported music source is to stream from a paid account at Google Play Music.

I have the same issue (as I'm sure many many people do). I have downloaded my music to the free version of Google Play Music. However, the new Google Assistant on Sonos One will not play my music -- it requires a paid subscription. As I understand it, this feature works on other Google Assistant devices such as the Google Home. It also works via the Sonos app. Given that both Google Play Music and Google Assistant are developed by the same company, and given that it works on other devices, it does not seem to make much sense that Sonos cannot support playing my own music library stored on Google Play Music.

Ryan S - could you please let us know if and when Sonos begins to support this?

In the meantime, I will probably switch back to Alexa (as the native support for Google's own music services was the primary reason I was looking to switch to Google Assistant)...

Thanks!

At this time, Google Assistant needs to use a Google Play Music Premium account to play music on Sonos. I'll make sure to let the team know you're looking for this, but for now, the only free services supported are TuneIn and Pandora when using Google Assistant.This is just painful. Such a long wait for such an arbitrarily limited delivery.

I have a large library of music sitting in my computer, which has the Sonos Desktop Controller installed. This same collection is in the Google Cloud and available through Google Play Music. I also have an Amazon Music subscription. All those work well with the Sonos app, but I can't touch any of them with the Google Assistant-Sonos bridge. What a let-down. It's the kind of thing that makes you just want to give up. Had a bought a Google Home Max none of this would be happening.


I would bet that it's Google that is requiring a paid premium subscription, not Sonos. Sonos has nothing to gain by such a restriction. The same goes for your Amazon music subscription. You certainly can't access Amazon music through a Google Home Max.

I am a software engineer and I have written silly apps integrated with Google Assistant. All you need is an OAuth server, a server to handle the GA requests, and the will to do it. Two years and all we get is this. Man...


I don't think this is a technical reason, but business. I also don't know that it's accurate to compare your apps to the development and testing required for this integration.

None of that is to say that your frustration is invalid. I just don't know that blaming this on Sonos, or inferring that this is a failure on Sonos development part, is going to be very productive in getting the services and features that you want.
I agree that the decision is probably a business one, but I doubt Google has the blame here. Google is in a mad competition with Amazon, and wants as much hardware as possible integrated with the Google Assistant. Also, having the ability to integrate with users' music library works in favor of Google too, as it shows the potential of having equivalent access to an much larger library via the paid service. Besides, Sonos already has access to music libraries via the app, and that includes libraries shared from home computers via the desktop version of the Connector.

Regarding who has something to gain with the restriction, it probably has to do with who gets the data being collected. It would not surprise me if this is at the heart of the artificial limitation. All I can say is that, as a consumer, I am standing at the losing end. As much as I love the sound quality of my Play 5, it is no longer the only kid in the block. It hasn't been for some time. I would not consider purchasing another Sonos product until this is addressed appropriately.
I agree that the decision is probably a business one, but I doubt Google has the blame here. Google is in a mad competition with Amazon, and wants as much hardware as possible integrated with the Google Assistant. Also, having the ability to integrate with users' music library works in favor of Google too, as it shows the potential of having equivalent access to an much larger library via the paid service. Besides, Sonos already has access to music libraries via the app, and that includes libraries shared from home computers via the desktop version of the Connector.

Regarding who has something to gain with the restriction, it probably has to do with who gets the data being collected. It would not surprise me if this is at the heart of the artificial limitation. All I can say is that, as a consumer, I am standing at the losing end. As much as I love the sound quality of my Play 5, it is no longer the only kid in the block. It hasn't been for some time. I would not consider purchasing another Sonos product until this is addressed appropriately.


Sonos has stated many times in the past that the requirements for premium or paid subscriptions are decided by the service providers and that they, Sonos, have no input on those requirements.
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I would not be surprised if this is indeed the case -- that the limitation is imposed by Google. In fact, I seem to recall a few years ago, that the same issue on Google Play Music access came up with Google Home as well. But then, after numerous user complaints, it was "fixed".

If this is indeed the case, it would still seem that Sonos is still in the best position to potentially address the issue with the service provider, given their already established relationship with the firm (contacts already established in previous licensing and sharing discussions, etc.). Also, Sonos would have access to their user usage statistics and Google Play Music access issue statistics (gathered from Sonos usage data, this forum, and other sources), which would put them in the best position to best represent the user community in discussions with the provider.

Anyways, crossing fingers that our voices are heard...
Still love my Sonos ecosystem and while I'm still rather disappointed that it was a solid year and a half (more than that if from the time of my pre-order) until my SonosONE could do what I purchased it to do at the onset. Though, to be fair (and I must be) I initially was simply in the market for an additional Play:1 speaker at the time and the Sonos:ONE was the same price so I bought it instead.

At the end of the day I'm simply overjoyed to finally have Alexa out of my kitchen. Native Googe devices have their strengths, and Sonos devices have theirs. I'm just happy they can finally communicate at all. I'll continue using the app for most tasks anyhow. Thanks, Sonos, for finally following through on your promise. The wait was long.
Would Google Assistant work with Sonos Amp/Connect/Connect:Amp via a Google Home Mini?
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Would Google Assistant work with Sonos Amp/Connect/Connect:Amp via a Google Home Mini?
Any Google Assistant enabled device can control any Sonos device using the new Google Assistant integration. You just need to set up the connection in the Sonos/Google Assistant apps.

Also, the Sonos Amp/Connect/Connect:Amp all have a line-in, so if you're looking to use all of the audio out of a device, you could use that if the Google Assistant device you're looking at has a line-out.
Ryan, my use case is to have 10+ rooms with in-ceiling speakers with 10+ Sonos Amps in a closet and a Google device in each room to listen for commands. I would like to say "OK Google, play "Song X" in "Room Y". Thanks!
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Great, that should work just fine. One note to mention, the Google devices wouldn't be linked with Sonos in order to play the same thing at the same time. But that command will work great.
Ryan, could you please explain?
I thought you could make groups and play the same thing in multiple rooms at the same time.
For example, during a party, couldn't I say "OK Google, play "Playlist A" "Downstairs", where Downstairs is a collection of Sonos Amps that are linked?
Is this just an issue with using Google Assistant to do it, or is Sonos not able to do this at all?
Thanks!
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Sonos players have grouping built into them. Using the Sonos app, you can make any sort of combinations you'd like, on the fly. But the Google Speaker Group is not currently in the Sonos and Google integration. There isn't a way to group Sonos players together using Google Assistant, but if you have a group of Sonos speakers that set up with the Sonos app, they'll stay grouped together, and you can use the Google Assistant to have all of them play music together. The command for that would be to target any speaker in the group with a play command.

For example, let's say you make a Sonos group using the Sonos app with the Kitchen, Living Room, and Guest Bathroom units. Then, using the command "Hey Google, play some music in the Kitchen" would start playing something in all three rooms, in sync. If you only wanted to play in the kitchen, you need to disconnect the Kitchen from the group using the Sonos app, and then issue the command (or issue the command and in the Sonos app drop the other units from the group).
@palpatine242 At the risk of over complicating the answer @Ryan S provided, the rules he's providing only apply to the Google/Sonos integration. With Alexa/Sonos integration you can utilize Alexa groups to better control where the music plays when you make a request to Alexa.

You can group a Sonos room with an echo in that room so that commands automatically play to that Sonos room. For example, you can say "Alexa, play X" to the echo in your kitchen and your kitchen Sonos speakers will play the music.

You can also create an Alexa group (call in 'downstairs') that has your kitchen, living room, and guest room in it without a specific issue. In that case, you can say "alexa, play X on downstairs" to any alexa device in your home and the music will play in the kitchen, living room, and guest room.

I'm mentioning this for two reason. One, if you haven't bought your equipment yet, you might want to consider going with Alexa over Google if this is an important feature to you. Second, if you are committed to using Google, I think you can be fairly optimistic that the features Alexa currently has will eventually come to Google.
@palpatine242 At the risk of over complicating the answer @Ryan S provided, the rules he's providing only apply to the Google/Sonos integration. With Alexa/Sonos integration you can utilize Alexa groups to better control where the music plays when you make a request to Alexa.

You can group a Sonos room with an echo in that room so that commands automatically play to that Sonos room. For example, you can say "Alexa, play X" to the echo in your kitchen and your kitchen Sonos speakers will play the music.



Coming from Alexa, I would agree with @melvimbe on this if you have not started down the google assistant path yet and that is important for you. The 2 main things I am missing are the "play x" command and it plays in the room local to the voice device and sonos device and playing my own music through google play to a sonos speaker.

Like anything else in this evolving world though, you start to get used to it and naturally work around until the feature gets released. Hopefully one or more of the 2 above is going to be released soon. Default room speaker with sonos and grouping in google home should probably come together if Google home recognizes sonos as a smart speaker within the app like other google home devices.

Now that the integration itself is out, does anyone know what the next features of this integration being looked at are? Or, confirmation that it has not stopped at this.
thanks for implementing this!

Is there a way to use the Sonos Speakers as Google Assistant notifications?

Example: Someone rings my Nest Hello doorbell. Right now I have my Sonos One announcing "Someone is at the front door".
Could I get the same notification on my Playbar, in the living room?
I would rather not replace it by a Beam. The Playbar is much better quality IMO.
Any way to have audio play on Sonos but Video from YouTube on chromecast?
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Very disappointed in Sonos AGAIN. Received the email stating Sonos now has the Google assistant. Updated my speakers only to discover its US only.

Even had the cheek to put a Shop Now button in there. Misleading to say the least.


Just change your country to USA in your Sonos Account Profile. Work fine after that.
If I have Sonos Amps (for in-ceiling speakers) and Google Home Minis / Google Nest Homes as inputs, will my Google Assistant query responses go to my in-ceiling speakers or to the Minis/Homes?
If I have Sonos Amps (for in-ceiling speakers) and Google Home Minis / Google Nest Homes as inputs, will my Google Assistant query responses go to my in-ceiling speakers or to the Minis/Homes?

Responses will go to the Minis/Homes, music will play via the Sonos Amps.