Tips & Tricks

Helpful tips for making the Google Assistant work with Sonos

Helpful tips for making the Google Assistant work with Sonos
Ryan S
Userlevel 7
Badge +26
  • Ryan S
  • Retired Sonos Staff
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There are some basic things to check when you’re trying to get the Google Assistant to work with Sonos if you’re having trouble. This thread will have some starting steps to getting it all sorted out.

You can also find some useful tips and tricks here and there's a list of commands here.

Check your Google Account(s)


To start with, make sure you’re checking that you have the correct Google Account being used for Sonos.

If you have multiple Google accounts set up and logged in on your mobile device, it’s possible the wrong one is trying to be used. Check in your phones Account Settings, you may need to remove the extra ones during set up if the apps keep trying to use the wrong one.

You may have your Sonos system linked to one of your Google accounts but your Google Home devices could be linked with a different one. In this case, Google will return an error about being unable to find the device.

Possible Mismatched Music Service accounts


If you’re using a music service that needs a premium account, make sure that you have those credentials in both Sonos and in the Google Assistant app.

In the Sonos app, check in Settings > Music Services to make sure you have the same credentials as those in the Google Assistant app.

Also, the music service in Sonos may be a free account or an expired account, so please confirm with the service.

Are multiple Sonos systems using the same Google Assistant


Only one Sonos system can be associated with a Google account at a time. If you have two homes both with the Google Assistant being used in them, you’ll need to pick one Sonos system to have linked with them at a time. Alternatively, you could use a different Google account for each location.

Duplicate names or room name conflicts


When you ask the Google Assistant to perform a task on a device, it uses the name, and potentially could be confused if you have multiple devices with the same name.

As an example, if you have a Sonos player named Living Room and a smart light named Living Room, using the command "Hey Google, turn it up in the Living Room" may have Google Assistant try to increase the brightness of your smart lights instead of the volume of your speaker. Which wouldn’t work.

Using Google Room names


The Google Assistant has Google Room names that can be targeted to perform actions. These names aren’t supported by Sonos devices at this time. You must use the Sonos room name in your command, the one that shows in the Sonos app, when specifically talking to a Sonos room.
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29 replies

M

@pbanders

, Google Play Music requires a Premium account to play music on Sonos using the Google Assistant. Currently this functionality isn't available for their free accounts. I'll make sure to add a request to the teams here and at Google for you.

Too bad I didn’t know this before I purchased a Sonos One...I’ll now be unloading it  getting Google Max speaker...

P
Userlevel 3
Badge +4

In google home you can now set a sonos device as a default speaker.

Well done, this has given new life to my sonos stuff as family could never be bothered to say “on kitchen sonos”

V

I have a mish-mash of Bluetooth speakers with Chromecasts and an old Sonos Play One. I'm old, so I have a huge music library I already paid for, and no intention to buy a subscription to anything. I wrangled with the Google assistant for months to get it to work with my library so I could voice control it from my phone and cast to the non-Sonos speakers. It now works well. I just bought a Sonos One thinking I would now be able to voice control my library through the speaker - nope! I'm ready to return it. This is ridiculous - why buy a $200 speaker, only to have to pay an extra $120 a year forever in music subscriptions to access music I already own?

J

I had an error message that said something to the effect of "There aren't any other speakers on this network" or something. Here's the fix: uninstall Google Assistant in the Sonos app. Reinstall it and make sure it has the exact same address as your internet network. It will work. 

P
Userlevel 3
Badge +4
Rumour was that sonos had to virtually threaten google with copyright infringement, like sonos did with denon, before google would move on GA with sonos.
Google have their own speakers they want to sell, why loose sales to sonos?
Maybe this is the price to be paid, sonos bringing new subscriptions to GPM. That's exactly the route i took to £9.99 a month GPM
Maybe it will work next update, sonos are not saying..
M
Userlevel 1
That makes no sense. It works fine on Samsung phone and Samsung tablet. Why allow it on Samsung hardware but not Sonos hardware?
P
Userlevel 3
Badge +4
We have been told its a google restriction, nothing in it for Sonos , but google make money if you sign up so you can use GA
M
Userlevel 1


@pbanders, Google Play Music requires a Premium account to play music on Sonos using the Google Assistant. Currently this functionality isn't available for their free accounts. I'll make sure to add a request to the teams here and at Google for you.Ryan, thanks for the response. Just to make sure I'm clear, I'm talking about playing my own uploaded music library at GPM using my free GPM account, not premium content. That's the capability I have with my other Google Home speakers, and that's the capability we're requesting be implemented for Sonos speakers using GA. Thanks.That is correct. Currently a premium account is required.


Could you also address whether or not Sonos is planning on including our existing Sonos Music Library content via GA? I'm not asking for a timeline or schedule, just whether Sonos is planning on including it in the future for GA. Thanks again.
I can't confirm one way or the other on the request at this time. Our goal is to build the best experience possible, but beyond that I can't give any specifics.

This doesn't make a lot of sense. I can play my uploaded google music and playlists on my sonos speakers with my free account using the sonos app, and I can use google assistant on my tablet to play the same music from the same google account on my tablet, but when I ask google assistant on my sonos to play music from my google account it mutters something about the subscription.

It seems like a sonos restriction not a google restriction. Why should I have to pay for a premium service to play music I've already paid for and own?
M
Userlevel 1
Ryan S wrote:

Possible Mismatched Music Service accounts


If you’re using a music service that needs a premium account, make sure that you have those credentials in both Sonos and in the Google Assistant app.


Does Google Music need a premium account for Google assistant to work on sonos? I can play google music on my sonos speakers with my free account using the sonos app, and I can use google assistant on my tablet to play music from the same google account on my tablet, but when I ask google assistant on my sonos to play music from my google account it mutters something about the subscription.
M
Userlevel 1

Possible Mismatched Music Service accounts


If you’re using a music service that needs a premium account, make sure that you have those credentials in both Sonos and in the Google Assistant app.


Does Google Music need a premium account for Google assistant to work on sonos? I can play google music on my sonos speakers with my free account using the sonos app, and I can use google assistant on my tablet to play music from the same google account on my tablet, but when I ask google assistant on my sonos to play music from my google account it mutters something about the subscription.
cariacou
Userlevel 3
Badge +4
Thank you! Finally got my Sonos One working with google assistant
Feature request: Guest Mode. Ex: Add an admin login to the Sonos app to restrict desired settings/zones to non-guest users
jgatie
Hi there ! I’m a YouTube Music premium user. I’ve setup Google Assistant on my Sonos One and I’m able to ask about the weather, turning off the lights,... so, that’s great.

But unfortunately, I cannot get it the play some music. If I say “ok Google play some music” - the One responds that “I also need to know which device to use. Try saying that again and include the device’s name.

If i say “ok google play some music in the Living room” (my Sonos one is named Living room), the assistant says : “I can only play videos on devices using chromecast or on cast-enabled TVs”.

My YouTube account is added in Sonos and is the preferred service in Google Assistant settings. I’ve tried deleting and adding back the service in the Sonos app, tried to setup again Google Assistant on the One, unlinked then linking again Sonos is the Assistant app.

I’m out of ideas. Could someone point me in the right direction?

Make sure your smart devices have unique names. If there is another device with the name 'Living Room', the results can be unpredictable. Also, check out this link for more troubleshooting advice:

https://support.sonos.com/s/article/3494?language=en_US
Ryan S
Userlevel 7
Badge +26

@pbanders, Google Play Music requires a Premium account to play music on Sonos using the Google Assistant. Currently this functionality isn't available for their free accounts. I'll make sure to add a request to the teams here and at Google for you.Ryan, thanks for the response. Just to make sure I'm clear, I'm talking about playing my own uploaded music library at GPM using my free GPM account, not premium content. That's the capability I have with my other Google Home speakers, and that's the capability we're requesting be implemented for Sonos speakers using GA. Thanks.
That is correct. Currently a premium account is required.

Could you also address whether or not Sonos is planning on including our existing Sonos Music Library content via GA? I'm not asking for a timeline or schedule, just whether Sonos is planning on including it in the future for GA. Thanks again.

I can't confirm one way or the other on the request at this time. Our goal is to build the best experience possible, but beyond that I can't give any specifics.
Mark good posts by pressing the like button, and select the best answer on questions you've asked to help others find solutions.
P
Userlevel 2
Badge +1
@pbanders, Google Play Music requires a Premium account to play music on Sonos using the Google Assistant. Currently this functionality isn't available for their free accounts. I'll make sure to add a request to the teams here and at Google for you.

Ryan, thanks for the response. Just to make sure I'm clear, I'm talking about playing my own uploaded music library at GPM using my free GPM account, not premium content. That's the capability I have with my other Google Home speakers, and that's the capability we're requesting be implemented for Sonos speakers using GA. Thanks.

Could you also address whether or not Sonos is planning on including our existing Sonos Music Library content via GA? I'm not asking for a timeline or schedule, just whether Sonos is planning on including it in the future for GA. Thanks again.
G
Hi there ! I’m a YouTube Music premium user. I’ve setup Google Assistant on my Sonos One and I’m able to ask about the weather, turning off the lights,... so, that’s great.

But unfortunately, I cannot get it the play some music. If I say “ok Google play some music” - the One responds that “I also need to know which device to use. Try saying that again and include the device’s name.

If i say “ok google play some music in the Living room” (my Sonos one is named Living room), the assistant says : “I can only play videos on devices using chromecast or on cast-enabled TVs”.

My YouTube account is added in Sonos and is the preferred service in Google Assistant settings. I’ve tried deleting and adding back the service in the Sonos app, tried to setup again Google Assistant on the One, unlinked then linking again Sonos is the Assistant app.

I’m out of ideas. Could someone point me in the right direction?
Ryan S
Userlevel 7
Badge +26
@pbanders, Google Play Music requires a Premium account to play music on Sonos using the Google Assistant. Currently this functionality isn't available for their free accounts. I'll make sure to add a request to the teams here and at Google for you.
Mark good posts by pressing the like button, and select the best answer on questions you've asked to help others find solutions.
P
Userlevel 3
Badge +4
Maybe this is the price google wanted for google voice assistant coming to sonos.
Sono will provide new GPM subscriptions as a result.
I believe it is totally upto google what access they allow to free account users, it is after all a loss leader for them in the hope that eventually you will sign up.........like what I did...😊
P
Userlevel 2
Badge +1
Would like a clarification from Sonos on this common issue with GA on Sonos. If I read the "Possible Mismatched Music Service accounts" section correctly, it implies that if you have a free Google Play Music account registered in the Sonos app, that it won't work with GA on Sonos, that you need to have a premium GPM account for it to work. That's what everyone is observing, free GPM accounts don't work. Is this by intention of either or both Sonos and Google?

I ask because there are many users who have free GPM accounts to where they've uploaded their personal music collection, and can play that content with no issues on Google speakers. This capability and Pandora functionality is the main reason I've been waiting for GA on Sonos. I don't want to pay $10 a month for music I already have paid for or don't want.

In lieu of GPM integration, the ability to play content from my Sonos Music Library would be more than sufficient, as I have the content replicated there. Yet this most fundamental music source in Sonos is unavailable to us using GA on Sonos.

Hoping that a solution to these issues is in the works. Until then, I'll continue to use the workarounds I implemented using a Chromecast Audio with GA, instead of the native GA on Sonos crippleware.
chicks
Interesting. Can start a playlist via Alexa on my Ones, then ask any Google or Amazon device in the house, "what's playing right now?". They will all respond with the current song in a completely different room, unless more than one device is playing. Sonos actually got Google and Amazon to play nice together, lol!
E
Badge
FYI: Whenever I change something in an app outside of the Google Home (e.g. Sonos, Nest, light manufacturer, etc.), I say "Hey Google, sync devices." That seems to get everyone on the same page.
Ken_Griffiths
Holy S****, it's finally working, I did the process of adding SONOS to GH like 50 times yesterday and it would not work, tried this morning, and it finally worked... It's working beautifully... I guess it needed to sleep 😂... I'm happy now . Thanks for your help
It was probably the recent outage of a few of the services. Anyhow great to hear it’s now all working for you.👍
J
Holy S****, it's finally working, I did the process of adding SONOS to GH like 50 times yesterday and it would not work, tried this morning, and it finally worked... It's working beautifully... I guess it needed to sleep 😂... I'm happy now . Thanks for your help
Ken_Griffiths
jaimecalitto,

The music initiated from your Google Assistant will work on your legacy speakers, but you will need to include the Sonos room/speaker name in your utterances. So as an example of an explicit instruction...

“Hey Google, Play some Music on Living Room” (where Living Room is the name of your Sonos device)... if you have not set a default music service you will also need to include the name of the streaming music service provider, like this “Hey Google, Play some Music from Amazon Music on Living Room” .. just as two simple examples.

Note that the Sonos device/skill linked to a Sonos Account will only support one Google Account/Google Home at any one time (usually the one that has your music premium subscription service). Also please remember that this same 'default' music prescription service should be installed as a service in the Sonos App registered to the same Sonos Account.

So perhaps in your particular case you need to ensure that the Sonos Account with your speakers registered to it are installed in the one Google Account and the Google Home itself is one created by that account and has your chosen music subscription.

Hope that helps to get you up and running with Google Assistant on Sonos.
J
Wait a minute, I don't have SONOS ONE, all my speakers are Play 1, 3, SONOS bar, I didn't even realize that SONOS One was the new version of SONOS Play 1, will there be support for the legacy play speakers? ugh, I am so disappointed because I have spent a lot of money on all my speakers..
J
Hello KG,
Thanks for the response. Answers

  1. I do not see the SONOS Speakers in the GH app. I have tried to install it from GH, and upon adding the SONOS app device, the same thing happens, it tells me that the speakers need to be linked to my email address, which they are.. both my husband and I share the GH app (SONOS is only under my email address), so I even tried eliminating my husband's email address from the GH app so both accounts would match, that didn't work either..
  2. Yes, it's English
  3. I only have Pandora on GH but multiple accounts in SONOS, will that be a problem?
  4. I cannot add GH under Voice Services in the SONOS app, i run into the same problems as 1 above.
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