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flytzen
Contributor I
May 1, 2020

Google Assistant does not play Radio Stations

  • May 1, 2020
  • 66 replies
  • 7451 views

When I ask my Sonos: "Hey, Google! Play Heart 80s". It replies with: "Playing Heart 80s on TuneIn". However, it then says: "Sorry I can't find what you asked for". This is really disappointing, because Alexa plays radio stations without any issues. Any suggestions on how to fix this? 

 

Exactly the same issue reported 

https://en.community.sonos.com/google-assistant-and-sonos-229109/google-assistant-does-not-play-radio-stations-6833977

and

https://en.community.sonos.com/google-assistant-and-sonos-229109/google-assistant-has-problem-playing-tunein-station-6825633

Weirdly Sonos seems to just keep closing the issues so you can’t comment on. Very poor customer service.

 

As described in the other issues - this is 100% a Sonos issue. The error comes after control is handed back from Google to Sonos and the exact same voice commands work on google home devices on the same network.

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    66 replies

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    Dufflebag
    Lyricist III
    July 21, 2020

    This issue - seriously - is utterly crap.  It used to work fine, now it doesn’t.   It has been going on for months!!!  I use - or used to use - this functionality all the time.  It’s one of the reasons I volunteered for the Beta programs.  ‘Hoping’ to have a solution soon says a lot about where your priorities are.  Not being able or willing to set a time-frame for a fix screams out disrespect, or at least, not giving a toss for all of us affected by it. There are plenty of respectable alternatives out there.

     

     

    Moderator edit: Removed profanity

    Dufflebag
    Lyricist III
    July 22, 2020

     

    Moderator edit: Removed profanity

     

    ….and the critical statement it formed part of.  Nice one.

    FFoxSake
    Avid Contributor I
    July 23, 2020

    Another diagnostic for you in case it helps - using Sonos S1 to a Sonos One pair… 

    “Hey Google, play Radio Five Live”

    Reply is “OK, playing BBC Radio Five Live on TuneIn”

    followed immediately by

    “Sorry, I can't find what you asked for” 

     

    Diagnostics submitted - 465778860

    Dufflebag
    Lyricist III
    August 10, 2020

    My setup has just started working again, after months of doing this and many complaints.  Cheers for the communication Sonos.  Never has there been a company that treats its customers so contemptuously.  Next setup WON’T be Sonos, that’s for sure.

      Krishma M
      Krishma M
      Retired Sonos Staff
      August 10, 2020

      Hi @Dufflebag, thanks for letting us know about that. We greatly appreciate your patience and sorry you’ve had to deal with this. Upon checking the issue is no longer occurring. Thanks for understanding and let us know if there’s anything else we can help you with.
       

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      JamesDan
      JamesDan
      Prominent Collaborator I
      August 11, 2020

      I just found out that the Assistant on my Ones/Beam cannot seem to use Assistant actions. If I tell Sonos to play Radio 4 on the BBC, it says that the BBC isn’t currently supported on [speaker name]. All my other Google Home speakers support this but Sonos doesn’t. Even asking it to play Radio 4 on TuneIn doesn’t work. All I get is silence.

       

      Trying to play LBC/Classic FM on Global Player doesn’t work either. It also tells me that Global Player currently isn’t supported on [speaker name]

      Issuing the same command to my Google Home speakers always works.

      Sonos is clearly at fault here, it doesn’t seem to support Assistant actions!

      This needs to be fixed pronto!

      Is this ever going to be fixed?

      JamesDan
      JamesDan
      Prominent Collaborator I
      August 11, 2020

      I just found out that the Assistant on my Ones/Beam cannot seem to use Assistant actions. If I tell Sonos to play Radio 4 on the BBC, it says that the BBC isn’t currently supported on [speaker name]. All my other Google Home speakers support this but Sonos doesn’t. Even asking it to play Radio 4 on TuneIn doesn’t work. All I get is silence.

       

      Trying to play LBC/Classic FM on Global Player doesn’t work either. It also tells me that Global Player currently isn’t supported on [speaker name]

      Issuing the same command to my Google Home speakers always works.

      Sonos is clearly at fault here, it doesn’t seem to support Assistant actions!

      This needs to be fixed pronto!

      Is this ever going to get any attention?

      The OP also mentioned a Global radio station (Heart 80s) which isn’t available outside the UK using TuneIn. One must tell the Google Assistant to play it on Global Player instead of TuneIn. 

      This works fine on Google’s own speakers but doesn’t work on Sonos.

      Dufflebag
      Lyricist III
      August 11, 2020

      “….Upon checking the issue is no longer occurring. Thanks for understanding and let us know if there’s anything else we can help you with.”
       

       

      Hilarious.

      mmca22gr
      Enthusiast II
      August 12, 2020

      The fact that it just started working again looks to me like SONOS had nothing do with fixing it so it is laughable that the SONOS staff are asking if there is *anything else* they can help with. LOL!

      martinski
      Lyricist III
      August 12, 2020

      I’m now able to play BBC Radio 1 and 5 using google assistant. Radio 2 and 4 still don’t work however. 

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