Can now simply play personal music library via app.

  • 16 August 2023
  • 6 replies
  • 588 views
W

Finally after days & hours of trying to find a workaround regarding not being able to access my music library on my phone & tablet.

Thanks to someone mentioning  the App called HiFi Cast. Sorry did not get his name. But thanks heaps. Best answer!

Downloaded the app. Opened the app & it showed my music library on my device.

I then found some options by pressing the row of lines on the top left corner that showed one of them being my Sonos Play 5 which I pressed. Then I pressed the album I wanted to play & guess what. It works!

I found this the most easiest & least time consuming than the other options of uploading music to clouds, Youtube music, Spotify etc. Trying to workout what a NAS drive is etc, etc I even figured out I could also plug in a bluetooth receiver into the 3.5 jack at the back of the speaker. But mine was a very cheap one which played the music but voice/singing was far too quiet. So I ordered a HiFi bluetooth receiver......... But looks like I may not need it now.

All I wanted was the original functionality of going to my device & choosing my personal music that I have saved to an SD card or in my phone & tablet. 

The only thing is you cannot put your phone to sleep as the music will stop. Something you can adjust in your device settings.

The other thing is I had my Sonos playing radio station music before I installed the HiFi Cast app. Once I chose my song the radio station music stopped & my song came on. Awesome! Not sure as yet if I need to ever open the Sonos app to play my music. Maybe just to access the speaker settings? 

Not sure why Sonos didn't give us this option before & now.

 

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6 replies

Corry P
Userlevel 7
Badge +18

Hi @Wilow1 

Welcome to the Sonos Community!

Thank you for sharing your findings with the community!

We are not able to advise the use of any third-party apps as we have no way of guaranteeing their functionality, continued support, or even user safety, but I am glad to see you sharing here that you found a solution to your problem.

"Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen." - Albert Einstein
W

Thanks Corry,

I can sort of understand your reply regarding you cannot give guarantees in case of failures.

Unfortunately in my view when buying a product I do not want that business to still have some control over a product that I now own & rendering it useless. 

At least that product should be left with the functionality of its last supported update even if no further updates can be made so the user can continue playing their music via their own devices.

In my case I have an older phone that I use to only play my music to all of my other brand bluetooth speakers. Unfortunately not my Sonos speaker anymore until now that I have found an app that works.

This phone cannot use any Sonos app anymore because it is outdated for Sonos.

Lucky I have other devices that can still use the Sonos app to configure the speaker. But, for how long before those devices are rendered useless by Sonos.

I am very happy now that I have a 3rd party app that I can now play my personal music as well as its vast radio stations. So no more going into my Sonos app anymore unless I need to do any changes or setups with my speaker.

At this stage I would definitely not recommend Sonos to anyone unless Sonos sorts itself out.

Imagine buying a new car & within a year that seller decides to shut its engine starting & instruments down.

There goes tens of thousands of dollars. Not good enough is it.

 

Corry P
Userlevel 7
Badge +18

Hi @Wilow1 

I would perhaps say that it’s more akin to buying a car and then your local council decides that a route you frequent has been turned into a taxi/motorbike-only section of road, but I take your point.

"Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen." - Albert Einstein
W

So it seems that it is another party or parties that are forcing these changes that Sonos has made. Would I be right?

Sounds a bit like my DJI drone that I basically cannot start up & fly at my home home because of an update that restricted me because I was within 5km to my local airport. A work around was to flash the firmware to reconfigure to the owners needs. I sort of tried it but it didn't really work. So I bought another brand drone that I could use instead. But disappointing for DJI that it could totally shut down my drone when instead there update could have let me fly my drone around my home area which was very possible.

Again for Sonos. I still cannot understand how it couldn't do a simple update or design their own app for speaker users to play their music. It really is a very simple thing in my view. But hey I suppose it is connected to the internet & its threats etc.

So I suppose there will be other brand speakers that will take the market ahead of Sonos because of this in my view.

Corry P
Userlevel 7
Badge +18

Hi @Wilow1 

We are subject to the rules and guidelines that either Google (Android) or Apple specify for apps made available on their respective App Stores, yes.

Not flying drones near an airport sounds fairly sensible to me.

Again for Sonos. I still cannot understand how it couldn't do a simple update or design their own app for speaker users to play their music. It really is a very simple thing in my view. 

This is a common misconception. Our app does absolutely nothing in terms of playing music or audio of any kind - it is just a remote control for your speakers, and it is the speakers that generally do all the work. The exception to this is when ‘casting in some way to a speaker either using AirPlay, Bluetooth or the discontinued On This Device feature. Both AirPlay and Bluetooth require the use of an app that can play music without the assistance of speakers. Given that apps are no longer permitted to share local files to external devices in the way that they once were, to get the Sonos app to play local music to Sonos speakers would require a complete rewrite of the app -  to make it more like the multitude of apps out there that can already play music, of which you have found one that will ‘cast (presumably using DLNA). There’s no point in us reinventing the wheel, but it is unfortunate we cannot point you to a good tyre salesman.

"Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen." - Albert Einstein
W

Thanks Corry.

Yes. Agree not flying drones near an airport. But completely shutting it off has gone too far. But anyway that's for the drone site to argue.

I suppose Android & Apple have their reasons as well. Shame all of this gets so complicated & destroys simplicity & convenience. After all that's why technology comes into something. But it gets pushed to a point where all this is lost.

A bit like my TV. When the technology fails & I'm promoted to turn it off physically by the On/Off button I have to search around my TV to try & find it!😂🤣  

But anyway. Good luck to the Sonos business. At least I can now use my speaker.🙄

Take care.🙂

And Oh. At least now I can blame Google, Android & Apple for stuffing it up.🙄🙂

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