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Ditte
Ditte
March 13, 2023

Sonos introduces New Search

Related content:Software
Sonos introduces New Search

 Hi all,

Last week we started rolling out New Search, a new feature that will make it easier to find content in the Sonos app.

What’s New Search?

We’re introducing a new single search box that searches across all categories (Artists, Songs, Albums, Playlists etc), to improve your overall search experience. This means that you no longer need to select a category to search in ahead of time. Instead, the search results will be broken down by category, and aggregated across all your content services, which you can easily switch between at the top of the search menu. 

When performing a search, you will be able to narrow your search results by content service, rather than by category.

 

New Search on Sonos

To try New Search, tap on “Try the New Search” in the search menu.

New Search will be rolling out to all users over the coming weeks, with all users receiving the feature by 25th April [edited from 18th April].

This means that not all of you will have access to New Search right away, but you can expect it soon. 

Will New Search look through all of my audio sources?

New Search does not currently support searching through personal music libraries, “On this Device” (Android) content, or music services with library functionalities.

 

Why is my specific music service not being searched?

While the vast majority of content services on Sonos are available in New Search, there are some that are not yet compatible. We’re working with our partners to add more music services to New Search and look forward to rolling these out over time. In the meantime, all music services continue to be compatible with classic search.

 

I liked the classic search option, can I use that instead?

You can switch between Classic Search and New Search by navigating to the search menu and tapping the buttons labeled “Switch to Classic Search” and “Try the New Search” respectively.

 

Is Classic Search going away? 
No, users will continue to have the option to use classic search .

 Please note: We can’t grant you access to New Search prior to it being available to you.

 

For further information, please see how to switch between New Search and Classic Search.

    129 replies

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    Schlumpf
    Schlumpf
    Virtuoso
    April 10, 2023

     

    New Search will be rolling out to all users over the coming weeks, with all users receiving the feature by 25th April [edited from 18th April].

    This means that not all of you will have access to New Search right away, but you can expect it soon. 

     

    You say to ‘all users’, so does this apply to S1 as well as S2 software users? If so, does changing the search to the classic one stick, or is this something that has to be selected each time?

    It‘s a s2 only feature…

    https://support.sonos.com/en-us/article/switch-between-new-search-and-classic-search-in-the-sonos-app?utm_source=ENCommunity

     

    Ralf
      amun
      April 11, 2023

      It‘s a s2 only feature…

      So not all users, then…

      Not a problem to me, as it doesn’t handle local music libraries. 

      controlav
      controlav
      Lead Maestro
      April 12, 2023

      It‘s a s2 only feature…

      So not all users, then…

      Not a problem to me, as it doesn’t handle local music libraries. 

      S1 doesn’t get any new features, even simple ones, but especially complex ones like this.

      Author of the leading independent Sonos apps for Android, MacOS, iOS, Windows and Xbox.
        amun
        April 16, 2023

        It‘s a s2 only feature…

        So not all users, then…

        Not a problem to me, as it doesn’t handle local music libraries. 

        S1 doesn’t get any new features, even simple ones, but especially complex ones like this.

        That’s fine - I wouldn’t have queried it had Ditte not said that it was being rolled out to all users...

        Titofeh
        Contributor I
        April 17, 2023

        “New Search” doesn’t seem to be materially superior to “Classic Search” in any way.

        Quite the contrary, since it doesn’t support searching personal / local directories, it seems as if Sonos is sniffing the viability of dropping support entirely for that method of listening to music. Yes, the FAQ says users can still use classic search. I can’t help but think that ‘for now’ is the unwritten caveat. Otherwise, perhaps someone with more technical knowledge can explain to me why they wouldn’t add local file searching to the ‘new search’.

        I’ve been so happy with Sonos’ sound quality and speaker tethering options, especially for the price point. I’d already essentially committed to the Sonos ecosystem, and was on the verge of plunking down for a minisub and a few more Ones to add to the other 5 Ones, and this new search feature has me admittedly spooked against furthering my investment/commitment. I have a very large digital library, which has weathered and will continue to weather whichever FOTM streaming service comes and goes.

        I’d love to see a stated/firm commitment from Sonos on continued, indefinite support for local music libraries. 

          Traveller
          April 17, 2023

          Well, personally I would be surprised if any company gave an unequivocal commitment to something for an indefinite period. 
          Regarding this feature, I would suggest you look at the history of support Sonos has given since its inception for legacy items. I know some people have complained about, for example, support for controllers. But these are not passive speakers we are dealing with here, this is technology. It changes, it updates. It improves.

          My advice would be to look at Sonos’ overall commitment, history of support, and make your decision. 

          Richard
          RJSUK
          Enthusiast II
          April 17, 2023

          "Try the New Search' where you won't be able to search your music library or the music on you device. A great backwards innovation. How long until the existing search option is removed?

            tg1
            Enthusiast II
            April 17, 2023

            I know it’s been said already, but… local library search!?!?  This is a must have. 

              Titofeh
              Contributor I
              April 17, 2023

              Well, personally I would be surprised if any company gave an unequivocal commitment to something for an indefinite period. 
              Regarding this feature, I would suggest you look at the history of support Sonos has given since its inception for legacy items. I know some people have complained about, for example, support for controllers. But these are not passive speakers we are dealing with here, this is technology. It changes, it updates. It improves.

              My advice would be to look at Sonos’ overall commitment, history of support, and make your decision. 

              To be clear, I wouldn't expect it. But I've only been on Sonos for a little over a year, so my frame of reference has been what they've done in that time. The initially stated concerns hold: they've unnecessarily dropped support for a fundamental feature that ought to have been easy to keep, and have yet to improve on the ability to organize local files. 

              Technology improves, but this release doesn't appear to be an improvement. 

                RJSUK
                Enthusiast II
                April 17, 2023

                 But these are not passive speakers we are dealing with here, this is technology. It changes, it updates. It improves.

                Having a library of digital music is not an outdated method of accessing your music. I currently do not subscribe to any streaming services but I do have my Amazon Music (Autorip), Spotify (podcasts) and Qobuz (purchases) accounts linked to Sonos.

                By way of comparison, I own the three albums in Light in the Attic's Pacific Breeze collection, all ripped from CD to FLAC and stored on a HDD plugged into my router and linked to my Sonos speakers. If I search for 'Pacific Breeze' under albums in Classic Search I get this and I can just tap on the volume I want to listen to:

                In New Search I get this:

                It's a mess, showing me a confusing array of results for services I don't subscribe to and if the albums were there (There are EP editions - the full albums are not available on streaming platforms) I wouldn't be able to play them.

                Yes, I can manually access the albums by a sequence of taps - Music Icon-Music Library-Albums-Various Artists-Pacific Breeze - but it's a faff especially when you have 3,000+ albums in your music library and the list starts bouncing up and down as Sonos plays catch up trying to populate the screen as you scroll down.

                It's not progress and the fact that Sonos have released New Search minus the ability to search your personal library suggests that this capability has been kicked into touch. Classic Search isn't going to be around forever.

                ​​It is in no way an improvement.

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