Logitech Media Server - 3rd party addition for Sonos devices

  • 15 January 2020
  • 38 replies
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LMS offers some interesting features which you can use alongside the standard Sonos setup.  Using LMS requires that you install the server software on a networked device (eg. a PC running Windows, iOS, or Linux, and even some NAS) - a popular choice is the Raspbery Pi (even including the ultra-cheap Pi Zero at 20 USD).   Installing the software is a task for an average user (and is largely accomplished via a web-browser interface).  Once installed, Sonos devices are seen by LMS as squeezebox players, and have full access to all the features which the server software offers.

Why might you consider this as an addition to your Sonos system?   Here are some pros:

  1.  LMS is complementary to the native Sonos setup.  You do not lose any Sonos features.
  2.  LMS is multi-platform.   Media control is also multi-platform (via web--browser access).   Apps are also available for both Android and iOS (either free or at low cost.
  3. There is no limit for local music libraries
  4. Offers access to Spotify, Qobuz, Tidal and Deezer streaming.  You can also access one of the UK’s most popular radio services, with listen again features!  Podcasts are also available.
  5. A recent addition (in beta) integrates local music library with your Spotify library (albums and playlists).   Probable that Qobuz and other streaming will be integrated)

An active and very supportive community forum

… and a couple of cons:

  • Additional cost (if necessary)
  • Initial installation effort

 

I’m offering this brief overview in a spirit of cooperation and sharing.   Maybe somebody will find it interesting and useful.

It is not intended to decry or compete with the base Sonos system..


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38 replies

Very import feature not mentioned here: volume normalization! A feature missing with Sonos.

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There’s a plugin called Group Players - you could try that .   

If sonos devices are already grouped in sonos, then only one sonos device should be seen as a player.  The sonos group should play in sync (using sonos syncing).   That’s the theory ….

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Another way to use a raspberry pi and Echo speakers!

Picoreplayer is a tiny specialised OS which turns your Pi into both a speaker and a LMS server (or either).  I run mine on a small pi zero w.

Now, recent updates have added bluetooth functions - so my pi can now connect by BT to an Echo - the Echo appears then to LMS as just another speaker.   

I used to play music from a server using a Squeezebox feeding a conventional amplifier & speaker set.  The Squeezebox failed and I now have a well working Sonos system getting music from a Qnap NAS which runs on Linux.   However, I miss not being able to play the music on my laptop (using the Slimserver client program in Windows) or on my iPad.  Reading this thread I see that LMS can be loaded onto a server and used as an alternative way of controlling Sonos speakers.  What is not clear to me is

With LMS installed, can Slimserver in Windows play the music to a PC, or the iOS app SqueezePad play the music to an iPad)?

If it can do, could somebody please guide me:

1 where do I get the LMS server program for my Qnap server (it’s not in the Qnap AppStore). 

2 I would need some how-to advice on installing the app on my NAS (I’ve only ever installed apps from the Qnap AppStore before)

Many thanks to anyone responding / helping me with this

Werner

 

I’ve heard LMS mentioned previously, but never seen a summary of what it can do.  Thanks for that.

 

I primarily use Amazon, Pandora, and Sirius XM for streaming.  If I did setup a local library I wouldn’t be approaching Sonos limits.  I use voice, android, and rarely windows for control.  So, LMS doesn’t really have any features that I could take advantage personally.


Old Squeezebox Touch used as a player :) Now my family members can control Sonos without using the Sonos APP - awesome!

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Old Squeezebox Touch used as a player :) Now my family members can control Sonos without using the Sonos APP - awesome!

Interesting, I just yanked out my Squeezebox Duet and replaced it with a Sonos Port, so now my A/V receiver (5.1 system) is part of the Sonos system in my house.  And then shut down LMS running on my PC.  I still have a Squeezebox radio in my bedroom, but since I have a Sonos One in the bedroom (much better sound quality), I use the radio simply for its clock display.

I use the Squeezebox Radio in my office :) and it’s nice to control everything with one app. LMS also supports stereo Sonos (for example 2x Sonos ONE paired), so that’s also not a problem

So, pulled the old MyBookLive NAS out of storage.  It still has an older version of LMS installed on it.  Unfortunately (like Sonos is planning), the hardware has been unsupported by Western Digital for years now.  Worse, it's using an ancient PowerPC CPU,  which the Perl repositories have even abandoned. 

 So, had to point apt to the archive repositories, as LMS wouldn't update with the current ones.  This pulled down an ancient, very insecure version of the SSL library, but at least LMS updated.  However, github,  where the Material skin is hosted, won't allow this ancient, insecure SSL version to connect.   I well remember several years ago going through the massive update on thousands of servers, and tens of thousands of laptops at Megacorp for this very issue, the TLS 1.3 update,

Was finally able to manually install the Mobile skin, which is ok for phones and tablets, not so great on desktops.

Now, I'm a techie,  with decades of experience with Unix command lines, yet it took me hours to get even this far.  Your average Sonos owner wouldn't have even attempted this.  

After all that, with the Chromecast and UPnP bridges installed, it does unify Sonos with my old Squeezebox Radio, my Google devices, and the KEiiD renderer into a single UI, usable, but hardly as good as the Sonos app in numerous respects.  And, despite being able to group some of the devices, they're rarely in synch,  often off by more than a second.  Ugh.

 

 

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Mark up another plus for LMS …

 

I now have my Fiio M6 mini player integrated into my LMS ecosystem via airplay - it is currently playing to one of my BT headphones.

 

You sound like the people I need to ask what other hardware I need to play my music collection over my WiFi network?

I have 2 Play 1 speakers that mainly stream radio and soundcloud. I am not tech savvy. When I was a little more knowledgeable I bought a Logitech Squeezebox with Duet and used LMS to access an iTunes library on my laptop. I still have that laptop but it’s so clunky and slow I rarely turn it on (it’s running on windows 7 and I suspect has some other hardware problems). This means I don’t listen to my music other than on cds now.  I’d like to change that but don’t know how to go about it.

I’d like to access the music without having to turn a Pc or laptop computer on so I think raspberry pi would work for that. I’ve toyed with the idea of a NAS but they’re quite expensive. I heard I could buy a router and connect a hard drive to it so it acted as a media server but I don’t know what’s optimal or even adequate. my broadband is running off a Virgin Media hub3 at the moment which I have recently learned is a terrible router plus modem.

I think basically I just want to be told what I need and to get it or save up for it. I don’t have much disposable income or indeed cognitive load at the moment - I type this on an iPhone with a 6-week old baby strapped to my chest, a toddler asleep upstairs and 2 hours before my baby shift ends and I can go get some sleep.

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Cisco Energy Monitor (Openframe 2) front facing speakers (and line-out, or usb dac output)

 

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Screenshot of latest Material skin on desktop browser showing the iconised players available on the system:

 

 

I am new to the Sonos world but have an LMS server streaming my  music around the house. Would love to get the Sonos access to my LMS music library.  Could you point me in the right direction please?

 

 

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Not sure about Pandora or Sirius …. there’s an alexa skill for voice, and several android controllers.   

But each to their own!

Cheers

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Using Sonos to access a ‘remote’ music library is possible, and relatively easy to set up, depending on where the music is stored.  

@Gofer 

The Hub 3 doesn’t appear to have a usb port where you could attach a NAS.   My advice is to look for a wifi network drive - check out the RavPower FileHub - https://www.amazon.co.uk/RAVPower-FileHub-Wireless-Portable-Transfer/dp/B07MZT543W

@Davey_P 

Where is your LMS music library stored?

OK, finally was able to install the Material interface by downloading the zip, copying it to the ancient NAS, unzipping in the appropriate directory, going through a couple of LMS restarts… lol.  Again, not something your average Sonos user would even begin to do.

However, it has given me a very nice way to control my speakers from my ChromeBox, finally, so thanks for the suggestion!

 

 

Thanks for the input. My LMS is a raspberry pi (picoreplayer) and it serves my Jogglers in the home. 

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Just get a 20 dollar pi - you’re attempting to mix patrol and diesel - no wonder it’s clunky!

Just get a 20 dollar pi - you’re attempting to mix patrol and diesel - no wonder it’s clunky!

Hmmm.  So the Sonos users who are being “legacy-ized” should “just get a new Sonos” then?

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You’re in the groove now!  I didn’t claim it would replace sonos but adds a number of features …

I’ve no idea what an average sonos user is - more money than good sense, given some of the legacy complaints topics?!

I’m guessing they’re very much like your average Apple user, totally petrified by anything even remotely technical; most of my family own Apple phones and laptops because they can get help from the “genius bar” for even the most basic technical issue, like connecting a printer…

 

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@Davey_P

 

Why not just install the upnpbridge plugin on LMS (this will create a player for every Sonos device).  You can then just play your music library using the LMS controllers (eg. web gui, or even better install the Material skin for a great interface).

 

@Davey_P

 

Why not just install the upnpbridge plugin on LMS (this will create a player for every Sonos device).  You can then just play your music library using the LMS controllers (eg. web gui, or even better install the Material skin for a great interface).

That’s exactly what I have just done! Thanks for the prompts and the wife is happy now as we can remove the amp in that room and just use the Joggler as a controller for the beam. 
 

thanks again

Dave

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Here’s a view of the GROUP player - at the moment it’s grouping Joggler and Black players.

(And LMS is also running on the Joggler - so that’s both a player, server and controller

 

 

The above is the webgui

 

Joggler (touchscreen) as player

 

 Joggler as conroller - showing available players