Best answer by Ryan S
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SONOS ALEXA Integration?
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Been waiting to hear news about when this will happen and am starting to think it never will. I have Sonos and Alexa in every room. I did this with the assurance that Sonos and Alexa are going to work together. There has been next to no news regarding integration for the past 6 months.... When can we expect to hear about Sonos and Alexa integration? Is it still happening? Please any update would be appreciated.
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Why the link takes me to the UK site is a mystery though, considering I have bought things for shipment home in India from both the US and the UK stores in the last five years.
I can't say because I don't have the device at this time; but clicking the link and using Safari takes me to the Alexa UK website automatically, and then it works till the point it doesn't because I don't have the device. I do make the progress through the signing in because I have UK as well as US accounts, but it now needs a device to check it to completion.
As castalla says, https://alexa.amazon.com/ is the same as the Alexa app. If you have a FireTV or the (newish) Amazon app associated with your regular Amazon account, you should have Alexa devices already associated, and available to use for almost all Alexa capabilities and integration, through a perhaps slightly different user experience. Differences are things like: the wake word for a FireTV can not be changed currently, and you need to press the microphone button on the FireTV voice remote instead of just speaking and hand having an echo far-field mic hear you.
@Kumar, @Toolio any insight on using that website from outside the US? I suspect it will work just fine.
You can use a normal browser (Firefox) to access the Alexa-Echo setup - as long as you have a valid amazon user account
@Kumar, @Toolio any insight on using that website from outside the US? I suspect it will work just fine.
You can use a normal browser (Firefox) to access the Alexa-Echo setup - as long as you have a valid amazon user account
I think there is still a hurdle - getting the necessary app on the phone/computer to set up the Dot. I don't think that is available. Maybe there is workaround, but the app isn't available in the local Apple/Google stores at this time.
Based on all I have understood, you will need as many Amazon devices as rooms from where you want to do voice commands. Where different bits of Sonos are in one space where the device can pick up your voice, only one device will be needed.
I have multiple Sonos speakers throughout my home. Will I have to purchase an individual Amazon Echo or Echo dot for each individual Sonos device (connect, bridge, speaker)?
LOL.
As to the quoted, thank you; but first Sonos has to do what is long awaited!
That should do the trick. Let me know if there is anything I can do to help.
One other interesting thing I can do, because I have Dots in both countries linked to a single Amazon account, is to make them execute commands in the other country. For example, I use Dots to control lights in Canada, so if I speak the correct command in Brasil it will turn those lights on. It will also allow me to remotely lock and unlock my door in Canada. should I need to allow anyone into the house there while I am away. Of course there are other ways to do this, but it's a novelty. I may have to do some tinkering with all of that when Sonos begins working with Echo/Alexa because I also have Sonos gear in both places. It depends on how Alexa and Sonos will interact. Separating Canada and Brasil into two separate accounts is a possibility, but then I'd lose the global connectivity, lol. And who knows when I might want to annoy the neighbours in Brasil with loud music when I'm away (or scare the hell out of my wife). Annoying your neighbours is a hobby for Brasilians and as a long time gringo resident I like to partake in local activities 🙂.
One other interesting thing I can do, because I have Dots in both countries linked to a single Amazon account, is to make them execute commands in the other country. For example, I use Dots to control lights in Canada, so if I speak the correct command in Brasil it will turn those lights on. It will also allow me to remotely lock and unlock my door in Canada. should I need to allow anyone into the house there while I am away. Of course there are other ways to do this, but it's a novelty. I may have to do some tinkering with all of that when Sonos begins working with Echo/Alexa because I also have Sonos gear in both places. It depends on how Alexa and Sonos will interact. Separating Canada and Brasil into two separate accounts is a possibility, but then I'd lose the global connectivity, lol. And who knows when I might want to annoy the neighbours in Brasil with loud music when I'm away (or scare the hell out of my wife). Annoying your neighbours is a hobby for Brasilians and as a long time gringo resident I like to partake in local activities 🙂.
I have an Amazon account that allows me to buy products from Amazon US as well, where these are available for shipment to India; all my Sonos kit was bought in that fashion over three years.
So a Dot ought to work, regardless of where it is bought. Good to know.
So a Dot ought to work, regardless of where it is bought. Good to know.
My concern isn't about services peculiar to local geographies not being available - like weather or Uber which is understandable - but about a general inability to use a device like a Dot, if bought in the US for example, to use for Sonos voice control once it is released. My understanding was that even to do that, it would need a non Indian IP address or ID to get it going. If that has changed, it is good to know.
I think the biggest concern would be having an Amazon account, although as far as I can determine the country in which that account is based is irrelevant. My Alexa accont is linked with my Canadian Amazon account. Having said that, there may be a workaround of which I am unaware because I haven't had to use it. After experimenting for eight months I'm certain IP addresses don't matter. From time to time I set a VPN in my router to odd locations (Argentina is a favourite) and this has also never affected my use of the Dots. Just out of curiosity after reading your message I set my Brasil network VPN to a location in India and I still had full access to Alexa configuration in apps and my Echo Dots worked normally. Most of the time there is no VPN involved in my network, so it is either a Brasil or Canada IP, depending on where I am. I have homes in both countries, each of them with three Echo Dots. I set up Dots in Brasil, where I spend most of my time, before using them in Canada. They were all purchased in the US.
Ok, perhaps so, thanks for the clarifications.
My concern isn't about services peculiar to local geographies not being available - like weather or Uber which is understandable - but about a general inability to use a device like a Dot, if bought in the US for example, to use for Sonos voice control once it is released. My understanding was that even to do that, it would need a non Indian IP address or ID to get it going. If that has changed, it is good to know.
PS: and I would use voice to command music play from my NAS as well from Apple Music/Google Play, both of which are available in India for subscription. At about USD 2 per month!
My concern isn't about services peculiar to local geographies not being available - like weather or Uber which is understandable - but about a general inability to use a device like a Dot, if bought in the US for example, to use for Sonos voice control once it is released. My understanding was that even to do that, it would need a non Indian IP address or ID to get it going. If that has changed, it is good to know.
PS: and I would use voice to command music play from my NAS as well from Apple Music/Google Play, both of which are available in India for subscription. At about USD 2 per month!
The only "antic" other than the app problem I've already mentioned was assigning a US postal code. For me, this affects only weather reports, easily gotten around by saying "what's the weather in a Salvador, Brasil" instead of "what's the weather". Hardly a huge problem. However, as of a couple of weeks ago Alexa began allowing Canadian locations. I now use those. My time zones in both Canada and Brazil exist in Alexa, so, the article is incorrect. In fact, 11 global geographic regions exist in the Alexa time zone setup, with cities and time zones in each (Asia, Africa, Antarctic, Europe, Australia etc.) For Brasil, I simply picked Salvador as the time zone. If I so desired, I could have picked Fíji standard time, where I am certain Echos are not sold and are uncommon. As for the rest of what is described in the article, I have already indicated that I have a Brasil Spotify account that works, and the article makes it clear that any Spotify account should work. I subscribe in Brasil because Spotify here costs about half of what it does in Canada and the US. (Same for Tidal, by the way, and Deezer Elite is also considerably cheaper.) I may have missed something in the article, but I performed no special browser tricks or anything similar to conigure Alexa. In fact, I have never used a browser with Alexa. It seems the article you cite is incorrect and/or out of date. You are referring to something written six months ago. Alexa/Echo evolves rapidly and new features introduced almost weekly.
https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.techhive.com/article/3221386/speakers/libratone-zipp-and-zipp-mini-speakers-are-getting-alexa-support.amp.html
Any chance the play 5 v2 might use this near field microphone option?
Any chance the play 5 v2 might use this near field microphone option?
Why did you not have to do the antics described here: https://beebom.com/how-to-set-up-and-use-amazon-echo-outside-us/
Have you set up the Echo from a Brazil located Wifi connection? I suspect that will not be possible unless Amazon extends Echo/Alexa to that geography.
I have. Three different Echo dots on three different occasions. No problems. Also, Echos are not sold or officially sanctioned for use in Canada. No problems setting up with wifi there, either. I have a Canadian Amazon account, not a U.S. account. The only hiccup is having to sideload the Alexa app on my Android phones because it is not available through the Brasil or Canadian Google app stores. I was able to get the Alexa app for my iPad through normal channels.
Have you set up the Echo from a Brazil located Wifi connection? I suspect that will not be possible unless Amazon extends Echo/Alexa to that geography.
For those concerned about eventual Sonos-Alexa compatibility in regions outside the countries in which Echo gear is sold, my experience suggests there is little to be worried about. I use Echo Dots in both Canada and Brasil. They are not sold in either country. I have yet to come across anything that is supposed to work with Echo that does not. Amazon has even recently begun allowing Canadian locations in the Alexa configuration, which means Canadians can use their home location for weather etc. And my Brasil Spotify account plays just fine using Alexa in both Brasil and Canada, along with other Alexa-friendly apps and services for which I have subscriptions in Brasil and Canada. All my Sonos services work fine, too, including Brasil-based Tidal, Deezer and Spotify paid subs used in both Brasil and Canada. The only service that is problematic for me is my paid Slacker account, which is geolocked to Canada and the US. A DNS unblocking service makes that available to me through Sonos in Brasil.
Same sound I made when you predicted in this community that Sonos would announce Echo integration at the end of August.
This is what I heard from Sonos technical support on 31st August 2017 -
"Thank you for contacting Sonos regarding Alexa Integration.
Great to hear you're as excited as we are. I can confirm we're partnered with Amazon and have confirmed we will have Alexa support by the end of the year. At this stage we have no further information to share."
"Thank you for contacting Sonos regarding Alexa Integration.
Great to hear you're as excited as we are. I can confirm we're partnered with Amazon and have confirmed we will have Alexa support by the end of the year. At this stage we have no further information to share."
Sigh.
http://gizmodo.com/amazon-s-echoes-can-finally-sync-together-to-play-music-1798535130/amp
Not really, if you love ❤️ the sound of "Echoes", if you want better sound, go get an Echo Dot and buy "Sonoes"
Hey Cazualchatter It's not about the sound I am more concerned about here. There are many better brands traditionally which are far more suppiror in sound quality that would have been my 1st choice if it was just sound quality. Smart speakers concept wifi, online services, app and posibltiy of Alexa integration made me thinking about sonos. But after reading this article I am thinking this twice on sonos as every one else (other manufacturers) has already cought up with all feathers wifi, apps, online services even Bluetooth etc.. few year back. A war like this between sonos and amazon concerns me choosing sonos going forward especially when Amazon it self competing in this space of tech with an attitude of doesn't want to loose this from what I read and they can completely pull the plug out on sonos alexa integration to cut the compitition. Very interesting times and I wish sonos will get this under their sleeve and get the grips on this Intergration sooner rather than later.
No, Echo doesn't need to "talk to" the Sonos API. There is a brand new Alexa Voice Services Connected Speaker API that all the major wifi speaker manufacturers worked on with Amazon, which is currently in "developer preview" release, after a year of development. Sonos and their competitors will all be writing to this new Amazon API, not the other way around.
https://developer.amazon.com/blogs/alexa/post/7c9343ce-425b-4baa-ae63-49c36afb5341/giving-device-makers-more-ways-to-bring-voice-forward-music-experiences-to-their-products
I think both Amazon and Sonos have had difficulties overcoming challenges in the two apps talking to each other, especially when you consider the Echo only supports Spotify and Amazon music, and must talk to the Sonos API and be able to play from all the sources available to Sonos.
Like many, have been eagerly awaiting integration since the turn of the year, but I do understand things that seem simple in practice, are often very difficult to engineer in practice.
Look forward to October 4th!
Like many, have been eagerly awaiting integration since the turn of the year, but I do understand things that seem simple in practice, are often very difficult to engineer in practice.
Look forward to October 4th!
Second, once the software is live, it will work with every updated Sonos component. As long as you already have an Alexa-enabled device, you aren't going to need to buy any new hardware to use Alexa with Sonos. Just make sure your players are updated to the latest version of the Sonos software (when Alexa control comes out for Sonos), you will be able to take advantage of the voice commands sent by your Alexa-enabled devices.
Quoted is the reason why this post should be on a sticky in a prominent place on the forum, along with the caveat that voice control will still only work in the geographies where Echo/Dot works.
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