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Cladner
Contributor I
May 11, 2017
Answered

SONOS ALEXA Integration?

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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    Ryan S
    Ryan SAnswer
    Retired Sonos Staff
    August 31, 2017
    Hi everyone, there's a lot of interesting discussion going on here and I love the energy you all have around voice control and Alexa. My message from way earlier in this thread is still very much still the case, so I'll quote it here:

    Thanks for jumping in everyone. Great answers already. As suggested, I can't really provide any extra details today, but I assure you, we're as excited about this as you are. It is coming. We'll let the world know as soon as there's more to say, and we'll announce here on the community (and elsewhere) if there are any opportunities to help us beta test.

    On top of that, I just want to take a moment to make sure everything is clear about a few things. First off, to use voice control with Sonos, you will need to have a device with Alexa built in. We're largely talking about Amazon Echos and Dots here, but you never know what other fun gadgets may work as well, at launch or after it.

    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. We're not going to go into the magic right now, but there have been some pretty good ideas here in the thread already.

    That's all for now. More to come later, so stay tuned!
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    266 replies

    Lyricist II
    September 1, 2017
    Ryan S - thanks for the update. Looking forward to the voice control big reveal

    Can I clarify your point on all existing sonos devices being controllable by Alexa at launch - can you confirm that this won't be affected by geography - i.e. It will work outside the US?

    Us Alexa users in the UK have been hurt before and I want to set my expectations accordingly.
    Airgetlam
    September 1, 2017
    Huh, hadn't thought of that. I'd assume he means all areas where Amazon has Echo/Alexa supported, as opposed to locations where it isn't. But then again, I'd also assume he's not Amazon, and can't speak officially about where Amazon is active, except by what he's told by them (by some circuitous route).
    Bruce
    Cazualchatter
    Enthusiast I
    September 1, 2017
    Is this a bad news

    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"
    Music + Movies on 2x Play 1s + Sub + Playbar. Amazon Echo Dot + Google Home Mini. Beautiful impulsive music.
    Ryan S
    Retired Sonos Staff
    September 1, 2017
    Huh, hadn't thought of that. I'd assume he means all areas where Amazon has Echo/Alexa supported, as opposed to locations where it isn't. But then again, I'd also assume he's not Amazon, and can't speak officially about where Amazon is active, except by what he's told by them (by some circuitous route).

    That's something we haven't officially announced yet, as far as I'm aware, but Bruce said it well. Figure you'll be safe as long as Alexa is listening in your location, it should be able to control Sonos. You'll find out more when the news goes out.

    Glad you're excited too!
    Mark good posts by pressing the like button, and select the best answer on questions you've asked to help others find solutions.
    Airgetlam
    September 1, 2017
    You're supposed to tell us when that news will go out.... 🙂
    Bruce
    chicks
    September 1, 2017
    You're supposed to tell us when that news will go out.... :)

    October 4th...
    September 1, 2017

    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.
    Avid Contributor I
    September 2, 2017
    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!
    chicks
    September 2, 2017
    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.


    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
    Lyricist I
    September 2, 2017
    Is this a bad news

    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.