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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

    June 5, 2017
    ...They should be embarrassed that Apple just released a speaker and they haven't even given their loyal customer base a update which allows simple interface with Alexa...

    Correction: Apple just announced a new speaker. They haven't released anything and don't plan to until December.
    Local music library with carefully constructed playlists - no shuffling!, Integration with Homeseer Automation, No touch screen devices, No streaming services, No Apple products ever
    kurtatx
    Trending Lyricist I
    June 6, 2017
    I'm surprised no one has gone to Sonos and said "help us make the best smart speaker on the market"

    Sonos, Sonosnet, et al are the best in the business at multiroom.
    "Radio should not be warm milk; it should be moonshine" - Dave Grohl
    Cazualchatter
    Enthusiast I
    June 6, 2017
    Who said anyone was advocating for a proprietary speech recognition? The CEO himself said they are going to strive to incorporate other voice control platforms, not invent their own.

    Gazing into my Crystal Ball I can see an Echo Dot like gadget shaped like a Apple TV that could become the integration for all other products - Alexa / Siri and Google. 🆒
    Music + Movies on 2x Play 1s + Sub + Playbar. Amazon Echo Dot + Google Home Mini. Beautiful impulsive music.
    Enthusiast I
    June 6, 2017
    I'll be interested to see how Sonos-Alexa integration works in practice.

    I've got a Sonos Play 3 and Echo Dot in my kitchen and when music is playing, I often find I need to shout at Alexa several times to get commands recognised.

    Given the Apple HomePod contains both mics and speakers, I wonder if Apple can do some clever audio processing to improve speech recognition over loud music?

    I think it is inevitable that the Apple HomePod will take some sales away from Sonos although my guess is that Sonos knew this was coming... Apple AirPlay2 is improving multi-room audio for Apple devices and while it won't be at the level of Sonos, when your name is Apple, you don't need to be the best to sell product, just "good enough".
    Lyricist I
    June 6, 2017
    After Apple's announcement yesterday - I am really excited to hear any NEW news on Sonos-Alexa integration - I have my house covered with Sonos and use Alexa as my automation hub but have to revert to connecting to a BT receiver. Excited for the day when I can have Alexa play music through my Sonos network....
    melvimbe
    June 6, 2017
    There already is some low level integration of Sonos through third party hubs. In that respect, I don't know that it makes much sense for Sonos to build their own for a short term solution.

    As for the HomePod, I am sure their are plenty of Apple fans who will get on board no matter what, but there are few disadvantages it has. For one, it's Apple, so it won't work with any other tech if it doesn't have to. The only music service available is Apple Music as far as I can tell. It also has no variety in product. Just one $350 device. You can pair it with another speaker(s) but no mention of stereo pairing or playing different sources in different zones. No ability to play from a line in source or tv. Even as a voice assistant, it is way behind Amazon and Google.

    The sound quality is compared to a Play 3, so price wise it's no different than a dot matched to a Play 3, but with less versatility. It will do well because it's Apple, but it could actually bring in more people to the market and increase Sonos sales, rather then decrease it.
    Danny
    jmaok
    Contributor I
    June 6, 2017

    Correction: Apple just announced a new speaker. They haven't released anything and don't plan to until December.


    Given Sonos gave 2017 as the release year, there's every chance the HomePod could be out before Sonos/Alexa integration 🆒
    Lyricist II
    June 6, 2017
    As for the HomePod, I am sure their are plenty of Apple fans who will get on board no matter what, but there are few disadvantages it has. For one, it's Apple, so it won't work with any other tech if it doesn't have to. The only music service available is Apple Music as far as I can tell. It also has no variety in product. Just one $350 device. You can pair it with another speaker(s) but no mention of stereo pairing or playing different sources in different zones. No ability to play from a line in source or tv. Even as a voice assistant, it is way behind Amazon and Google.

    Apple just announced that iOS11/MacOS 10.13 includes Airplay 2 which is a multiroom system that integrates with their Homekit, which means that it will be possible to play sound from any app, and to any combination of Airplay 2 supporting speakers. Which seems to be about all Sonos' competitors.
    Lyricist III
    June 6, 2017
    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.
    Lyricist III
    June 6, 2017
    So I have been waiting 1/2 year. I have six Echoes, and approximately 20 SONOS speakers ( big house). I bought my first Sonos roughly 15 years ago ( early adopter ). I also like Apple products. If Apple delivers a voice-controlled high-quality speaker before SONOS, I'm a buyer. Simple. Too bad for SONOS. It's taking too long. I'm a little bit sad.