Feature Requests: Virtual Zone for playlist creation and 'Party Mode' for controllers

  • 15 August 2018
  • 2 replies
  • 498 views

Hi All,

Although I have a number of Sonos units dotted around my home they often have different queues playing (What can I say the family loves SONOS) but sometimes I want to create a playlist for future listening. Currently, this means I have to wait for a 'zone' to come available. I think it would be great if you could have a virtual zone just to create playlists.

I also like to allow guests to add music to a SONOS playlist if we're having a party and we often have a tablet set aside for this to be done. What often happens though is somebody always jumps their tracks to the front of the queue, wipes a playlist or starts music in different zones (i'm sure it's all accidental). I think it would be a great idea if you could lock down a controller with a PIN to limit what can be done.

Thoughts would be greatly appreciated

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2 replies

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Hi All,

Although I have a number of Sonos units dotted around my home they often have different queues playing (What can I say the family loves SONOS) but sometimes I want to create a playlist for future listening. Currently, this means I have to wait for a 'zone' to come available. I think it would be great if you could have a virtual zone just to create playlists.

I also like to allow guests to add music to a SONOS playlist if we're having a party and we often have a tablet set aside for this to be done. What often happens though is somebody always jumps their tracks to the front of the queue, wipes a playlist or starts music in different zones (i'm sure it's all accidental). I think it would be a great idea if you could lock down a controller with a PIN to limit what can be done.

Thoughts would be greatly appreciated


Hi SmileySteve,

Welcome to the community. Thanks for the suggestion. Having a virtual room for queue management is an interesting idea. I'll submit a feature request to the development team for you.
Assuming there is one Sonos speaker (or group of Sonos speakers) playing music at a party and therefore one single playing music 'queue', perhaps initially created by the host, that’s already in progress as the party begins...then...

The host could simply create a Sonos playlist called Party Playlist 1, for example, and as the guests arrive, the host can get all the party goers to each add their chosen songs to that (saved) Playlist, which would be visible to all on the My Sonos Tab... it’s just a quick five minutes 'demonstration' to show users how to do that in the Sonos App.

When all users have finished their 'first round' selection of songs, the host just adds the (completed) Party Playlist 1 to the end of the songs that are currently playing in the Queue. The host can then delete the Party Playlist 1 and create a new playlist and maybe call it Party Playlist 2 and then invite all the party goers to now add their next round of songs to that new playlist. Once again, when it’s complete, the host simply adds that playlist to the end of the queue again and the host can go onto delete it and create Party Playlist 3 and so on and so forth, until the party finishes and everyone then goes home.

None of this, of course, would stop the host from inserting a 'Play Next' song to the playing queue by special request.

All the party goers are only ever asked to find their own songs and add them to the created 'Party Playlists' in the My Sonos Tab, with the host being solely and entirely responsible for the management and playing of the main music 'queue' and the deletion and creation of the saved Party Playlists. The host can also edit the Party Playlists before they are added to the main Queue, removing any duplicates etc.

Of course the host could also keep the various Party Playlists if they wanted to and use them next time the same guests attend another party, in the future. That may even help to keep the next party going, without troubling the guests to select their favourite songs all over again.

That seems a good method, or workaround, to any party to me, it’s just a case that no 'guests' are allowed to 'play' with the main playing 'queue' ... so the host should perhaps not show them anything to do with the queue in the Sonos App, just show them how to easily add a song to the created Sonos Party Playlists 1, 2, 3 etc., or whatever name the host chooses to give to them.

I hope the above suggestion might at least act as a viable 'interim solution' until Sonos perhaps puts something in place to satisfy the party host and their guests.