If you own a Sonos speaker, you can set it up effortlessly. Playing music over Wi-Fi with voice commands is the most relaxing and convenient way to enjoy some good music.
There is some basic setup required to use your speaker on the home network. After reading this post, you will know exactly how to set up the streaming service, show, or music of your choice.
Here’s What You Need To Begin
- A power outlet to plug in your speaker.
- Good Wi-Fi connection or LAN to connect the speaker to the router.
- The Sonos app that you can download from the play or app store.
See more: How To Set Up Sonos Speakers (All Versions)
What is Sonos? Here’s Everything You Need to Know About the Wireless Sound System
Do Services Like Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Music, And YouTube Music Work With Sonos?
Whatever your favorite music service is, setting it up with the Sonos app is simple. You can follow a basic set of steps for any of these services.
Whether you have an iOS or Android phone, follow these steps:
- Download and install the Sonos app (android, iOS).
- Open the setting app and click Services And Voice.
- Go to Music and Content, and click Add A Service.
- Click on the service name that you are trying to add.
- Add Sonos.
- Follow the app instructions to complete setting up the music service.
If you are having difficulty setting up any of these services, read the detailed guideline to understanding if you have the required subscription for the music service.
Connecting Apple Music
Once you have downloaded the Sonos controller app on your phone or tablet devices, you are ready to go. Make sure your app is completely updated.
You need to first subscribe to apple music to add it with the Sonos speaker system. If you don’t already have the subscription, you should first get it from your chosen device.
Once you have subscribed, you will receive an apple id.
After logging in through the service, you are ready to browse your apple music catalog. If you have a personal music collection or a set of recommendations, you can play them on the Sonos speaker.
Connecting Spotify
A Sonos speaker can be directly controlled through the Spotify app. You should already have it available on your phone. Tap on available devices from the ‘now playing’ screen, and you can select your Sonos speaker.
Connecting Amazon Music
You can connect to Amazon Music through three tiers of access. Provided you have at least one of these memberships, you can play amazon music through your Sonos device.
Amazon Music Unlimited
Customers who use amazon music unlimited have access to millions of songs, playlists, stations, releases, etc. You can sign up for the service with Amazon.
Once you have the service, open the Sonos app from your phone. Go to the browse tab and search for amazon music. Open the service, and you can play your music.
Amazon Music HD
Amazon offers the HD music service that gives you access to 50 million HD music, which you can play through your Sonos speaker if you have a subscription. The audio of amazon music HD is completely lossless, and when you combine it with the Sonos speaker, you will get the purest sound imaginable.
Prime Music
This is an on-demand service offered by Amazon. You can play music without ads with this service. This means, your Sonos device has access to over 2 million songs. You can also open the personalized recommendation that comes free of charge with the same subscription.
Amazon Music Library
There is nothing better than being able to play your music on the Sonos device directly. Any music you have bought at the amazon music store, uploaded, or any auto-rip tracks, it all can be controlled seamlessly with the amazon music app, which you can use through the Sonos app.
There is an amazing feature of the Sonos app with the amazon music library that allows you to create badges. You can identify which music tracks have explicit content from an icon placed by their name.
This comes in super handy if your kids have access to the speaker.
Connect YouTube Music
You need to have a paid subscription to YouTube music or premium so you can play it on your Sonos device. You can also use the YouTube music account if you have a subscription to Google play music. If you don’t have a subscription, you can try the 1 monthly free trial of the app. This is only available to those who have never used the app, or didn’t use it in the last 12 months.
Does Sonos Work With Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, Or Siri?
Setting up a voice command on your Sonos makes playing music, or other content so much easier. We have added individual guides describing how to connect each voice command assistant with your Sonos speaker.
Connecting with Alexa
If you have an Amazon Alexa, and your Sonos device is already set up and playing, then you can easily use them together.
- Open your Alexa app, and go to Skills.
- Search for the Sonos device.
- Select Sonos Skill.
- Click Enable.
- Log on to your Sonos account.
After this, you don’t have to manually search your Sonos device in the app. Simply use voice command to tell Alexa, ‘Discover All Devices’, and Alexa will tell you which devices you can add. Alternatively, you can manually open the Alexa app, go to the smart home, and open the menu. Then navigate to the devices and discover options.
Then, simply add your Sonos, and you are ready to use Alexa with Sonos.
Connecting Google Assistant
- You need the Sonos app on your phone to do this, this much is clear already.
- Next, you need to open the app and go to Settings.
- Open services, go to Voice.
- Add a service.
- And select Google Assistant as your preferred service.
Now you can open your Sonos account from the Google Assistant app. This will allow you to ass your music service account to Google assistant and Sonos.
Next, you need to test that your Google assistant is working with Sonos. There are some simple voice commands you can test.
You are now ready to play music through your Google assistant voice command, for any music service you have added to these apps.
Connecting to Siri
The pre-requisite for this setup is that you should have a Sonos speaker that is compatible with airplay. Only then you can add it to the apple home app.
If you have a beam, Sonos one, amp, Playbase, five, arc, one SL, SYMFONISK, play 5, port, or move, you can connect your Sonos with Siri. This works only for iOS devices.
Siri can be used on your Sonos speakers to play, control, or group your apple music playlists on any of the Sonos speakers we have listed, after they have been added to the apple home app.
- To do this, first, you have to add the Sonos device to the Apple Home App.
- Open Apple Home and add an accessory.
- You will be asked for a code or to scan a code, choose the ‘don’t have a code or can’t scan’ option.
- Select the speaker you wish to add.
- Select the room name which is set up in the Sonos app as well.
- The voice commands work just as normal.
After the setup is complete, you can tell Siri to play music, and listen to it from your Sonos speaker with the complete surround sound experience. If that is not exciting, we don’t know what is.
Does Sonos Work With My Old Speakers?
Sonos has a lot of legacy speakers, and if you own any of them, you must be worried whether you will get support for those devices going forwards. Now, there is some reassuring news for legacy speaker owners.
Sonos has released that their old speakers will work on the same network as the new speakers. So, if you have one of the original play 5 speakers, you can still use it with a new Sonos beam.
But the downside is that your legacy system will no longer get new updates. This means, if you have added a legacy speaker and a new speaker in the same network, none of the new hardware can accept the new updates. No bug fix, no new features, and no updates.
This leaves with only three choices, you can keep your entire Sonos device on old software, sell the old speaker and get a new model, or keep it isolated from the other Sonos devices through a separate network.
At least Sonos is offering 30% off any of the new speakers they have as an exchange scheme. You can return your legacy speaker and get the latest Sonos speaker for 1/3rd of the cost. If the shipping doesn’t cost you too much, you can try the exchange option.
References:
- Listen Your Way from sonos.com
- How does Sonos work? from tomsguide.com
- Sonos: everything you need to know from whathifi.com
- The Complete Beginners Guide To Sonos from smarthomesounds.co.uk