How to Connect Amazon Echo to Your Sonos Speakers

This article explains how to connect Sonos speakers to an Alexa account.

Combine Alexa and Sonos: Getting Started

Amazon and Sonos provide you with two options to combine their platforms:

• Link an Amazon Echo device with any Sonos Wireless Speaker (aka Sonos Player), Playbar, Playbase, Connect, Connect: Amp and use an Amazon Echo to control Sonos features.
• Buy a Sonos One Wireless Speaker or Sonos Beam Soundbar, both of which have Amazon Echo functions built-in.

To link an Amazon Echo with Sonos "players" you need the following:

• An Internet connection with Wi-Fi router.
• Sonos system running the latest update.
• An Alexa enabled device, such as an Echo.

Set up Your Sonos Speaker

If you already have your Sonos speaker(s) set up, move to the next section on Alexa. If you have a new Sonos "player" or system, here is how to get started:

1. Plug in your Sonos product to power.

2. Download the Sonos app to your phone, tablet, or computer that's connected to your home Wi-Fi network. For Android, you can find the Sonos app on Google Play or Amazon; for iOS, the Apple App Store.

3. Open the Sonos app and select Setup New System.

4. When you're presented with a choice between Standard or Boost setup, select Standard.

• Follow additional steps to set up your specific Sonos player(s) or speaker(s), such as those shown in the above photo.

Set up Amazon Alexa and Echo Device

Once you have your Sonos system up and running, here are the steps to link it to Alexa and Echo.

1. If you haven't done so already, download and install the Alexa app on your smartphone. You can find it on Google Play or Amazon or the Apple App Store.

2. Open the Alexa App on your smartphone and set up your Echo device.

3. Tap Skills.

4. Search for Sonos and tap the Sonos Skill.

5. Tap Enable and sign-in to your Sonos account.

6. Tap Smart Home in the Alexa app menu.
   

   Alternatively, say, "Discover devices."

7. Tap Devices and Discover. If you have more than one Sonos Player, make sure they all appear on the discover list.

   Once you have determined your Sonos player(s) have been discovered, you can start using Alexa to control your Sonos speakers.

   To use Sonos to access streaming music services that Alexa can control, the services must be added to both the Alexa and Sonos Apps. Follow any additional steps that may be prompted.

   Here are your choices:

   • Amazon Music (Not available in Canada)
   • Spotify
   • TuneIn Radio
   • Deezer
   • Pandora (Not available in the UK, Canada, or Australia)
   • iHeartRadio (Not available in the UK or Canada)
   • SiriusXM (Not available in the UK, Canada, or Australia)

   Alexa Playback Commands via Echo

   Here are examples of the types of Alexa commands you can use to control Sonos speakers (precede each command with the wake word "Alexa").

   • Pause/stop/resume or resume music in the (room)
   • Skip/next in the (room)
   • Play the next/previous song/track in the (room)
   • Pause
   • Resume on (room)
   • Next song/track
   • Previous song/track
   • Stop
   • Skip
   • Skip song/track
   • What's playing in (room)?

   The skip and previous commands don't work with TuneIn radio, and the previous command does not work with Pandora or iHeartRadio.

   • Turn it up/down or louder/quieter/softer in the (room)
   •  Set the volume to 3 (or percentage change) in the (room). Adjust the volume level (between 0 and 10)
   • Mute/unmute the (room)

   Volume commands will only affect the speaker/player the command is directed to. If the speaker/player is part of a group, the group volume will not be adjusted.

   Non-Music-Related Alexa Commands

   It is important to note that non-musical commands (weather, news, shopping, etc...) will only play through your Echo device, not through your Sonos speakers. The only exception to this is with the Sonos One or Sonos Beam, as they combine Echo and Sonos Speaker functions within the same unit.

   Alexa With Sonos One and Sonos Beam

   With Sonos One and Sonos Beam, an external Echo device is not required to use Alexa voice control, as it is built-in. However, you still need to perform some steps to activate Alexa after you have performed the Sonos part of the setup.

   To get started, make sure the Sonos One and Beam are connected to your Wi-Fi router and go through the Sonos portion of the setup just as you would with other Sonos products. Once done, proceed to add Alexa.

8. Download the Sonos and Alexa apps on your smartphone and add the Sonos One or Beam to your device list.

9. Using the Sonos app, go to Browse > Add Voice Control and tap Add Amazon Alexa.
   

   Alternatively, go to the More tab, tap Voice Services, then tap Amazon Alexa.

   
   

10. Tap Connect Your Amazon Account and log-in. If you don't have an account, create one before moving on to the next steps. Once logged in, the app will have you test Alexa to make sure it's working. Remember to make sure the Alexa app is installed on your smartphone.

11. In the Sonos app, tap Enable the Sonos skill or go to the Alexa app and enable the Sonos skill from there.

12. Add music services to Alexa. Tap Verify Music Services on Alexa.
    Refer to the services listed in the previous section on connecting Echo devices to Sonos players.

13. Link your music service accounts to Alexa and choose a default music service. The services must be added to both Alexa and Sonos.

Alexa Features Not Supported by Sonos One or Sonos Beam

• Using voice commands to group rooms or move the music to another room.
• Using voice commands to access your local music libraries, such as music stored on a PC or media server.
• Calling, drop-in, and messaging.
• Playing eBooks.
• Receiving Notifications.
• Change the Sonos One or Sonos Beam wake word.

Extra Commands Available for Sonos Beam

If the Sonos Beam is connected to a TV that has HDMI-ARC, you can use Alexa to turn the tv on and off. Beam also follows commands such as “Turn it up” and “Mute,” applying them to the TV volume.

The Sonos Beam can also be linked to the Alexa-enabled Fire TV media streamer or Fire Edition TV. Once linked, you can control access to compatible streaming services with Sonos Beam by saying:

• Play Netflix.
• Switch to ESPN.
• Tune to a channel by number.
• Play shows by name on select services, such as Netflix.

Removing Alexa From Sonos

If you choose to remove Alexa voice control from Sonos, you can disable the Alexa Sonos skill. On the Sonos One or Beam, you can remove Alexa by going into the Sonos app and performing the following steps:

1. Tap Settings.

2. Tap Voice Services.

3. Tap Disable Alexa.