Audio brand Sonos is expanding the reach of its Voice Control software to now support Spotify, allowing users to verbally control the streaming service.
According to the company, all you have to do to control the app is say the words “Hey Sonos, play Spotify” into one of the brand’s supported speakers. That’s literally it. Doing this will play one of your Spotify playlists randomly. If you want the software to play a specific playlist, you’ll need to mention it by name, such as “Discover Weekly.” The feature goes beyond just a glorified play button, as it can also be used to manage your library.
You can instruct Sonos to add certain songs to a playlist. With the right command, it can also like or dislike songs for you. If you say, “Hey Sonos, I like this song,” the AI will save that song to your account’s “Liked Songs.”
Additionally, Voice Control can play specific genres or subgenres of music, whether it’s jazz or a classical alternative from the 1990s. You don’t have to be super specific; Spotify’s algorithm understands well what people are looking for.
Security and availability
It’s worth noting that commands are processed locally on your Sonos speaker to ensure “fast response times and easy follow-ups.” The company also states that no sound – be it your voice or the surrounding environment – will be stored on a cloud server or listened to by any third party.
There are now two ways to connect a Sonos speaker to Spotify. You can manually choose Spotify as the default source or make the platform the most prominent music service playing through the speaker. Users do not need to log in or change settings.
It is unknown whether Voice Control learns your listening behavior. That is, if a Sonos device detects that you regularly use Spotify, will it automatically adjust the music sources?
Spotify’s new support on Sonos Voice Control is now available for both Premium subscribers and Free users. Easily download the latest patch on your devices.
While we’ve got you, check out Ny Breaking’s round-up of the best soundbars for 2024. Spoiler alert: Sonos appears on the list.