Access for the streaming service is heading to the Sonos One and Beam
Users of Apple Music on Alexa can now finally control the playback of the streaming service on Sonos speakers, with an update arriving to support the feature.
Subscribers were already able to access their music, playlists and Beats 1 Radio through the Apple Music skill and their Echo device, though third-party Alexa speakers were initially left out of in the cold. Now, an update covers those in the US, UK and Ireland with a Sonos One or Sonos Beam, along with non-Alexa Sonos devices connected to an Echo or the same network.
Read this: Complete guide to Alexa
To enable the feature, users only need to enable the Apple Music skill within the Alexa app and link their account. And, really, this makes the compatible Sonos speakers genuine alternatives to Apple HomePod – just make sure you make Apple Music your default music service within the Alexa app, if you don’t want to specify to the voice assistant how you want to play music (and therefore have to add, “…on Apple Music,” to every request).
In the US, UK, and Ireland, you can now use your voice to control @AppleMusic through your Sonos One, Beam, or Echo device. Just add the #AppleMusic skill in your Alexa app. pic.twitter.com/2yNius56jo
— Sonos (@Sonos) April 17, 2019
Naturally, this is a big deal for Apple Music and Sonos fans, though just how well it works in practice is something we’ll be testing over the coming days – keep one eye out for a full explainer, as well as updates to our in-depth Sonos One and Sonos Beam reviews.
And while it’s a positive step that Sonos has jumped onto the the Alexa-Apple Music coalition, it’s also unclear when other third-party Alexa devices will be doing the same. Now that the floodgate has opened, it’s likely more companies will look to offer support, but stay tuned for any updates on this over the next few weeks and months.
