Hey Google! Welcome to Sonos.
Sonos adds the Google Assistant via a free software update on Sonos in the United States;
Additional countries to foll ow in July.
Santa Barbara, Calif. – May 14, 2019 – Today Sonos (Nasdaq: SONO) brings the smart
control of the Google Assistant to Sonos’ brilliant sound experience. As the first to bring
multiple voice assistants to the same sound system, Sonos demonstrates the power of an
open, multi-partner platform that prioritizes choice for customers. Use voice with the Google
Assistan t built-in to Sonos One or Sonos Beam, or with a connected Google Home product to
easily start a song, queue a TV show, check the weather, and control the smart home. The free
software update will be available starting today in the United States. Support in the UK,
Germany, Canada, Australia, France, and The Netherlands comes in July with additional
countries to follow on a rolling basis over the coming months.
“We value freedom of choice, empowering listeners to choose what they want to listen to and
how they want to control it. Adding voice, now with the Google Assistant, has made that
control even easier,” said Patrick Spence, Sonos CEO. “We partnered with Google to build this
integration from the ground up, layering in the best of the Google Assistant into the Sonos
ecosystem of products and partners. Today we’re the first company to have two voice
assistants working concurrently on the same system, a major milestone for the industry. We
imagine a day where we’ll have multiple voice assistants operating concurrently on the same
device, and we’re committed to making that happen as soon as possible.”
The Google Assistant is Sonos’ second built-in voice assistant. Customers on Sonos will have
the ability to choose an assistant for each individual speaker, with multiple voice assistants on
a single system. With the Google Assistant on Beam in the living room and Alexa on the Sonos
One in the kitchen, start a song with the Google Assistant, ask Alexa what’s playing, and vice
versa.
Not just music and TV, Sonos will support the Google Assistant’s top first party actions and
features, including Continued Conversation, Broadcast mode, and the ability to choose a
different voice for the assistant. Bringing the richness of the Google ecosystem and integration
within the smart home, the Google Assistant on Sonos also includes more than one million
actions from partner products. Additional features and actions will be available through
ongoing updates, bringing even more to the Google Assistant experience on Sonos. At launch,
customers will enjoy:
● System control. Built on Sonos’ open platform of products and partners, listeners can
start a song using AirPlay from Apple Music, ask the Google Assistant to go to the next
track, and turn the volume down in the Sonos App. In addition, just one supported
voice-enabled device allows for customers to request music or content to be played on
other Sonos speakers in the system (Play:1, for example).
● Music, news, and radio. Request and control with voice from a growing list of
streaming services, including: Spotify, YouTube Music, Google Play Music, Pandora,
TIDAL, TuneIn, iHeartRadio and Deezer to start. Use voice to go to the next song,
change the volume, or pause with all streaming services available on Sonos.
● Easy control for TV with Sonos Beam . Turn on the TV with the Google Assistant using
Beam’s HDMI ARC connection and CEC, switch from TV to music, and adjust the
volume. Add a Chromecast Ultra to get additional features with voice for TV, including
requesting specific shows or movies from streaming services.
● Get answers, manage tasks and plans. Hear a daily brief, flight information or
commute time, set alarms, timers, and pull up calendar appointments or get answers
on weather, calculations, translations, sports, and more. This is all part of the Google
ecosystem — ask Google Assistant for directions and have them sent directly to an
Android phone.
● Connect with Smart Home. Ask the Google Assistant on Sonos to adjust the
temperature or turn on the light. At this time, there are more than 200 million devices in
homes globally that work with the Google Assistant now on Sonos.
Sonos & the Google Assistant Present: The Brilliant Sound Experience
To showcase the power of Sonos sound paired with the smart control of the Google Assistant,
Sonos and Google are delivering a series of multi-sensory installations for the public in New
York, June 7-9. Featuring new music from 4AD artists The National and Holly Herndon,
alongside tracks curated by the iconic Beggars Group of labels (Rough Trade, 4AD, XL,
Matador and Young Turks), the Google Assistant on Sonos will help visitors explore how sound
works, how it layers into music, and how music sparks emotion. Learn more and RSVP .
About Sonos
Sonos (Nasdaq: SONO) is one of the world’s leading sound experience brands. As the inventor
of multi-room wireless home audio, Sonos innovation helps the world listen better by giving
people access to the content they love and allowing them to control it however they choose.
Known for delivering an unparalleled sound experience, thoughtful home design aesthetic,
simplicity of use and an open platform, Sonos makes the breadth of audio content available to
anyone. Sonos is headquartered in Santa Barbara, California. Learn more at www.sonos.com.
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