Wireless music platform Sonos has announced support for the Google Play Music service with an exciting twist – you can cast music directly from the Google Play Music Android app in addition to using Sonos’s own controller app.
This is huge. While Sonos has emerged as the dominant leader in the multi-room wireless audio market, its controller app has long been the weakest link in the chain. Adding direct streaming from the Google Play Music app doesn’t fix the problem right away, but it does pry a finger off of Sonos’s tight grip on the controller.
This depth of integration with a partner represents a first for Sonos, at least on a global scale. The firm previously worked with Tencent’s QQ Music to add in third-party streaming support, but that was only for Chinese users.
Google Play Music is the 32nd music service to team up with Sonos in the US and the 48th internationally.
You won’t be able to ditch that Sonos controller app just yet, though. If you want full control over a multi-room setup, you’ll need to dive into Sonos’s offering. There is still hope for the controller app, though, as Sonos is readying a major update to it that will arrive later this spring. Meanwhile, if you’re an Android user who can’t wait, you can sign up for the public beta right now.
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