Sonos - what to play?

by Volker Weber

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These are the sources I can play on my Sonos. And I am a bit overwhelmed. Let's take a look:

The music services are all direct competitors, with the exception of Stitcher. Deezer is a french service like Last.fm without the social network. Aupeo, Juke, Napster and Rdio let you play exactly what you like. They largely overlap, so it does not make sense to pay for all of them. In my case, I can try them all out. The Juke trial for instance was provided by Thomas Lang of ueberall-musik.de, on Rdio I am using the 7-day-trial.

What is standing out here at vowe's magic flying circus? I mostly listen to Music Library, and when Ute finds new stuff while reading her newspapers and magazines, she goes to Napster. Wolfgang's Vault is perfect for old farts, because it has so many original concert recordings from the last century. Aupeo, Juke and Rdio could possibly replace Napster. And I am currently trying to do that. However, old habits are hard to break.

If you have any of those streaming services, and your music library is not on a NAS, you will probably exclusively listen to streaming music. It's perfect for people without a large collection. You will find that none of the services are perfect. At times they will not have the exact album you are looking for.

You also have to look for mobile use. Depending on the plan you are paying for, you might also be able to stream or even sync to your mobile player.

Which service are you using, and why?

Comments

My current usage in order of play time is Napster, Radio, Music Library. My wife managed to find a radio station that plays almost exclusively her favorite music, so her #1 is using Sonos as a "world radio". She found other bits on Napster she likes, so those two are her favorites.

Last.fm was nice while it lasted (for free) but I was never a heavy user. I have Aupeo and Deezer accounts but honestly rarely use them. Mostly I use the Napster tag radio to discover new music I might like so I feel I don't really need another service.
While I think about it, perhaps I'll give Deezer and Aupeo another spin.

I wanted to try rdio if it is a Napster alternative for me over the weekend. But the rdio site would not work properly from any browser for me, strange. Seems to be back now, so I'll try this week if it covers my taste in music.

Tobias Hauser, 2012-01-23

Spotify Premium. Came/comes free with my broadband. Integrated with Sonos. Allows for listening (on- AND offline) on my iPhone.

Federico Hernandez, 2012-01-23

We are using Napster, Radio, LastFM almost no MusicLibrary as we do not have it on a NAS.
We tried the Napster competitors but so far we did not detect any advantages in changing. Do you see any?

Siegfried Lautenbacher, 2012-01-23

Napster. Spotify premium was not as good integrated into Sonos and permanently nagged me to publish all music I play on facebook. Napster has audiobooks which is important to my daughter, Spotify doesnt and it is a bit more expensive (I never used the mobile device option of Spotify which is included in the premium subscription).

Axel Koerv, 2012-01-23

Music Library for my favorite music / bands, Napster for a lager variety of music styles.

Radio stations we rarely use on Sonos - IBIZA Sonica in summer in the garden

I tried deezer and wasn't convinced. Last.fm was great when it was free. Aupeo brings some fun.

Thomas Koester, 2012-01-23

@Axel, are you sure Spotify on Sonos publishes what you play on Facebook ?
In my experience, it's not a feature included in the Sonos Software.

Gaston Annebicque, 2012-01-23

I use a set of several Logitech Squeezebox-devices, which work similiar like Sonos (but require a server software on pc, mac or nas for local music). I listen to my own mp3-files on a nas, but my daughter listens to top 40-songs on Napster (currently on trial). Napster works great, however i prefer to buy music as mp3-files (via Amazon or Saturn.de mostly) so i can still keep it if napster is closed, or the drm will no longer work on my devices.

Christian Just, 2012-01-23

Thanks to you, John Roling, and Ben Rose I finally got into Sonos last year. The highest usage is a large ripped and purchased library of songs (not as big as yours or Rolings, but pretty large). Next is Sirrus XM. I have an account for my car and I love the no commercial rock stations and the movie soundtrack channel is great for during the day. Spotify is next - mostly for the ability to have a playlist of music that is mixed between in my library and streamed. It's also my mobile playlist.

Appreciate the education of Sonos. Music is so much better with it.

John Head, 2012-01-23

I now use Spotify Premium on my Sonos. Our CD collection of 900+ CDs is ripped on a readynas nv+, and we listen to a few radios which we really like. A lovely lovely radio is FIP (from Radio France) which has had excellent music editing, whatever the time.

There are not that many music services that run well in Switzerland.

Andrew Magerman, 2012-01-23

Most of the time i listen to napster and some local radiostations. Sometimes i use Deezer, but this service is the second choice to napster. My Music (nearly 10.000 songs) are stored on my NAS, also the audio books of my wife (felt like there are millions...). When the dog is allone, he likes DK 4 Ostjylland (the sound and language from his birthplace). Sonos is like an addiction, and Thomas Lang is my Dealer...

Martin Blunck, 2012-01-23

Used Last.fm a lot while it was free, and haven't found any of the other services that I like as much. I listen to internet radio a fair amount, some deezer, and most of my listening is from my own music library.

Definitely need to get some more sonos hardware.

Have copied vowe's idea of running the TV sound through a CONNECT:AMP, which has greatly simplified the hardware setup in our lounge. Brilliant idea, that!

John Keys, 2012-01-23

Most of the time I listen to my own music library (loads of demos ripped or loaded to my NAS need to be listened to).

Working in "the music biz" means loads of demos, CDs etc.
20.000 tracks on NAS; appr. 3000 plus CDs (albums, maxi CDs) not yet ripped. Not to talk about vinlys.
Wondering anyway if I will ever find the time to rip & listen to all that again.

Radio: mainly Klassik Lounge, Radio Sonica and Buzzoutroom

No time / need for Napster etc.
My kids love Radio Eins Live and "their own CDs".
My wife enjoys heavenly silence and preferres reading books with NO music in the background.

Heiko Müller, 2012-01-23

I am a big fan of Pandora even though I have to jump through VPN hoops to get access here in Oz. Surprised no one else has mentioned it, is it the RIM of the music world?
I was also a user of Last.fm when it was free (seeing a pattern here).

Carlos Rodrigues, 2012-01-24

I used last.fm a lot when it was free...
Then I used Napster until Juke came out. Since then I'm using Juke which I prefer because of their actuality and recommendations.

Thomas Lang, 2012-01-24

Thanx to Heiko for his recommendation of Buzzoutroom! Great Music. I like it.

Detlev Buschkamp, 2012-01-24

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