Image used with permission by copyright holderSonos is perhaps the most reputable manufacturer of smart speakers, having wowed us with the superb Play:1, the sublime Play:3, the sensational Play:5, and — most recently — the superlative-defying Sonos One. Featuring integrated Alexa voice support, it helps keep Sonos in line with popular speakers like Amazon’s Echo and the Google Home series.
Pandora, meanwhile, is one of the most popular music streaming platforms around, boasting more than 80 million active users despite flagging a bit over the past year relative to expectations. Now, the two companies are collaborating to help streamline users’ listening experiences by integrating Sonos support directly into the Pandora mobile app.
Recommended Videos
Previously, users needed to access Pandora through the official Sonos app in order to listen to Pandora radio stations or on-demand content (except those with the Sonos One, which can select Pandora playlists via Alexa voice control). Now, the Pandora app allows for full Sonos control — you can play a selected playlist, on-demand music, or radio station, as well as group and ungroup speakers, split playback across different speakers, and adjust volume anywhere.
Subscribers to Pandora Premium (touted as “the Spotify Killer“) can also utilize the full complement of Premium perks — including on-demand music playback for artists, albums, and individual tracks — via the Pandora app to play through Sonos speakers. The update also allows other people to “DJ” with your speakers as long as they’ve got the Pandora app downloaded, no Sonos required. You’ll still need to download the Sonos app to set up your speaker initially.
Unfortunately, the Premium perks don’t work with Alexa on the One — not yet, anyway. Pandora Premium offers a vast catalog of on-demand tunes, comparable to Spotify’s (minus the endless stream of covers and remixes that few people actually want), thanks to deals with the three major record labels (Universal, Sony, and Warner), plus a number of indie music distributors, including Merlin. Subscribers to Pandora Plus and the free tier have full Alexa support.
Along with Spotify and Apple Music, Pandora is among the premier music streaming services on the planet right now. If it continues to collaborate with reputable companies like Sonos, its profile will only continue to rise.
The Sonos Roam just put all other portable speakers on notice
Sonos has just taken the wraps off its second portable speaker, the $169 Sonos Roam, which will be available in black or white when it hits retailers starting April 20, 2021. We had been expecting Sonos to deliver a mini version of its $399 Sonos Move, but thanks to better protection from the elements and wireless charging, the Roam is much more than a scaled-down Move. Here are all of the details.
Super small
We were impressed by the power and sound quality that Sonos had managed to pack into a rugged speaker like the Sonos Move, but our chief criticism was that despite being billed as portable, it was simply too big and heavy to be a true alternative to popular portable models like the UE Megaboom. The Sonos Roam, on the other hand, is ultraportable. At just under one pound and standing only 6.6 inches tall, the Roam is smaller and lighter than the $150 UE Boom 3.
Got a song you love on your Echo? Alexa users can now share it with friends
How often are you listening to the radio when a song comes on and you think, "My best friend would love this?" Thanks to Alexa's new music sharing feature, you don't have to try to remember the name of the song. If you're listening to music through Alexa and hear a song you know someone would like, just say "Hey Alexa, share this song with ____."
Provide Alexa with the name of a contact and she will send the song to that person. They can then listen to the music through their own Echo device or through the Alexa app and send a reaction to let you know what they thought of it.
This is the best Bluetooth speaker under $100 you can buy right now
Prime Day is here, and with it come some of the best Prime Day Deals Amazon has ever offered--including a greatly reduced price on the Ultimate Ears Boom 3. The price has been cut from $150 down to just $80 for a truly impressive little Bluetooth speaker.
The Ultimate Ears Boom 3 gives truly impressive 360-degree audio and up to 15 hours of battery life on a single charge. It's the perfect companion for tailgating or afternoons spent at the park. If you feel like 15 hours isn't enough -- or you won't be able to charge it on the go -- you can add the Power Up charging dock to the device so that it is always ready to pump out your favorite tunes, no matter where you might be.
