Sonos Speakers Now Let Alexa Control Your Apple Music
Apple has truly pulled down walls when it shook hands with Amazon to integrate its Apple Music service on Echo speakers. That despite the two having competing music streaming services. Now that bridge is extending even outside of Amazon's direct territory. The latter promised non-Amazon Alexa-powered devices will soon support Apple Music control as well and, nearly four months after its promise, it's finally happening on Sonos' speakers.
In the past, if you wanted Apple Music on a voice-controlled smart speaker, you'd need to have a $300 Apple HomePod. As of December last year, however, you could also make do with an Amazon Echo, which isn't exactly known for its audio quality. Now you need neither provided you have a Sonos One or Sonos Beam.
The smart speaker manufacturer has just revealed a promise Amazon may have jumped the gun on late last year. Better late than never, right? Especially if it means saving up on purchases.
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
The catch here is that it only applies to those two Sonos speakers mentioned, the One and the Beam. And to narrow the audience even further, it is only available in the US, the UK, and Ireland. If you fall within that subset, all you have to do is enable the Alexa skill and you're good to go.
It's no small gesture from a company like Apple that has traditionally kept its service off its competitors' platforms and hardware. It not only shows that Apple's confidence in Apple Music but also that a Sonos, Alexa, Apple Music combo will never be enough to beat a HomePod, Siri, Apple Music team-up.