Amazon’s Alexa app gets more Sonos-y with new multiroom audio controls

Amazon is making its multiroom audio platform more handy to regulate with your telephone. A latest replace to the Alexa cell app launched a new functionality that lets customers handle and transfer their music between Echo gadgets (or teams of a number of audio system) throughout the app itself. (Previously, you wanted to make use of voice instructions to carry out a few of these actions.)

Now, it’s all doable by a menu that allows you to transfer music to any group or Alexa gadget with a few faucets — no speaking vital. In our temporary time making an attempt it thus far, it’s fairly intuitive, and anybody that’s managed music by way of AirPlay or Spotify Connect shouldn’t have a lot bother figuring this out. Amazon’s present lineup of Echo audio system contains the usual Echo, Echo Dot, Echo Dot with Clock, Echo Studio, and elective Echo Sub subwoofer. You can play audio throughout Echo Show and Fire TV gadgets by the Alexa app as nicely.

Amazon has additionally developed a new overview display for the Alexa app that it calls the Active Media List. This may be accessed at any time when audio is enjoying in your system and exhibits what’s enjoying the place and allows you to management a number of merchandise from a single record. The interface will look extraordinarily acquainted to Sonos clients — a lot in order that the latter firm would possibly take discover.

Sonos is locked in a patents battle with Google; a trial between the 2 kicks off May eighth in San Francisco. But whereas Sonos has beforehand alleged that Amazon can also be violating its mental property, it hasn’t fired any authorized salvos but. In truth, the 2 firms appear to be on good phrases currently, having simply expanded Alexa voice help on Sonos gadgets to many more nations. And you possibly can run Sonos Voice Control and Alexa aspect by aspect on the identical speaker. But there are limits to this collaboration: you possibly can’t embrace Sonos and Echo audio system in the identical group for multiroom audio, for instance.

Sonos CEO Patrick Spence lately claimed that his firm’s Big Tech opponents (Amazon included) aren’t “doing anything interesting” in audio of late. Amazon has been pretty quiet when it comes to new Echo audio system, sure, however this Alexa app replace is a pleasant enchancment that brings more refinement and polish to the corporate’s multiroom providing.

The Alexa app is a free obtain for each Android and iOS.