Google unveiled YouTube Music along with YouTube Premium back in May of last year. YouTube Music is a music streaming service that brings with it not just official albums, but also content from YouTube such as music videos, live performances, music covers, singles, and remixes that one would not find on other music streaming services. This serves as a unique value proposition for the ad-free premium version of the service, which can be bundled with YouTube Premium or offered standalone.
YouTube today announced that it is raking up a big collaboration in the form of support for Sonos speakers. Starting today, subscribers of YouTube Music Premium or YouTube Premium will be able to play music from these services on any Sonos speakers through the Sonos app. The selection of music is exhaustive since it includes almost all the features that are available through the native apps (except for music videos). They include Recommended, New Releases, Top YouTube Charts, Your Mixtape, and Libraries.
If you own a Sonos speaker and are subscribed to either of the services, below are the steps to set up YouTube Music on the Sonos Controller app:
- Open the Sonos Controller app.
- Tap More from the menu on the bottom of the screen.
- Tap Add Music Services.
- Select YouTube Music > Add to Sonos.
- Tap I"m already a member.
- Tap Authorize and paste the code presented on the previous screen.
- Tap Next and sign in to or select your YouTube Music account.
- Return to the Sonos app.
- Enter an account and then click Done.
If you have trouble connecting, you may need to update your app and then try these steps again.
The ability to stream music through Sonos speakers using YouTube Music is available in all countries where the service itself is currently available. It is interesting to see how music streaming services are chalking up collaborations, big and small, as competition stiffens in the already complex and crowded market. Apple’s recent partnership with American airlines and Spotify’s expanding international ambitions are a few examples of how these services are trying to provide better value to win over customers.
Are you a YouTube Music Premium subscriber who will be using the service on a Sonos speaker? Let us know in the comments!