Frequently Asked Questions
This page contains answers to a few commonly asked questions.
Why can’t I play a URI from music service X with the play_uri() method?
The play_uri() method is only for playing URI’s
with un-restricted access such as podcasts, certain radion stations or
sound clips on webpages. In short, the
play_uri() method is for anything that will play
as a sound file in your browser without authentication.
To play music from a music service, you will need to go via the
music_service module. Here you can search
or browse to obtain music service items, which can be added to the
queue and played.
Why can’t I add a URI from music service X to the queue with the add_uri_to_queue() method?
See Why can’t I play a URI from music service X with the play_uri() method?.
Can I make my Sonos® speaker play music from my local hard drive with SoCo?
At the face of it, no. Sonos® devices can only play music that is available on the network i.e. can be reached via a URI. So you have two options:
You can share your local music folder onto the network and add it to the Sonos® library as a part of your music collection, which can then be searched, browsed and played with SoCo.
You can cheat and make Python serve the files on the fly and play them as URIs. The play local files example shows one way in which this can be accomplished.
Warning
Note that this example is meant as a convenient way get started, but that no security precautions has been taken to e.g. prevent serving other files out into the local network. Take appropriate actions if this is a concern.
How can I save, then restore the previous playing Sonos state ?
This is useful for scenarios such as when you want to switch to radio,
an announcement or doorbell sound and then back to what was playing previously.
Documentation of the Snapshot snapshot module.
SoCo provides a snapshot module that captures the current state of a player and then when requested re-instates that state. Examples of it’s use are: