How about an integration with Sonos?

[Rivianready]

Rather than develop an integration for every music service on their own, Rivian should partner with Sonos to make their technology a part of all Rivians. Sonos already has integrations with multiple services. In fact, you would be hard pressed to find a system that has more services on their platform. Their software is great and provides a rich, fully integrated, seamless solution.

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[mrtk77]

Not sure anyone should parter with the death spiral that Sonos has become.

 

[MailmanOdd]

Sonos will be out of business before the app is done.

 

[s0ysauce]

You serious?

https://www.forbes.com/sites/danpontefract/2024/08/24/the-sound-of-failure-at-sonos/

Sonos—the much-maligned home audio company—continues to find itself ensnared in a crisis entirely of its own making. The botched rollout of its new app isn't just a technical failure—it's a full-blown "App-ocalypse" that reveals a leadership team out of touch and out of its depth.

15.3 million households rely on their products, but Sonos's mishandling of the new app rollout has left its most loyal customers—myself included—wondering if the company still values the quality and user experience that built its brand.

As a Sonos customer with a 22-speaker setup, including a Sonos Amp and Boost, I've experienced firsthand frustration. What was supposed to be an upgrade turned into an ordeal, with the app failing to deliver even the basic functionality that made Sonos systems so reliable.

Imagine investing in a premium audio setup, only to have it rendered nearly unusable by a flawed update. For a company that built its reputation on quality, this is unacceptable. It's about as acceptable as buying an album from Bruce Springsteen without guitars or drums. And it's been going on for months.

The App-ocalypse: A Leadership Failure

The depth of this failure can't be overstated. For months, customers have grappled with issues that should have been caught in basic quality control.

From connection errors to the app forgetting entire system setups, these are not just bugs—they are symptomatic of a rushed product that was not ready for release. And let's not forget the loss of previously essential features, a regression that has left users feeling like beta testers for a product they paid a premium for. I can't tell you how often my speakers go missing or the sound cuts out.

Patrick Spence, Sonos's CEO, addressed the situation, stating, "We recognize that the recent app update has fallen short of our users' expectations. We are committed to improving the experience and have prioritized restoring the functionality our customers rely on."

However, this apology, released on July 25, 2024, came months after the app's release, by which time the damage had already been done. Spence's delayed response only underscores the leadership void that allowed this situation to spiral out of control.

The decision to launch the app in its current state raises critical questions about Sonos's leadership. Any tech company is constantly pressured to innovate and release new products. But innovation without consideration for superiority—or basic quality assurance—is a recipe for disaster.

It seems Sonos leadership was more focused on meeting deadlines for the release of its new headphones product than ensuring the app was ready for prime time. This type of shortsightedness is what turns loyal customers into former customers.

Terminated Employees

Internally, the consequences have been severe.

Over 100 employees—representing 7% of the Sonos workforce—were recently laid off, perhaps due to the app's botched rollout.

But this isn't just a technical problem; it's a leadership problem, and the cost is being paid by the employees who might not have had anything to do with the decisions.

In the tech world, layoffs are often a consequence of mismanagement, and in this case, the message from Sonos's leadership is clear: the company's workers are expendable, but the flawed app's timeline wasn't.

The irony is that Sonos built its brand on the idea of seamless, high-quality audio experiences. That's why I've been such a loyal customer for many years, and that is why the failure of this app is so glaring.

For a company that has invested heavily in research and development—over $1.2 billion in the past five years, according to its 2024 investor presentation—this debacle is a severe blow to its credibility. Customers trusted Sonos not just to deliver outstanding sound but to do so seamlessly with their lives.

The app should have been the linchpin of this experience, not the weak link, not the "app- ocalypse."

A Large and Growing Customer Base at Risk

With products in millions of households worldwide, Sonos has a massive customer base. But loyalty has its limits.

When customers invest in premium products, they expect premium service and functionality. Sonos's failure to deliver on this expectation risks eroding the very foundation of its brand. The company has outlined a roadmap for fixes, with updates expected throughout the rest of 2024 to address stability issues and restore critical features. (Hello, edit the queue?)

But for many, this might be too little, too late. Moreover, the damage to Sonos's reputation may extend beyond the app.

The mishandling of this situation could have a chilling effect on future product launches and investor relations. If customers can't trust that new features will work seamlessly, they might hesitate to invest in the brand's upcoming hardware offerings, regardless of how innovative they claim to be. The risk is not just in losing customers but also in losing the market's confidence and EBITDA—a far more difficult thing to regain.

Righting the ship will require a fundamental reassessment of leadership priorities and a recommitment to the values that made Sonos a trusted name in home audio. This means not just fixing the app but re-evaluating the processes that allowed such a flawed product to reach consumers in the first place.

This situation should become a case study for an after-action review. (I'm also volunteering to conduct the review.)

The Bigger Picture: Leadership Execution Matters

Ultimately, this situation is a stark reminder that leadership isn't just about having a vision; it's about executing it with precision and care.

When execution falters, the impact is widespread. Sonos now has a choice: learn from this debacle and course-correct its leadership culture—and collaboration processes—for the future, or risk being left behind in the ever-competitive smart home audio market.


The "App-ocalypse" is more than just a setback—it's a pivotal moment defining Sonos's future.

Will they emerge stronger, having learned from their mistakes, or will this mark the beginning of a decline for a brand that once set the standard in home audio?

The next few months will be crucial for the app's evolution and the company's entire approach to innovation, corporate culture, and customer trust.

 

[COdogman]

I absolutely love my Sonos system, but they don’t seem long for this world unfortunately.

 

[Osyras]

I am more than happy with just Bluetooth, no android auto, no carplay, just my Bluetooth and youtube music.

I refuse to sign up to the apple music trial as I already pay for one music service, I dont need 3 others.

The other stuff is just crap I don't feel I need.

My 2 cents
Danny

 

[BCondrey]

I have a lot of sonos speakers, and I can tell you they are awesome sound but can be incredibly frustrating. I don't want that ecosystem anywhere near my truck.

 

[PeterSK]

I consider myself lucky. I have a Sonos Move portable and three of their amplifiers powering bookshelf, wall mounted and ceiling speakers in different rooms, but because two of my amps are old I’m still on the legacy Sonos 1 app and haven’t had the problems mentioned in the article. Hard to believe they screwed things up so badly.

 

[ndmiller]

Rather than develop an integration for every music service on their own, Rivian should partner with Sonos to make their technology a part of all Rivians. Sonos already has integrations with multiple services. In fact, you would be hard pressed to find a system that has more services on their platform. Their software is great and provides a rich, fully integrated, seamless solution.

First I've had Sonos since the beginning and love it for around the home audio with different rooms playing whatever anyone in my family wants.

Second, Sonos is am absolute disaster from a customer service standpoint and reliability is either perfect or zero over the past decade. In summary, NO ONE should partner with Sonos on anything.

Third, Rivian is completely transparent with their strategy both short and long term. None of it includes ceding control of the stack to another company or partnership until at least the delivery of R3's. Obviously this could change, but why would they cede to a tertiary middleman platform to control audio in their vehicles when they specifically mentioned not going with the top players (CarPlay or Android Auto).

 

[ohseedee]

Rather than develop an integration for every music service on their own, Rivian should partner with Sonos to make their technology a part of all Rivians. Sonos already has integrations with multiple services.

Interesting idea... I suggest Rivian bails on in-house software all together and run Msft Windows!

"

 

[SwampNut]

"There's no way you could come up with a shittier infotainment experience than the mess that's currently in the Rivian."

OP:

 

[Supratachophobia]

Rather than develop an integration for every music service on their own, Rivian should partner with Sonos to make their technology a part of all Rivians. Sonos already has integrations with multiple services. In fact, you would be hard pressed to find a system that has more services on their platform. Their software is great and provides a rich, fully integrated, seamless solution.

Sonos is a bit busy right now. You either die the hero or live long enough to become the villain. Sonos, with their most recent problem, has finally gotten through the message that their core demographic, rich multi-home owners with zonal control over 10+ areas per physical address, mean nothing to them. Despite the fact that this is where Sonos got it's foothold/start. I mean, they literally had a captive audience that would *never* leave them. But then they got greedy with deprecating hardware, adding unneeded complexity to setup, lower quality materials, and now whatever this app fiasco is. No, I'd stay away from Sonos now and until they get gobbled up by someone else and their whole C-suite moves on.

 

[ohseedee]

Sonos is a bit busy right now. You either die the hero or live long enough to become the villain. Sonos, with their most recent problem, has finally gotten through the message that their core demographic, rich multi-home owners with zonal control over 10+ areas per physical address, mean nothing to them. Despite the fact that this is where Sonos got it's foothold/start. I mean, they literally had a captive audience that would *never* leave them. But then they got greedy with deprecating hardware, adding unneeded complexity to setup, lower quality materials, and now whatever this app fiasco is. No, I'd stay away from Sonos now and until they get gobbled up by someone else and their whole C-suite moves on.

I have about a dozen Sonos devices and had no clue what all the drama folks were referencing here. Just read about it and I'm so glad I decided to stay on "S1" and pick up a bunch of used legacy "S1" device off ebay at a fraction of the price. I thought no new update was going to be an issue, however turns out to be a feature. my "legacy" system is rock solid.

 

[Zoidz]

Interesting idea... I suggest Rivian bails on in-house software all together and run Msft Windows!

"

@COdogman would prefer Microsoft Rover?

 

[COdogman]

@COdogman would prefer Microsoft Rover?

I forgot about Rover!

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