Sonos explores allowing third party apps to access its API

Sonos is considering opening up access to its API to third party apps and services, as highlighted by a Software Test Engineer job opening posted on Linkedin earlier this month.

This would allow - for example - users to beam music to Sonos speakers straight from the Spotify app rather than having to go through Sonos’ proprietary app.

This is a big shift for the company: the current system allows Sonos to have a high degree of control over the music stream which means that the handoff between the mobile device and the speaker happens without a glitch. Making that experience work within a third party app is not going to be quite as straightforward.

The company also invested heavily in its “universal search” programme, which allows users to search for a song across any of the services they have connected to the Sonos app. This means that whether the song is on their iTunes collection, on Spotify, Rdio or SoundCloud the relevant source will always appear. Again, this is a feature that would not be accessible within third party apps.

Whilst Sonos’ ecosystem and reliability is a strength, some users may be put off by the lack of flexibility and choose to go for one of the many (cheaper) competitors that are flooding the market. These can be manufactured by established companies like LG and Sony or by newcomers: at CES there was an endless supply of wireless speakers and headphones on offer.

At the same time the growing number of audio streaming technologies can play to Sonos' advantage: between AirPlay support, Spotify Connect, Google Cast for Audio and Bluetooth navigating the plethora of options available can be a confusing experience and lead to consumer seeing Sonos as a "safe harbour".

Sonos has created a valuable niche, and to a certain extent it is the equivalent of Apple in the wireless speakers space. Every brand releasing a wireless speaker wants it to be called a “Sonos killer” in the press - just like every phone manufacturer wanted to be called an “iPhone killer” a few years ago.

The problem with Sonos’ valuable niche is that is limited, just like Apple’s iPhone market, which means that ultimately the majority of consumers are going to be driven by price and opt for one of the cheaper options.

Opening up the API to third party apps may be a good way to lure a few more customers that are put off by the proprietary app, but if Sonos really wants to break into the mainstream wireless speakers market the best way would be to release a sub-$99 speaker to provide users with a “taste” of its technology and user experience.

(Andrea Leonelli)