Sonos is finally launching its own Voice Control assistant. As previously reported, Sonos Voice Control is making its way to select speakers available under the Sonos banner. Those previously-released speakers that include a built-in microphone will receive support for the assistant via a software update.
At launch, Sonos Voice Control is available in U.S. English. However, Canadian users can access the personal assistant without much hassle. As with other Sonos devices, its setup is done through the Sonos app on iOS and Android. Here, Canadian users must set their language to U.S. English. A French version is in development for the end of the year. Though, there’s no word on the development of Canadian French support.
Once set up, the personal assistant can control music playback from a number of services. At launch, Sonos Voice Control supports Sonos Radio, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Pandora, and Deezer. There’s no current update on when or if support for Spotify, YouTube Music, etc. is on its way.
Using Sonos Voice Control is as simple as saying “Hey Sonos” to activate the feature. From there, users can ask the assistant to play artists, songs, and playlists. Pause and skip functionality is available as well as volume controls. The best part of all is that famed actor Giancarlo Esposito is the first to lend their voice to the assistant program. Best known for his work on Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, and Far Cry 6, Esposito’s voice responds to some commands. However, keep in mind that it has limits to its scope and responses.
Although the voice assistant requires a speaker with a built-in mic, the feature can control all speakers on your Sonos system. You can use the feature to start playing music in one room and transition to another as you walk through your home. Alternatively, you can raise the volume in the living room while lowering it in the kitchen.
Sonos makes it clear that privacy is at the forefront of Sonos Voice Control. Sonos states that no voice recordings are sent to the cloud or to the company. However, Sonos is running an optional beta program where users can have their requests uploaded in order better help with the optimization.
