One of the most widely discussed examples came on May 7, 2024, when Sonos released a redesigned mobile app that removed or disrupted several features customers had relied on for years.
Users reported missing alarms, sleep timers, queue management issues, difficulty accessing local music libraries, app crashes, and compatibility problems with some speakers. The update sparked widespread criticism from customers, and Sonos spent months restoring functionality through subsequent updates.
The fallout was significant. The company faced customer backlash, its share price declined sharply over time, hundreds of employees were laid off, and CEO Patrick Spence stepped down in January 2025.
The Growing Problem of Closed Ecosystems
The controversy also reignited a broader discussion about how major technology companies control their smart speaker ecosystems.
Many streaming platforms and hardware manufacturers encourage users to stay within their own ecosystems:
Spotify emphasizes Spotify Connect.
Apple Music integrates tightly with AirPlay.
Google favors Chromecast and Google Home devices.
Amazon centers its ecosystem around Alexa-enabled speakers.
While these integrations offer convenience, they can also limit interoperability between competing platforms.
What Is Music Assistant?
One open-source project aiming to solve this problem is Music Assistant, created by Dutch developer Marcel van der Veldt in 2019.
Music Assistant serves as a central hub that allows users to combine multiple music services and speaker platforms into a single interface.
Supported services include Spotify, YouTube Music, Apple Music, TIDAL, Deezer, Qobuz, SoundCloud, and locally stored music, while supported playback devices include Sonos, Chromecast, AirPlay, DLNA, Bluetooth, and Squeezebox-compatible devices.
Why It Stands Out
Instead of forcing users into one ecosystem, Music Assistant allows different streaming services and speaker technologies to work together.
Features include:
• Unified music library across multiple services.
• Multi-room synchronized playback.
• Cross-platform playlists.
• Gapless audio playback.
• Individual streaming accounts for family members.
• Self-hosting on hardware such as a Raspberry Pi using Docker.
Spotify users should note that Spotify Premium is required, as Spotify's free tier does not support the necessary playback integration.
Open Source and Community Driven
Music Assistant is released under the Apache 2.0 open-source license and is maintained by a growing community of contributors. It is also a member project of the Open Home Foundation, the same non-profit organization that supports the Home Assistant smart home platform.
Its active development and regular updates have made it an increasingly popular option for users looking to avoid vendor lock-in.
The Bigger Picture
The Sonos app controversy highlighted an important reality of modern smart devices: hardware ownership does not always guarantee control over how a product functions.
Projects like Music Assistant offer an alternative approach by giving users greater flexibility over the speakers they own and the music services they choose.
As smart home ecosystems continue to evolve, interoperability and user choice are becoming just as important as sound quality.
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