• by Chase Martin , August 31, 2016

Voice control and other connected device capabilities are coming to smart home speakers and music-streaming platforms in an effort to simplify consumers’ lives.

Smart home audio systems from Sonos will soon be controllable by voice with any Amazon Alexa-enabled device, such as the Echo.

Sonos, which has operated as a closed platform until now, is teaming up with Alexa, Spotify and other music-streaming partners to integrate third-party music streaming services into their connected audio platform.

Voice-controlled audio playback will not be physically built into Sonos’ speakers. Rather, the integration is on the software side and will be available to consumers who own any Sonos product and any Alexa-enabled device via a software update in the future.

Other smart home devices have also recently tapped into Alexa’s voice-control capabilities.

Smart lights from Sylvania, which typically have relied on a smartphone app, can also now be turned on and off by consumers talking to an Alexa-enabled device in their home.

The market for smart audio devices, not just in the home, will generate more than $5 billion in revenue by 2020, according to a recent study by Juniper Research. Virtual assistants, like Amazon’s Alexa, will generate more than double that in the same time frame, according to another study by Tractica.

Another move to expand the connected capabilities of Sonos’ platform is bringing the control to major music streaming services already being used by the existing user base.

Half of Sonos owners use Spotify, according to Antoine Leblond, vice president of software at Sonos.

“By tightly integrating the Spotify experience with the Sonos system, we’ve created an easier way for Sonos owners to get music out of their phones and playing all around their homes.”

Spotify’s existing Connect feature, which is only available to subscribers, brings continuity of music listening across various supported devices. In addition to adding Sonos speakers to the list of supported devices, Spotify will enable consumers to fully control their Sonos systems directly in the Spotify app.

Consumers currently need to be connected to their home’s Wi-Fi to control the speakers in different rooms, but the Spotify integration will lift that restriction.

This will complete the daily consumer journey of streaming music, according to Gustav Soderstrom, chief product officer of Spotify.

“Spotify listeners can now seamlessly transition their listening throughout the day from their headphones, to the car, to their computers, to their Sonos system at home with complete control of all their favorite Spotify features directly from the Spotify app,” Soderstrom said in a statement.

On the marketing and advertising front, Sonos is partnering with Airbnb to supply connected audio systems to Airbnb host homes.

Sonos is also rolling out a campaign comically highlighting the downfalls of current music listening behaviors. The campaign launches globally today and spans online, OOH and TV.

“There’s a huge gap between how people feel about music and how they experience it at home,” Joy Howard, chief marketing officer of Sonos said in a statement.

“We’re using the weight of our brand and our unique position in the industry to create a better future for music.”