How To Connect Sonos Speakers To Computer? A Complete Guide (2025)

Sonos is a brand like no other. Its quality speakers and the flexibility of installing in any room makes it the preferred choice for many audio lovers. For those who’re on their computers most of the time, but want to use Sonos, it could be a problem because Sonos doesn’t offer computer-specific speakers — at least not at the time of writing this article. Moreover, from 2019 onwards, it has discontinued the feature of setting up the speakers from your PC as the company prioritizes mobile.

But does that mean it’s the end of the road for PC? Not really. You can still play music on the Sonos speaker installed in your room from the computer. In this article, we’ll explain to you how you can still set up the speakers.

How To Connect Sonos Speakers To Computer? A Complete Guide (1)

See more: How To Connect Sonos To WiFi

Playing Audio on Sonos Speakers from Computer

Before you start playing audio on Sonos from your computer, you need to understand that Sonos is a closed system. This means that only Sonos controllers and apps can access and control the speakers.

It has exclusive partnerships with services like AirPlay, Spotify, and IKEA, among others, which allows these services to connect to Sonos via the S1 or S2 app. But that’s not the case with PCs and laptops.

Sonos no longer allows setting up the SonosNet system from Windows, or MacBook for that matter. This is now a mobile app-only feature. While the Sonos Controller App is still available and you can download it, you’d only be able to play music and not set up the system from scratch. So if you have already set up your system on your mobile, you can connect to it from the desktop app. Visit the Sonos Controller App download page and get the Sonos S2 or S1 app for Windows or macOS version.

If you’re setting up the SonosNet system, there’s no way but to set up the system from the app only.

However, if you want to connect directly to the Sonos speakers from your computer for the purpose of playing audio, you’d need third-party software. There are many software packages that enable this capability. But two of the main ones are SonoAir and SWYH or Stream What You Hear. SonoAir is for MacBooks while SWYH is for Windows. Here we’ll guide you through the process.

SonoAir

If you’re on MacBook and want to connect to Sonos, then you should be using the SonoAir project. It is an open-source project (technically speaking, a node.js module) that lets you stream audio from your MacBook over AirPlay. SonoAir also extends the AirConnect project, whose main goal is to play audio to Sonos, Chromecast, and other wireless devices directly from AirPlay.

AirConnect can connect to any device that has access to your local network. It will detect the Sonos speakers and act as a bridge.

Here are the steps involved:

  • To start using SonoAir, download the software package on to your MacBook. Since this is not an official Apple app, you need to download it from its official website, which can be found here.
  • Install the package and give it permission to whatever the requests are.
  • Go to the menu and look for the AirPlay option. It should show you the Sonos speakers available in the network.
  • Now get Sonos Connect and wire your PC to the line-in on the Connect. This will link the Sonos app to the computer’s audio output.
  • In the AutoPlay menu, you must set the Sonos speakers as your default speakers.

The current version of SonoAir also works fine with High Sierra after it switched from AirSonos to AirConnect.

Since Sonos Speakers are designed to stream music, there might be a slight mismatch between the audio and video output. You can solve this from the Sonos Controller app using the Audio Delay feature. Check out this guide.

SonoAir is a community-based project and is supported by donations. This means, you’re supposed to do everything from end-to-end, and there might not be any support from the team.

The best alternative to SonoAir is AudioBridge. It offers a much simpler process, and there’s a paid version too that you can use.

How To Connect Sonos Speakers To Computer? A Complete Guide (2)

SWYH

If you’re running Windows on your PC, then your best option is Stream What You Hear. This is an open-source project and developed in .NET framework.

To get started with SWYH, here are the steps involved:

  • Download the SWYH package on to your Windows PC.
  • Install the package and launch the app.
  • From the app’s icon menu, right-click on the system tray.
  • Then navigate to Tools>HTTP Live Streaming.
  • Here you’ll find a URL that you need to copy. Copy the URL to paste somewhere.
  • Open the Sonos app and navigate into Manage>Add Radio Station
  • Paste the above URL in here and save it.

Now you can use this “radio station” to play audio from your PC on your Sonos speakers. Just make sure that you have audio running on your PC. Otherwise, this feature may fail to detect it.

Please note that SWYH is an open-source project, and you might not get any assistance when you encounter an error. Therefore, it’s better to go with a paid application instead.

The final thing you should know that Sonos, as a company, do not recommend these methods. In fact, they’re against tuning your speakers and discourage users from doing so. The process explained to you is a workaround that has been using by many users around the world.

The closest you can get to computer-enabled speakers from Sonos is the Play:1 and Sonos One. While they don’t exactly function as a computer speaker should, you can connect to them using the Sonos desktop app. At least that’s what the official statement from Sonos is.

Since Sonos is distancing itself from desktop and focusing more on mobile instead, it remains to see what the future holds for PC users.

How To Connect Sonos Speakers To Computer? A Complete Guide (2025)

FAQs

How do I connect my Sonos speaker to my computer? ›

Connect the Sonos speaker to your computer via a 3.5mm to 3.5mm dongle. (The Era 100 and Era 300 also require you to have Sonos's adapter.) Select the Sonos speaker as your computer's default speaker (open the Settings app on your computer > select System Preferences > Sound > Output > select the Sonos speaker).

How do I get Sonos audio output to my computer? ›

Select SONOS as Output Device: Open Windows Media Player on your PC. Go to "Play" > "Play To" and select your SONOS system from the list of available devices. Your Windows Media Player audio should now play through your SONOS system.

Why is my computer not responding to Sonos? ›

Make sure your PC, Mac, or NAS drive is powered on

If the computer or NAS drive is powered off or asleep, Sonos will not be able to reach the files in your music library. If your music is being interrupted because your computer is falling asleep, you can adjust its sleep settings to prevent this.

Why won't my Sonos connect to my laptop? ›

Make sure you're connected to the right WiFi network

Go to the WiFi settings on your computer, phone, or tablet, and confirm it is connected to the same WiFi network as Sonos. Check that your device isn't connected to a guest network as this can prevent your device from connecting to Sonos.

How do I get Sonos to play music from my computer? ›

Sonos apps for macOS or Windows
  1. From the Manage menu, select Music Library Settings.
  2. Under the section for “My music folders on Sonos,” select + (plus) on macOS, or Add if you are using Windows.
  3. Select Networked device (ex. ...
  4. Type the network path for your shared music folder and select Next.

Why can't Sonos find my computer? ›

Open Windows Task Manager and click More Details (if needed). Then look for sonoslibraryservice.exe under Processes » Background Tasks. If it's not there, please uninstall and reinstall the Sonos app. Make sure the sonoslibraryservice.exe file has access opened in your Firewall exceptions.

How do I connect audio output to Sonos? ›

Simply connect the RCA cable from your external audio device to Connect's RCA inputs labeled IN. To learn more, check our article for using line-in on Sonos.

Can you use Sonos ones as computer speakers? ›

Sonos One has no Bluetooth functionality, and it's not meant to be a speaker for PC audio. Though you can use the PC controller to play music sources, you cannot play all PC audio over the One.

Why is my computer refused to let Sonos connect to it in Windows 11? ›

The Sonos app can show a “Computer refused the connection” error when your Sonos system is trying to access your music library. The error is typically caused by having multiple computers on one network with the same hostname.

How do I reset my Sonos on my computer? ›

At the top of the screen (Mac) or the top of the Sonos app window (PC), click the Help drop-down menu. Click Reset Controller.

Can you plug a Sonos into a laptop? ›

Connecting via optical cable or Sonos Optical Audio Adapter

Once the optical cable is plugged in, click the speaker icon in the bottom-right corner of your Windows taskbar, then click the speaker name above the volume slider to see if an “Optical” or “Digital” sound output has shown up.

Why is my Sonos not pairing? ›

Check the power

Your Sonos product won't be available for a Bluetooth connection when it's in sleep mode or powered off. If the status light is off on your portable speaker or headphones, press the power button to wake it up or connect it to power to turn it back on if it's run out of battery.

How do I connect my Sonos to my computer via WiFi? ›

From the Settings tab, select System > Network > Wireless Setup and follow the prompts to enter your WiFi password. Once the wireless setup is complete, disconnect the Ethernet cable from any Sonos products wired to your router.

How do I connect my Sonos to my laptop WiFi? ›

Switch to a wireless setup
  1. Go to the Settings menu.
  2. Select the Manage button next to My System.
  3. Select Network, then Update Networks.
  4. Follow the prompts to connect Sonos to your WiFi network. Once the wireless setup is complete, disconnect the Ethernet cable from any Sonos products wired to your router.

Can I use Sonos One as a Bluetooth speaker? ›

The Sonos One isn't a Bluetooth speaker. If you had a Mac, you could play audio to the speaker through AirPlay. The only Sonos speakers that support Bluetooth are the Move and the Roam.

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