Sonos CONTROL User manual

SONOS CONTROL
Product Guide

THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION THAT IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE.
No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including but not
limited to photocopying, recording, information retrieval systems, or computer network without the written permission of Sonos, Inc.
SONOS, The Wireless HiFi System, PLAY:3, PLAY:5 and all other Sonos product names and slogans are trademarks or registered
trademarks of Sonos, Inc. Sonos Reg. U.S. Pat. & Tm. Off.
The SONOS PLAY:3 and PLAY:5 are protected by patents including: U.S. Patents US7,696,816 and US7,378,903. Other patents are
pending.
The SONOS BRIDGE is protected by U.S. patent number D575,800.
The SONOS CONNECT is protected by U.S. patent numbers: D559,197 and D582,429.
The SONOS CONNECT AMP is protected by U.S. patent numbers: 7,378,903; 7,696,816; 7,792,311; D559,197; D575,801.
The SONOS CONTROL is protected by U.S. patent numbers: 7,571,014; 7,805,682; D559,197; D582,429.
Other patents are pending.
iPhone®, iPod®, iPad® and iTunes® are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.
Windows® is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries.
Android® is a trademark of Google Inc.
MPEG Layer-3 audio decoding technology licensed from Fraunhofer IIS and Thomson.
Sonos uses MSNTP software, which was developed by N.M. Maclaren at the University of Cambridge.
© Copyright, N.M. Maclaren, 1996, 1997, 2000; © Copyright, University of Cambridge, 1996, 1997, 2000.
All other products and services mentioned may be trademarks or service marks of their respective owners.
©2004-2011 by Sonos, Inc. All rights reserved.

SONOS CONTROL
• Lets you wirelessly control the music and where it's being played, from any room in your house—no pointing or line-
of-sight requirements.
• Full-color LCD touch screen makes it simple to:
• search or browse for songs
• queue up tracks and playlists
• select zones—listen to different songs in every room, or listen to the same song in every room.
• control volume, playback and system settings
Already have Sonos?
If you are adding a SONOS CONTROL to an existing Sonos system, see "Adding a SONOS CONTROL" on page 5.
New to Sonos?
It takes just a few steps to get your Sonos system up and running. Unpack your Sonos components, and then turn to the
Quickstart Guide included in the box. Set up at least one Sonos component before adding the SONOS CONTROL to your music
system.

User Guide
2
At a Glance
Navigation
Zones Touch to select a room to play music in, to view the music
selections playing in each room, or to create or modify zone groups
in order to share the same music across zones.
You can also use this button to lock the SONOS CONTROL so that
nothing happens when you touch the screen (such as when cleaning
the screen, or carrying the CONTROL in your pocket.)
To lock the SONOS CONTROL, touch and hold for two (2)
seconds. To unlock, simply touch and hold the button again.
Music Menu Touch to browse or select music, access playlists, and
change the default settings for a Sonos component.
View Queue Touch to view the tracks in the current queue.

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Playback Controls
Sensors and Indicators
Volume
Scrolling/Browsing Scrolling/browsing. While touching the screen, drag your finger up or
down to scroll through any displayed list. Flick the screen to scroll
quickly. Touch an item in a list to make a selection.
Back Touch to return to the previous screen.
Information Touch on the Now Playing screen to view additional choices or
view more information for a music selection.
Play / Pause Toggles between playing and pausing the current track.
Next / Fast Forward Jumps to the start of the next track in the music queue.
Touching and holding this control displays the track position slider
while you move forward through the current track.
Previous / Rewind If you are more than 3 seconds into the track, this control returns to
the start of the current track; if you are less than 3 seconds into the
track, this control jumps to the start of the previous track.
Touching and holding this control displays the track position slider
while you skip backward through the current track.
Light sensor The light sensor automatically turns on the button backlights based
upon the brightness of the environment.
Wireless signal strength
indicator
Indicates the current strength of the CONTROL’s wireless signal.
Battery charge indicator Indicates the CONTROL’s remaining battery charge.
Volume Control Use the volume control buttons to increase (+) or decrease (-) the
volume in any zone, or across a zone group.

User Guide
4
Settings
Lock
You can lock the SONOS CONTROL so that nothing happens when you touch the LCD touch screen or buttons.
Choose one of the following options:
• From the Settings menu, select CONTROL Settings -> Lock Controller.
Or,
• Touch and hold for two (2) seconds.
When ready to unlock, simply touch and hold for two (2) seconds.
Sounds
The SONOS CONTROL makes a clicking sound when you touch a selection. You can choose to turn all sounds on, turn all
sounds off, or enable keyboard sounds only.
From the Settings menu, select CONTROL Settings -> Controller Sounds.
Light Sleep
The SONOS CONTROL will go into light sleep (the screen will turn off) to preserve the battery life when it is unused for a
specified period of time. When motion is detected or a button is pressed, the SONOS CONTROL awakens immediately.
From the Settings menu, select CONTROL Settings -> Sleep Timer Undocked/Docked.
•Sleep Timer Docked (when CONTROL is seated in charging cradle)
•Sleep Timer Undocked (when CONTROL is not seated in charging cradle or attached to power)
Screen Brightness
1. From the Settings menu, select CONTROL Settings -> Screen Brightness.
2. Drag your finger across the slider to adjust the brightness of your SONOS CONTROL screen.
Button Brightness
1. From the Settings menu, select CONTROL Settings -> Button Brightness.
2. Drag your finger across the slider to adjust the brightness of the buttons on your SONOS CONTROL.
The button brightness is controlled by the light sensor, so the button brightness will vary depending upon your
environment (such as whether it’s night or day, or whether your are inside or outside your home.)
Mute Temporarily silences the music in a zone. Touch again to unmute.
To mute all zones, touch and hold for 3 seconds. Touch and hold for 3
seconds to unmute all zones.

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Motion sensor
The SONOS CONTROL has a motion sensor to automatically wake it up when motion is detected. Select this setting if you wish
to disable the motion sensor.
From the Settings menu, select CONTROL Settings -> Advanced Settings -> Motion Sensor.
Language
Use this setting to change the language setting for your SONOS CONTROL.
From the Settings menu, select CONTROL Settings -> Advanced Settings -> Language.
Adding a SONOS CONTROL
If you are setting up a new Sonos system, Sonos recommends you set up at least one Sonos component before adding the
SONOS CONTROL to your music system.
Once you’ve got one or more rooms set up, connect the power adapter to the back of the charging cradle (included) and plug
the cradle into a power outlet. Place the SONOS CONTROL into the charging cradle to wake it up (the screen will come alive
when it’s ready), and then follow the CONTROL’s on-screen instructions to add it to your Sonos system.
Usage Data
To help us improve our products and services, Sonos would like to collect usage data about how you use your Sonos system.
We will never provide any of this information to third parties. To learn more, you can go to our Website at www.sonos.com/
legal/usage-data.
During setup, you will be requested to allow Sonos to collect usage data. You can change your mind anytime by selecting
Advanced Settings -> Usage Data from the Settings menu, and then selecting Yes or No.
Note: The SONOS CONTROL is compatible with Sonos software version 3.0 or later. If you are
adding to an existing Sonos system, use the Desktop Controller software to check for the
latest Sonos software update by selecting Help -> Check for Updates. Once you update your
music system, you can add the SONOS CONTROL.

User Guide
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Turning Off
1. Touch CONTROL Settings from the Settings menu.
2. Touch Advanced Settings -> Turn Off Controller.
To turn it back on, simply place the CONTROL into the charging cradle. Use this setting to put your SONOS CONTROL into deep
sleep anytime it will not be in use for an extended period of time, or when you are transporting the CONTROL to another
destination. (The SONOS CONTROL cannot be turned off while it is seated in the charging cradle.)
Turning Off the Music System
Your Sonos system is designed to be always on; the system uses minimal electricity whenever it is not playing music. To
quickly stop streaming music in all rooms, touch Pause All Zones from the Zone Menu.
Your Sonos components remain off until you touch to restart each room or zone group.
Clocks and Alarms
Setting date and time
1. From the Music Menu, select Alarms.
2. Touch Date and Time Settings to select the way in which date and time settings are determined and displayed on the
CONTROL.
Adding an alarm
1. From the Music Menu, touch Alarms -> Alarms.
2. Touch New Alarm.
3. Select the desired settings for this alarm, including the alarm time, the room you would like the alarm to play in, the
music source you’d like to play from, the frequency of the alarm, and the volume setting.
4. Touch Advanced to select additional alarm preferences:
•Duration — select the length of time you want the alarm music to play.
•Include Grouped Zones — if you touch Yes, the alarm plays in the rooms that are linked together when the alarm goes
off (not in the rooms that were linked together at the time the alarm was set).
•Show Clock on this Controller — select On if you want a clock to display on this controller when the alarm sounds.
•Shuffle Music — select On if you want the play mode for the selected alarm music set to shuffle.
5. Touch Save Alarm when you finish choosing the alarm settings.
Note: If the music you’ve selected is not available when the alarm goes off (such as an
Internet radio station that has dropped off), your alarm plays the Sonos chime instead.

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Deleting an alarm
1. From the Music Menu, touch Alarms -> Alarms.
2. Select the alarm you wish to delete, and touch Delete Alarm.
Setting a sleep timer
1. From the Music Menu, touch Alarms -> Sleep Timer.
2. Select a sleep timer duration.
Turning off the alarm
When the alarm goes off, touch Stop Alarm from the Now Playing screen to turn off the alarm.
Online Updates
Sonos periodically provides you with software updates to improve performance or to add new features. Your music system
must be registered to receive updates. If you have not yet registered, see "System Registration" on page 7.
When there is a software update available, the Update Now! icon appears on the Music Menu.
• Touch the Update Now! icon to begin the update process.
• Your Sonos components will all be updated, as they must carry the same software version number. This process
may take several minutes per device, depending upon your network connection.
• One or more components may need to be updated later if you purchase a new components with a later software
version, or if you plug in a components that was not in use when you performed your last software update.
• If you have another Sonos controller, you will be prompted to update it the next time you use it.
System Registration
Registering your music system allows you to receive technical support, Sonos software upgrades, and several free music
service trials. At no time is any of your information provided to other companies.
1. From the Settings menu, touch Advanced Settings.
2. Touch System Registration, and then follow the prompts to register your Sonos system.
Caution: Do not disconnect power from your Sonos components, or in any way disable your
Sonos system while this process is running. Contact Sonos Customer Support if an error
occurs.

User Guide
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Renaming a Sonos Component
If you name a Sonos component incorrectly, or if you move it to another room, you can rename it to suit your preference.
1. From the Settings menu, touch ZonePlayer Settings. If you wish to change the name of a BRIDGE, touch BRIDGE
Settings instead.
2. Touch to select the room you wish to change.
3. Touch ZonePlayer Name.
4. Choose one of the following options:
• Drag your finger to scroll the room list, and touch to select the one you want.
•Or,touchEnter New to type a unique name. Use the keyboard to enter the name, and then touch OK.
Turning Off the Status Indicator Light
A constant white light displays on the front of most Sonos components to indicate that the unit is functioning in normal
operation. If you have a component located in a bedroom, you may want to turn this light off so that when the unit is in
normal operation, it does not display. However, if the status indicator light begins to flash amber, please go to http://
faq.sonos.com/led for additional information.
1. From the Settings menu, touch ZonePlayer Settings. To turn off a BRIDGE status indicator light, touch BRIDGE Settings
instead.
2. Touch the room you wish to affect.
3. Touch White Status Indicator Light. If the option is set to:
•Off, the status indicator light remains off during normal operation.
•On, the status indicator light remains on during normal operation.

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Equalization (Sound Settings)
The SONOS PLAY:3, PLAY:5, CONNECT, and CONNECT:AMP ship with the equalization settings preset in order to provide the
optimal playback experience. If desired, you can change the sound settings (bass, treble, balance, or loudness) to suit your
personal preferences.
1. From the Settings menu, touch ZonePlayer Settings.
2. Touch to select a room.
3. Select Music Equalization, and drag your finger across the sliders to make adjustments.
• Slide controls to the right to increase, left to decrease.
• To change the Loudness setting, touch ON or OFF.
• To change the settings for a Sonos component back to the original default values, touch Reset All.
Note: The loudness setting is designed to compensate for normal changes in the ear's
sensitivity at low volumes — you can turn this setting on to boost certain frequencies,
including bass, at low volume.

User Guide
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Creating a Stereo Pair
The Stereo Pair setting allows you to group two PLAY:5s or two PLAY:3s in the same room to create a wider stereo experience.
In this configuration, one component serves as the left channel and the other serves as the right channel.
Optimum placement information
• When creating a stereo pair, it is best to place the two PLAY:5 or PLAY:3 units 8 to 10 feet away from each other, angled
inward to form a triangle with your favorite listening position.
• Your favorite listening position should be 8 to 12 feet from the units. Less distance increases bass, more distance im-
proves stereo imaging.
Note: The Stereo Pair setting is for use with PLAY:3s and PLAY:5s only. You can pair two
PLAY:3s or two PLAY:5s. You cannot pair a PLAY:3 with a PLAY:5.

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1. From the Settings menu, touch ZonePlayer Settings.
2. Select one of the components you wish to create a stereo pair with.
3. Touch Create Stereo Pair, and touch Next.
4. Select the other component you wish to pair.
5. Press Mute on the component you wish to become the left channel.
The components automatically connect to form a stereo pair.
Separating a stereo pair
1. From the Settings menu, touch ZonePlayer Settings.
2. Select the stereo pair you wish to separate (the stereo pair appears with L + R in the name.)
3. Touch Separate Stereo Pair, and then touch Yes to confirm.
The components appear separately on the ZonePlayer Settings screen.
Recharging
The SONOS CONTROL can be recharged by placing it in the Sonos Charging Cradle. The Battery Charge Indicator on your
CONTROL displays the current battery charge level. To extend the battery life, it’s best not to let the Lithium Ion battery
discharge completely before recharging. Keep the controller seated in the charging cradle when not in use, as this type of
battery does not suffer from memory effect and can be charged anytime.
If the battery charge begins to run low, a message will appear on your controller screen indicating that it’s time to recharge.
Simply place it in the cradle to recharge.
If you should miss this message and the CONTROL’s battery discharges completely, simply place the controller into the
charging cradle. The CONTROL’s light sensor will turn orange, indicating that a reset is in process. It will take a few
minutes for the controller screen to wake up.
Battery Replacement
After several years (depending upon usage), the battery on your CONTROL may not hold a charge as long as it once did. You
can purchase a replacement battery (visit our Web site at www.sonos.com for more information), and then follow the
instructions below to replace the battery.
Caution: Risk of explosion if battery is replaced by incorrect type. Dispose of used batteries
according to the instructions. (Check with your local waste or recycling company to determine
the proper disposal method in your area.)

User Guide
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1. Remove the battery door on the back of your CONTROL.
2. Remove the existing battery by gently pulling the gray battery tab toward you to dislodge the battery, and then lift up to
remove.
3. Remove the protective wrap from the new battery.
4. Insert the battery into the battery compartment with the Sonos logo facing out, making sure the battery snaps gently
into place.
5. Close the battery door.
6. Place the SONOS CONTROL into the charging cradle to wake it up.
Managing Zones
What Are Zones
A zone is just another word for a room in your house—Sonos lets you enjoy music in up to 32 rooms, inside or out. We call
them zones because you can group rooms together to play the same song in every room, or you can listen to different songs
in every room. This means you can group the kitchen and the patio together while barbecuing, link all the rooms in the house
together for a party, or leave all the rooms unlinked and let the kids can enjoy rap in their rooms while you listen to jazz in
your office.
Use the Zones menu to:
• Select a zone to play some music in
• See the music that’s currently playing in every room
• Link zones together to form a zone group
• Drop a zone from a zone group
Music will continue to play while you browse. The current zone is highlighted on your screen, and the music selections you
make will play in that zone.
Slide the battery door
back, and then lift it off

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Grouping Zones
A room can be grouped together with any other room(s) to form a zone group. This will cause all the rooms in the group to
play the same music in synchrony. You can link or drop zones from a group while the music is playing. You can also link all the
Sonos components in your house with one touch by selecting All Zones-Party Mode.
You can create a zone group first and then select music to play, or you can add a room to a zone group where music is already
playing.
Any zones you link will automatically drop their current music queue and begin to play the music queue from the highlighted
zone. If you want to be able to play that music queue later, you can save it as a Sonos playlist before linking the zones. See
"Sonos Playlists" on page 26 for more information.
1. Press .
2. Touch Zone Group to the right of the zone you want to group (add more rooms to.)
3. Check the zones you would like to add to this zone group, and then touch Done.
If you want to join all the rooms in your house to this music queue, touch All Zones-Party Mode in the Zone Grouping
menu. All of your Sonos components will then play the same music in synchrony until you drop the zones from the zone
group.

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Ungrouping Zones
1. Press .
2. Touch Zone Group to the right of the zone group you want to change.
3. Uncheck the zone(s) you want to remove from the group, and then touch Done.
The rooms you removed from the group stop playing music. The other zones in the group continue unaffected.
Managing and Playing Music
Available Music Sources
• Library (shared folders on your home network)
•Musicservices
• Sonos playlists (music queues you have saved for future playback)
• Radio (Internet radio stations, radio shows, or podcasts)
• Docked iPods
• Line-in (connect an external audio source like an Apple
®
AirPlay
®
device, CD player, TV, MP3 player or more to a Sonos
component via line-in and stream the audio to any or all Sonos components around your house)
What is your music library?
Your music library includes digital music located anywhere on your home network such as:
• shared folders on your computer
• shared folders on another computer in your network
• Network-Attached Storage (NAS) devices
You can browse your music library in various ways. You can enter search criteria to quickly find a particular music selection, or
you can browse through a category hierarchy to make music selections.
Your choices include:
• Artists
•Albums
•Composers
•Genres
•Tracks
• Imported playlists
Note: If a computer on your network is turned off or is in standby mode, the music folders
on that computer are unavailable to the Sonos system until the computer is turned back on.

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•Search
•Folders
What is a music queue?
When you make music selections, they are added to a list of tracks called a music queue. You can create a different music
queue for each room in your house, or you can create a zone group and play the same music across multiple rooms. A play
indicator appears to the left of the track currently playing in the music queue. When the current track ends, the next track in
the queue starts to play, and play continues down through the list until the queue is completed. When you add selections to
a queue, you can choose to play them now, play them next, add them to the end of the queue, or play them now and clear the
queue of previous music selections.
What is a music service?
A music service is an online music store or online service that sells audio on a per-song, per-audiobook, or subscription basis.
What is a Sonos playlist?
A Sonos playlist is a music queue you create and then save for future listening. For example, you might want to create a jazz
playlist, a party playlist, or an easy listening playlist.
What is radio?
Internet radio stations and radio shows are broadcasts provided by 3rd parties via the Internet. You can choose from
thousands of radio stations and radio shows from around the globe, including archived shows and podcasts. You can also add
your own favorite stations if they use streaming MP3 or WMA formats (not every radio station provides streams).
What is Line-in?
You can connect an external source like a CD player, portable music player, television, or AirPlay device to your Sonos system,
and stream the audio to any or all Sonos components (PLAY:5, CONNECT, or CONECT:AMP) around your house.
Managing Your Music Library
The Sonos system can play music from any computer or Network-Attached Storage (NAS) device on your home network
where you have shared music folders (music shares). During setup, you are guided through the process of accessing these
shared music folders. Over time, you may wish to add or remove music folders from this list.
Sonos is designed to work with large music collections. Music folders are indexed so you can view you music by categories
— you can index approximately 65,000 tracks to the Sonos library. If the metadata in your files contains lengthy artist, track,
or album names, your music index may fill up more quickly. For additional information, go to
http://faq.sonos.com/musicindex.
• You can add or remove the shared folders Sonos accesses music from at any time. You may need to make changes if
you add a computer to your home network, or if you move shared folders from one location to another.
• If you add new music to a folder that is already indexed, simply update your music index to add this music to your library.

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• To play music from imported playlists, drop the playlist file .PLS, .M3U or .WPL into the same music folder that you have
shared to the Sonos system, update your music index, and the custom playlists will appear when you select Imported
Playlists from the Music Menu.
Music Library Setup
Adding a shared folder
1. From the Music Menu, select Settings -> Music Library Management -> Music Library Setup.
2. Touch Add New Share.
3. Choose one of the following options:
• Select Scan my network for shares to automatically scan for shared folders that are not currently being accessed.
• Touch to select a folder from the displayed list.
• If the folder does not require a user name and password, touch OK.
• If the folder does require a username and password, use the keyboard to type them, and then touch OK.
• Select Enter the location of a share if you prefer to enter the path.
• Use the keyboard to type the path name for the share (path example: \\Name\Sharename, where Name is the net-
work name for your computer or NAS device, and Sharename is the name of the top level shared folder, such as
\\linkstation\music_share.)
• If the folder does not require a user name and password, touch OK.
• If the folder does require a username and password, use the keyboard to type them, and then touch OK.
Stop accessing a shared folder
1. From the Music Menu, select Settings -> Music Library Management -> Music Library Setup.
The shared music folders that are currently accessible to your Sonos system are displayed.
2. Select the folder you wish to stop using, and touch Remove.
Your music folder will remain untouched on your computer. However, you will no longer be able to access it from the Sonos
system.
Updating the music index
During the setup process, all of your available music folders are indexed for easy selection. If you add new music to a folder
that is already indexed, you can simply update your music index to add the new music to your Sonos music library.
1. From the Music Menu, touch Settings.
2. Select Music Library Management -> Update Music Index Now.
3. Select Scan Now.
The message, “updating music index” appears. When the message disappears, your new music is available.
Scheduling automatic updates
1. From the Music Menu, touch Settings.
2. Touch Music Library Management.
3. Touch Schedule Music Index Update, and select On.

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4. Touch Music Index Update Time, and use the up and down arrows to select the time you would like your music index to
update each day.
To turn off automatic music index updates, select Off from the Schedule Music Index Update menu option.
Viewing shared folders
From the Settings menu, select Music Library Management -> Music Library Setup.
The shared music folders that are currently accessible to your Sonos system are displayed. (If a computer on your network is
turned off or is in sleep or standby mode, the music on that computer will be unavailable to the Sonos system until the
computer is turned back on.)
Contributing artists
Contributing Artists are those who appear on individual tracks within an album, including those on a compilation or
soundtrack album. You can set your preferences to show or hide these individual artists within a Contributing Artists view.
1. From the Music Menu, touch Settings -> Music Library Management -> View Contributing Artists.
2. Select On or Off.
The View Contributing Artists preference setting you select applies only to this Sonos controller. If you have another Sonos
controller, you can select a different Contributing Artist view for it.
Selecting from a Music Library
1. Select Music Library from the Music Menu.
2. Select a category (search, artists, albums, composers, genres tracks, imported playlists, folders), and use your finger to
drill down through the menus to make a music selection.
• To make alphabetic browsing easier, touch any letter to the right of the list to move immediately to the selections that
begin with that letter.
Note: The music you select will play in the zone or zone group that is currently showing at
the top of your controller screen.

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• To play all songs for an artist, composer, or genre, touch All.
• To play all songs on an album, touch Complete Album.
• If you’ve created Sonos playlists (tracks you’ve organized into lists), you can play them by selecting Sonos Playlists
from the Music Menu. For more information, see "Sonos Playlists" on page 26.
3. Touch to return to the previous music selection screen.
Searching
You can use the search feature to look for music selections within your music library or some music services.
1. From the Music Menu, select the music source your want to search (your music library or a music service.)
2. Touch Search, and select a search criteria (artists, albums, composers, or tracks).
3. Use the keyboard to type a full or partial name.
4. If you don’t receive any search results, touch to try again.
Note: If you have uncompressed files in your music collection, they may only be available
for browsing and/or selection via Track or Browse by Folder, as uncompressed files may not
contain detailed information such as artist, title and genre.