Learn how to stream through the Sonos app and AirPlay
Sonos speakers are some of the best in the business when it comes to integrating with music services – and that includes YouTube.
You can play music from YouTube directly within the Sonos app, just as you can Apple Music, Spotify or any of the other 100 compatible music streaming services.
It means if you have any Sonos speaker or soundbar, from the Sonos Era 100 to the Sonos Arc, you can get a wealth of music on demand.
For those paying for YouTube Premium or YouTube Music Premium, you can stream the likes of playlists, albums, remixes, covers and more to your smart speaker. And, depending on the Sonos speaker you have, you may also be able to stream over AirPlay – not just the Sonos app.
Below, we’ll be going through all the steps required to play YouTube on your Sonos arsenal – and, of course, how you can play music if you’re not a subscriber to the service.
How to play YouTube Music on Sonos
We’ve covered how to stream YouTube videos from your connected device to your Sonos a little further down, but first, we’re going to cover the steps required to add YouTube Music – the company’s paid-for music service – to your Sonos speakers. Keep in mind that Sonos recently updated its app so the steps are slightly different now to what they were.
The steps below refer to the latest version of the Sonos app, but if you’re adding YouTube Music and you haven’t updated your Sonos app, you can jump to the previous steps by clicking here.
What you’ll need
- Your smartphone or tablet
- The Sonos app
- A YouTube Music subscription
- Your YouTube account details
The short version
- Open the Sonos app.
- Swipe across the Your Services rail to the “+” icon.
- Tap on YouTube Music from the list.
- Select ‘Add to Sonos‘.
- Choose between having an account or signing up.
- Copy the code that appears on the Authorise screen.
- Tap on ‘Authorise‘ to allow Sonos to use your YouTube Music account.
- Paste in the code and select the Google account your YouTube Music subscription is registered to.
- Select ‘Allow‘.
- Go back to the Sonos app and give your YouTube Music account a nickname.
- Press ‘Done‘.
How to add YouTube Music to Sonos
If you need a little extra detail than the short version above, this is how you add YouTube Music as a music streaming service in the latest Sonos app.
Time needed: 5 minutes
- Open up the Sonos app and head to Your Services
The latest Sonos app has one home screen where most settings now live, making it a little quicker to access some things, including adding a music service. Simply open up the Sonos app find the Your Services rail. Swipe all the way across the the “+” icon, or tap on ‘Manage’ within the Your Services rail.
- Add YouTube Music
You’ll see any Connected Services on the next screen – those you have already signed into. At the bottom of those services is the option to ‘Add Content Service’ if you have selected the ‘Manage’ route above. You should then see an icon for YouTube Music appear at the top (if you have the app installed on your smartphone or tablet. If not, YouTube Music will appear in the list and you can search for it using the search bar at the bottom.
- Authorise YouTube Music
You’ll then need to tap on ‘Add to Sonos’ to start the process of authorising Sonos to access your YouTube Music account. If you don’t have an account, you’ll need to sign up for one before you go any further. If you do, tap on ‘I already have an account’. An important step following this is to copy the code that appears on the screen after you select ‘Add to Sonos’ and confirm you have an account. That code needs to be copied before you press ‘Authorise’.
- Enter the code and choose your Google account
Once you’ve copied the code and tapped on ‘Authorise’, you’ll need to paste the code into the box that appears on the following screen. Press continue and then select the Google account that is associated with your YouTube Music subscription.
- Allow the connection
After selecting the right Google account, you’ll then need to tap on ‘Allow’ to enable Sonos to access your YouTube Music account. You’ll be taken to a ‘Success! Device connected’ screen if everything was in order.
- Go back into the Sonos app
You’ll then want to go back into the Sonos app. We found this step worked better if you closed the success screen and went back to the Sonos app separately rather than tapping back to Sonos from that screen. From there, you can then give your YouTube Music account a nickname and that’s it, done.
How to add YouTube Music in old Sonos app
These are the steps for adding YouTube Music to your Sonos speakers if you haven’t updated the Sonos app to the latest version with one Home Screen.
- Launch the Sonos app, before tapping Services & Voice > Add a Service > YouTube Music > Add to Sonos.
- From here, you’ll need to specify whether you already have an account (and you’ve already subscribed to YouTube Music) or if you’re new to the service, in which case you’ll have to sign up.
- Once you’ve authorized YouTube Music as a service, you’ll be forwarded to your device’s web browser.
- You’ll then be prompted to enter the code provided, before tapping Continue.
- Tap on the Google account you want to use for YouTube Music, and then Allow.
- You’ll then be notified that the account you selected has been authorized.
- Choose a name for YouTube Music once back in the Sonos app.
Play YouTube Music on Sonos
Once you’re all signed up and ready to get going, it’s very easy to actually use YouTube from within the Sonos app, especially if you’re running the latest version of the app.
Just open the Sonos app and head to the Your Services rail. Swipe across to the YouTube Music icon and tap on it. From here, you’ll see Home, New releases, Charts and Library so you can access playlists, songs or albums at your leisure.
If you’re on the old version of the Sonos app, you’ll need to go to the YouTube Music section, which you access by tapping on the music note tab at the bottom and then pick the category you want to play from – either ‘Home’, ‘New releases’, ‘Charts’, or ‘Library’.
How to play standard free YouTube on Sonos
If you’re already entrenched within the likes of Spotify or Apple Music, it’s unlikely you have a YouTube Music subscription tacked on, too.
So, is there a way to simply stream YouTube videos (but, really, the audio) to your Sonos? If you’re connecting an iPhone and a Sonos with AirPlay 2, then yes. If you’re on an Android device, no.
Play YouTube audio on Sonos using AirPlay 2
If you have an Apple device, you’re able to use AirPlay to wirelessly ping music over – kind of like Bluetooth or Wi-Fi streaming, but just for iPhone and iPad.
Many Sonos speakers, including the Sonos One, Era 100, Era 300, Arc, Beam, Five, Ray, Roam, Move (1st and 2nd generation) and the second-generation Play:5 all support AirPlay 2. But be aware that you’ll only see the AirPlay 2 logo pop up in the Safari version of YouTube, not the app.
To play YouTube on Sonos through AirPlay, follow these steps:
- Make sure your Sonos speaker and your connected device are in range and running on the same network.
- Load the YouTube video you want to play.
- Open the iPhone’s Control Panel (swipe up or down depending on which iPhone model you have).
- Force Touch the music control box and then tap the AirPlay icon. Select your desired Sonos speaker from the list – the two should then connect and the audio should play through your speaker.
Play YouTube on Sonos using Bluetooth
If you’ve got one of Sonos’ Bluetooth-enabled speakers – the likes of the Sonos Roam or either of the Sonos Move speakers – then you can also ping YouTube audio over to your speaker using Bluetooth skills.
The Roam is actually the ‘better’ option here, as, once you’re syncing up audio over Bluetooth, you can actually group Sonos’ smallest speaker to any other speakers in your Sonos system… that’s currently not an option with either Sonos Move speakers as neither offer Sound Swap.
For more ideas of cool things you can do with your speaker setup, check our Sonos tips and tricks guide.
