Sonos 3.6 update brings Slacker Radio, Kindle Fire, Android tablet support

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Handhelds, Music, Software

Sonos, makers of the Play:3 and high-end ZonePlayer wireless multi-room music systems, has announced an update to its system software that adds more wireless music streaming options, and lets users control their Sonos systems with their Android tablets.

The most notable feature of the 3.6 software update makes the Sonos Controller app available to Kindle Fire and Android Honeycomb tablets users, letting them use their tablets as remote controls for their Sonos products. The company released the app for Android phones in February, and the Sonos Controller is also available for iOS devices.

The Android tablet app, which can be downloaded for free from the Android Market or the Amazon Appstore, is scaled to take advantage of tablets' extra screen space. It includes enhancements like on-device music library and zone management, alarms that let you fall asleep or wake to your favorite tunes, and Twitter integration, so you can tweet what you're listening to on Sonos from your tablet.

The 3.6 update also adds Slacker Radio to the robust lineup of Sonos music streaming services that already includes Napster, Pandora, Rdio, SiriusXM, and Spotify among others. In addition, Spotify users will now have access to their Spotify inboxes and Spotify’s new releases and top tracks.

Sonos Labs, a new Beta environment, also introduced, allows users to test out music services before they are officially launched on Sonos products. Other features in the updated include AAC+ codec support, enhancements for improved metadata and ratings, and expanded language support.

“Today’s feature update reaffirms our commitment to persistently innovate so that Sonos users have the ultimate music experience in every room of the home,” John MacFarlane, founder and CEO of Sonos, said in a statement. “Endless music and effortless control are what will keep us as the gold standard for listening out loud in the home.”

This article, written by Eugene Kim, originally appeared on PCMag.com and is republished on Gear Live with the permission of Ziff Davis, Inc.