Sonos unveils a free software update, Sonos 27, enabling AI-powered voice control with ChatGPT and expanding its ecosystem towards more natural and integrated home audio experiences.
Sonos has begun rolling out a free software update that pushes its speakers further into AI control, with ChatGPT able to act as a front-end for playback requests. In practice, that means a listener could ask ChatGPT to start music on a Sonos system without opening the Sonos app first, while Sonos keeps the existing app and manual controls in place for people who prefer them. The company says the update is part of a broader move to make its platform work more naturally with the digital assistants customers already use.
The software, called Sonos 27, is also meant to widen the company’s own AI ambitions. According to Sonos, it will include a built-in assistant focused on selecting music by mood, alongside a preview of tools that could let users create custom AI helpers for their systems later on. Sonos has said other assistants, including Google Gemini, should also be able to connect over time. The AI functions will begin as an early trial rather than a finished release, with the rollout due from 8 September.
The update is not limited to voice and chat controls. Sonos says some portable speakers, including the Move 2, can be used as rear channels in a surround set-up when placed behind a sofa. What Hi-Fi? reported that the company is now presenting its software as a broader operating system for audio, reflecting a shift towards tighter product integration and external developer support. That positioning also appears designed to recover ground after the backlash to its 2024 app redesign.
Sonos is pairing the software push with new hardware. TechRadar reported that chief executive Tom Conrad has tied the Sonos 27 platform to a more open ecosystem, where outside AI agents can control speakers through the system. Other recent launches include the Beam Ultra soundbar and the Ace Ultra headphones, both of which are intended to deepen the links between Sonos products. The overall direction is clear: Sonos is trying to make its speakers less app-dependent and more like nodes in a connected, AI-aware home audio platform.
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