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Sonos is a leading American audio technology company that is best known for pioneering wireless multiroom audio systems, which make it easy for listeners to stream music and other content throughout their homes. The company continues to innovate, creating wireless speakers, home theater systems, headphones, architectural components, and integrated home audio solutions that revolutionize how people listen and connect to sound.

Global Head of Editorial

They aren’t just for playing hard. Your Sonos speakers can also help you work hard. From flow-inducing soundtracks to using your voice assistant for hands-free help, here’s how to get to work when you’re at home with Sonos.

If you’ve set up your home as a place to relax, entertain yourself, and enjoy time with loved ones, plunking an office down in the middle of it is bound to create some challenges. For every advantage (getting that pile of laundry folded), there are three more disadvantages to grapple with (dogs begging to be pet, playtime noise from the kids, and the temptation of that new game you just bought). While your Sonos system can’t solve all distractions, it can help inspire you to get going in the morning, stay on task, and be productive throughout the day. Here’s how.

There are a lot of things to consider when you start setting up a new 

—from equipment and ergonomics to connectivity and logistics. Here’s how to integrate your system into that setup, allowing you to reap the benefits of working with Sonos.

If you do most of your work on a computer, you might find it easier to control your Sonos system from your desktop. You can download desktop controllers for both Macs and PCs 

. (The link to download will automatically populate with the correct controller based on what kind of computer you access the page with.) Browse and search content, control the volume, group rooms, and pause the music when your boss calls.

For content you can’t control with the Sonos desktop app (like YouTube videos and sounds from websites), there’s Apple 

. Just make sure that you’ve clicked “Show volume in menu bar” from the Sound menu in System Preferences. Then, click the volume icon in the upper right hand corner of the toolbar and choose a speaker from the list of Output devices. Pair two Sonos Ones, Play:5s (Gen 2), or Moves to listen in stereo sound.

With or without a Mac, you can use line-in to connect your computer directly to Play:5 with the built-in 3.5mm jack, or Port or Amp with RCA in.

Finally, consider naming your work speakers as such. That way, your family won’t accidentally group you into the impromptu dance party that just started downstairs. To rename a speaker, go to 

. Choose the speaker you want to rename, then tap 

There are plenty of ways to utilize your voice assistant while you’re working from home. Here are some of our favorite ways to use Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant on the job.

 Say “Alexa, add ‘team conference call at 10 am’ to my calendar,” or “Hey Google, what’s on my calendar today?”

 Say, “Alexa, check my email,” or “Hey Google, set a reminder to call Eric.”

 Say, “Alexa, add ‘printer paper’ to my shopping list,” or “Hey Google, what’s on my shopping list?”

 Let the rest of the house know when you’re finished working for the day or it’s time for dinner. With Announcements, you can send recorded audio or text-to-speech content to be played back immediately on compatible Alexa devices throughout your home. Learn more 

 Initiate a series of events like turning on lights, starting music or news, and sharing what’s on your schedule for the day with Routines. Learn more 

Without the normal daily cues that the workday has begun—a rigorous commute, stopping by the coffee shop, greeting coworkers in the morning—it might be difficult to get started. Here are some ideas on how to get inspired in the morning and coax your brain into go-mode.

More time at home means more time for listening. If you don’t already subscribe to a streaming music service, now is a great time to try one out. Try 

 free for three months, and for a limited time, you can also try 

Choose a song, album, or other sound that you’ll play each day to signal that the workday has begun. Consistency is key here. Still procrastinating? Set an alarm using that sound for the same time every day. (More on using alarms later.)

No single album, playlist, station, or soundscape works for everyone. For as many different tastes in music there are, there are just as many working styles. Perhaps you’re doing something repetitive and need something more engaging to keep up your energy. Or maybe you’re creating and find lyrics distracting. Play around with finding the type of music or sound that helps you get and stay motivated when you most need it. Not sure where to start? We’re loving More Minimal, a playlist created by our Global Head of Music, Brian Beck. Featuring electronic, film scores, instrumental hip hop, post-rock, and more, this playlist can provide some momentum without distracting you from the task at hand. Check it out on 

You know that feeling when you’re been working on something for so long that it’s turned into a big blur of words or numbers or concepts or colors? Yeah, us too. When you’ve hit a wall and want a change of scenery, you don’t have to leave the music behind. Grab Move and head out to your patio or backyard for some fresh air, sunshine, and a new perspective. With auto Trueplay it will sound great no matter where you take it.

 have shown that a moderate level of ambient noise enhances productivity. So if you’re suddenly missing the subtle noises of your coworkers, it’s understandable. Alternatively, a high level of noise can hurt creativity. So, here’s how to use your system to make the best of both situations.

The sounds in your home that normally provide joy can suddenly feel distracting when you’re trying to crunch numbers or finish a report. White noise is a great remedy. Defined as noise containing many frequencies with equal intensities, the soothing sound can help mask unwanted “peak” noises—like a game show on TV or a door slamming—by reducing the difference between those sounds and normal ambient background noise. Check out 

 for playlists and albums of white noise.

Even libraries have a litany of subtle noises that add up to a consistent din of auditory liveliness. Whether you’ve realized it or not, the random sounds at your office, local coffee shop, or bustling coworking space might have been helping you stay focused and on task. If you find your remote workspace too quiet, there are a ton of options to fill that void. Start with 

 when you’re ready to explore more complex and interesting sound environments like “Cabin during a storm,” “Tech lab,” or “Hogwarts library.”

With the right structure in place, you might wind up being more productive than you were in the office. Here’s how Sonos can help you get it done.

Without something to signal the end of the day like a commute, you may sit down to work in the morning only to find yourself still at your computer at 7:30PM, starving with nothing but a whole chicken in the freezer. You can use Sonos alarms to break up your day and remind yourself to do the things that keep your head clear. In addition to setting an alarm to start work in the morning, set alarms as reminders to get outside for fresh air and a walk, start making lunch and dinner, and to log off. (You can even set one to let the kids know when it’s time to start cleaning up.) By scheduling moments of self-care into your day, you won’t reach the end of it burnt out and exhausted.

For a more advanced option, you can try the Pomodoro Technique. With this time management method, you commit to working on a single task for chunks of 25 minutes. You can set Sonos alarms for each interval and then choose a celebratory song when it’s time for a longer break. Learn more about the technique 

Even under the best of conditions, big transitions are challenging. Figuring out how to be productive in a new environment will take time, but hopefully using your Sonos system along the way will make it easier and a bit more enjoyable. And, at the end of the (work)day, your speakers will be there with great music to help you blow off steam or a comforting TV show to help you relax. Just don’t forget to set an alarm to wake up for another productive day.

Google and YouTube are trademarks of Google LLC.

Home Office Help: Using Sonos to Get Motivated, Stay Focused, and Be Productive

At Sonos, brilliant sound includes the technical smarts needed to easily listen to what you want, where you want, how you want. But it’s our commitment to how our speakers sound that truly defines our work. Over the next few weeks, we’ll share what “brilliant sound” means to us. To kick things off, today we’re unveiling Inventing Brilliant Sound, a short film introducing you to sound at Sonos.

Smooth. Light. Comforting. Neutral. Cozy. Honest. True. Brilliant sound may be hard to define, but it’s easy to recognize. Studies have shown that casual, everyday listeners prefer the same speakers as those who have been professionally trained, despite the latter group’s experience analyzing audio for the specific attributes that make it great. When you set up your first Sonos speaker, you probably noticed that the sound was richer or more detailed than you were used to—even if you weren’t able to explain why. Here’s a three-step process to help you understand why your Sonos speakers sound brilliant.

1: Prepare your environment (and yourself)

To truly evaluate sound, you’ll need to create the right conditions. Make sure the space in which you’re listening is as free of ambient sounds and distractions as possible. Position yourself at the center of your speaker (or speakers). Then take a moment to center yourself, allowing your ears to adjust to the silence before starting the song.

Art is designed to engage us intellectually, emotionally, or absolutely. You’ll need to detach yourself from the song at first in order to draw your focus to the sound quality alone. Try concentrating on one element of the track—the lead guitar, backing vocals, or the bass line. Notice where it sits in the overall mix and if that changes over the course of the song. How does it sound in relation to the rest of the song’s disparate elements? Then try turning up the volume to observe the clarity of the detail you’re focused on.

As Emily Lazar, President and Chief Mastering Engineer at The Lodge and Sonos Sound Board member explains in 

, great sound “fills the room with an emotion.” While there are many aspects to evaluating great sound that fall on the scientific end of the spectrum, don’t discount the artistic part of the process. Allow the entire song to wash over you. How does the sound make you feel? What emotions or feelings does it evoke? Where do you feel it in your body? If that feels esoteric, remember that sound is ultimately just vibrations in the air. As Greg McAllister, Sound Experience Manager at Sonos notes, “Sound is just slightly less tangible than other senses.”

Adele’s “Lovesong” was produced and mixed in a way that allows an aspiring sound expert to clearly identify distinct elements of the track. Make sure you’ve tuned your speaker with Trueplay, pull up “Lovesong” on your favorite streaming service, and follow along for a brilliant sound journey.

Clean guitars during the song’s intro are ideal for hearing more subtle details, like the sound of the musicians’ fingers on the strings.

If you have two speakers stereo paired or a home theater speaker like Beam, Playbase, or Playbar, you’ll notice that the first acoustic guitar comes distinctly from the left for the first four bars of the song, while the second acoustic guitar is situated far to the right.

When Adele’s vocals join in, they are positioned squarely in the center of the two guitars. One way expert listeners assess sound is by evaluating the spatial arrangement of a song. You can think of it like a giant movie screen, with a character in the center and supporting cast members at the edges. With “Lovesong,” the spatial arrangement of the guitars and vocals is clearly defined.

The song should sound natural—as if you were in the same room as the musicians playing live. Without audio effects like reverb or distortion altering the guitars and vocals, you can more easily appreciate their tone and character.

When additional instruments join at the end of the first verse, you have an opportunity to appreciate how your Sonos speakers handle a range of frequencies in a song. The bass’s long, sustained notes are at a lower frequency, while the crisp hi-hat cymbals are at a higher frequency. All of the frequencies should sound well balanced, not like they’re competing with one another.

The strings should sound full and lush. While they were playing a counter melody to the main vocal melody during the verses, they swell during the chorus, evoking an emotional response.

Finally, take a step back to evaluate the song more holistically. The track’s instrumentation changes throughout the song. How does that impact your experience of listening? Try playing the song a few more times, choosing different elements to focus on and paying attention to how your assessment evolves with each listen.

Ready to go deeper? Now that you know what it’s like to experience brilliant sound, check back next month to find out how we ensure each and every Sonos speaker delivers on that promise.

What We Mean by Brilliant Sound

All Sonos products will continue to work past May

We heard you. We did not get this right from the start. My apologies for that and I wanted to personally assure you of the path forward:

First, rest assured that come May, when we end new software updates for our legacy products, 

they will continue to work as they do today

. We are not bricking them, we are not forcing them into obsolescence, and we are not taking anything away. Many of you have invested heavily in your Sonos systems, and we intend to honor that investment for as long as possible. While legacy Sonos products won’t get new software features, we pledge to keep them updated with bug fixes and security patches for as long as possible. If we run into something core to the experience that can’t be addressed, we’ll work to offer an alternative solution and let you know about any changes you’ll see in your experience.

Secondly, we heard you on the issue of legacy products and modern products not being able to coexist in your home. We are working on a way to split your system so that modern products work together and get the latest features, while legacy products work together and remain in their current state. We’re finalizing details on this plan and will share more in the coming weeks.

While we have a lot of great products and features in the pipeline, we want our customers to upgrade to our latest and greatest products when they’re excited by what the new products offer, not because they feel forced to do so. That’s the intent of the trade up program we launched for our loyal customers.

Thank you for being a Sonos customer. Thank you for taking the time to give us your feedback. I hope that you’ll forgive our misstep, and let us earn back your trust. Without you, Sonos wouldn’t exist and we’ll work harder than ever to earn your loyalty every single day.

If you have any further questions please don’t hesitate to 

A letter from our CEO

Enrich your holidays (now and in the future) by harnessing the benefits of nostalgia. Take a deep breath and learn how tuning into your five senses can make for a cozier, more connected holiday—one that looks, feels, smells, tastes, and sounds merry and bright.

The holidays offer up many reasons to celebrate. Delicious smells. Beloved movies. Colorful decorations. Lively parties. Cozy conversations. And if you’re lucky, presents.

But if there’s one thing that really lets you know the holidays have arrived, it’s the music.

The feeling holiday music evokes can be unexpected and sudden. One minute you’re grocery shopping while Bing Crosby croons about silver bells, the next minute you’re remembering how you once ate a handful of sprinkles while decorating gingerbread cookies with your grandma.

This occurrence might be attributed to the experience of nostalgia, officially defined as “a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past.” While this feeling can come from out of nowhere, intentionally engaging in nostalgic reflection by tapping into your five senses can positively impact your current holiday, as well as future holidays.

In the short-term, nostalgia benefits us by reaffirming that our lives have meaning. That’s because nostalgia usually features significant life events—occasions like birthdays, weddings, and the holidays. Further, these events usually include close loved ones. So reflecting on these events re-establishes our sense of connection and belonging, making us feel more loved, protected, and secure about our existing relationships.

And it’s these short-term benefits that we tap into when our holidays don’t go as planned—whether it’s because of a cancelled flight or an unexpected snowstorm. In the case of the missed flight, nostalgia is what makes reminiscing in the airport lounge over a warm mug of cocoa a soothing comfort in the face of massive disappointment. With the snowstorm, it’s ordering a spread of take-out Chinese food when you can’t make it home because it reminds you of the year your parents burned the roast. These aren’t perfect substitutes, of course, but by bringing forward elements of previous cherished holidays, we infuse our present with comfort from the past.

Nostalgia has benefits that extend into our future as well. Studies have shown that engaging in nostalgic reflection is a powerful social motivator, propelling us to pursue social goals like making new friends, reconnecting with loved ones, and finding a partner to share our lives with. This turns out to be great timing; experiencing nostalgia during the holidays is setting you up to achieve the resolutions you make regarding your social life on New Year’s Eve.

With all its benefits, nostalgia might seem like it would be difficult to invoke. Lucky for us, it’s simply a matter of tapping into smells, sounds, tastes, visuals, and sensations from our past. No matter what you’re celebrating this season, consider the five senses as you prepare for the holidays. Here are some things to consider for each one.

Build a playlist that offers something for everyone at your holiday gathering. The songs that evoke wonderful holiday memories for you might not be the same ones that do so for your grandpa or your cousin. Create opportunities to get to know your loved ones better by asking them what songs remind them of the holidays in advance of your gathering. The result will be a playlist that spans generations and genres.

If you’re not sure where to start, we’ve got you. Our Global Head of Music, Brian Beck, wrapped up 

 just for you, an enduring playlist of lesser-known classics featuring Woodie Guthrie, Pearl Bailey, Loretta Lynn, Louis Armstrong, and more.

Of all the senses, smell is the sense that most directly evokes emotional memories. When we smell something, that information goes directly to the part of our brain that is associated with experiencing emotions. Consider the scents that remind you of your favorite holidays and recreate them with candles, essential oils, room sprays, or diffusers. If you have time, tackle two senses at once by cooking or baking (see “Taste” below). Lastly, experiment with different scents in different rooms—try welcoming pine for the entryway, warming cinnamon for the living room, and refreshing peppermint for the bathroom.

There’s a lot of things that brighten up holidays…twinkling lights from menorahs, kinaras, and tiny villages that overtake every available flat surface in your home. But one of the most comforting things to gaze at during the holidays—a flickering fire on the hearth—can be impractical or more likely, impossible. That’s why we teamed up with sound designer Andrew Tracy to create “

.” With the proper log sizes, wood-to-flame ratio, and bark thickness, you can enjoy the mesmerizing flames on your TV with the soothing crackle through your home theater speakers.

Most often overlooked, incorporating the sensation of touch into your holiday can be an act of mindfulness. Take the time to bring your attention to the tactile sensations of the holidays—a rough firelog, a hand-knit scarf, a warm clay mug, the worn pages of a beloved book read once a year. And when in doubt, wrap yourself in a soft, fuzzy blanket.

This one gets the most attention around the holidays. And for good reason. But this is also where we have the biggest opportunity to expand our traditions. In addition to Christmas, people celebrate Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice, Diwali, Los Posadas, and Chinese New Year at this time of year. Get in the spirit of the season by learning about cultural traditions other than your own. Then, incorporate a traditional dish you learn about into your family’s meal and use it as an opportunity to share what you’ve learned. Or, if you’re a book lover, look to cookbooks with recipes inspired by literary giants like Charles Dickens, Toni Morrison, or Louisa May Alcott. Above all, share. Whether you invite friends to your family’s meal or wrap up baked goods for neighbors, sharing food is a great way to connect with those you normally just share a wave with.

The holidays can be stressful. And don’t always go as planned. By getting in touch with your senses during the season, you can tap into comforting memories of the past, get motivated to create a better future, and savor each moment of the present.

Abeyta, A. A., Routledge, C., & Juhl, J. (2015). Looking back to move forward: Nostalgia as a psychological resource for promoting relationship goals and overcoming relationship challenges. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 109(6), 1029–1044. 

Hepper, E. G., Ritchie, T. D., Sedikides, C., & Wildschut, T. (2012). Odyssey’s end: Lay conceptions of nostalgia reflect its original Homeric meaning. Emotion, 12, 102–119. 

Hertz, R., Eliassen, J., Beland, S., Souza, T. (2004). Neuroimaging evidence for the emotional potency of odor-evoked memory. Neuropsychologia. 

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0028393203002161

Pearsal, J. (Ed.). (1998). The New Oxford dictionary of English. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.

Routledge, C., Arndt, J., Wildschut, T., Sedikides, C., Hart, C. M., Juhl, J., . . . Schlotz, W. (2011). The past makes the present meaningful: Nostalgia as an existential resource. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 101, 638–652. 

Wildschut, T., Sedikides, C., Arndt, J., & Routledge, C. (2006). Nostalgia: Content, triggers, functions. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 91, 975–993. 

https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.91.5.975

Secrets of Nostalgia: Simple Ways to Warm Up Your Holidays

Sonos is re-releasing the Sonos One SL: Union LA Edition in partnership with Color Of Change and in support of the Black Business Green Book. Created in collaboration with streetwear brand Union LA, the speaker features designer Sheila Bridges’ iconic Harlem Toile pattern. In this blog post, written in 2019, learn more about how the original collaboration came to fruition and how you can support the Black Business Green Book campaign.

Sheila Bridges had been a designer for more than 15 years when she discovered something surprising about French toile, a traditional pattern from the late 1700s. While designing the interiors of her new home, she wanted to incorporate the timeless pattern into her space. “I’ve always loved toiles. The issue was that there was no toile that spoke to me culturally,” she said. “I looked at hundreds of them but couldn’t find one that had people of color.” So she set out to design her own—a decision that would eventually land her work in the permanent collection of the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum.

In the decade since she created Harlem Toile as wallpaper for her home, the pattern has come to grace fabric, glassware, bedding, clothing, umbrellas, and now, in collaboration with streetwear clothing brand Union LA, a limited edition Sonos One SL. “As a designer, I think of myself as a visual storyteller, and that’s what toile does. It tells a story,” she said. “For my toile, it tells a story about African Americans and stereotypes. At the same time, it’s also celebratory. It is a celebration of African American culture.”

Before he became an owner of Union LA, Chris Gibbs worked the floor at one of the brand’s first stores in New York City. Chris and the rest of the team were encouraged to express themselves authentically while on the clock, which extended to choosing what music to play in the store. That freedom contributed to the confidence that would propel him to become the co-owner of Union LA along with his wife, Beth Birkett. “I wanted Union LA to become a social hub—a place where people could feel comfortable and experience new ideas, art, and music,” Gibbs said.

“As a designer, I think of myself as a visual storyteller…For my toile, it tells a story about African Americans and stereotypes.”

On a visit to The Underground Museum in Los Angeles, he came face to face with Harlem Toile. “When I first saw it, I was blown away,” he said. “I was very familiar with what toile was. And being someone of color, it had never spoken to me through my culture. I thought Sheila’s version was an incredible juxtaposition.” He immediately reached out to Bridges to see if they could include Harlem Toile wallpaper in a new Union store opening in Tokyo. From there, they worked together on a line of clothing featuring the pattern. And then Sonos reached out to Gibbs to explore a collaboration on a limited edition speaker.

A distinct point of view. A strong visual aesthetic. And music as an integral part of the work. These are some of the things that Joe Dawson, Sonos’s Global Director, Content and Brand Platforms, looks for when deciding which artists to collaborate with on limited edition speakers. “Union LA is a driver of culture and personal style,” Dawson said. “And as a long-time Sonos user, Chris understands the product and how to take full advantage of a storytelling platform like this.”

“Everything I do at Union LA starts with something very personal, and music is very personal to me."

Raised in Ottawa, Canada, his musical tastes were shaped by his parents’ diverse backgrounds. “I have a very eclectic and diverse taste in music that is very organic,” he said. “And my dad was a stereophile. So when I was first introduced to Sonos, what really got me into it was the high fidelity.”

It didn’t take much convincing to get Bridges on board for the project. When Chris first reached out to Sheila about featuring Harlem Toile on the limited edition One SL, she was in the process of installing Sonos in her new home. “I pick and choose these passion projects—things that I think are interesting or exciting to bring into the marketplace,” she said. “Because Sonos was a brand that I was really familiar with and something that I live with in my own home, I thought okay, this makes sense. Plus, music is a huge part of my life. I’m a closeted DJ.”

Bridges’ own musical tastes—heavily influenced by her father and experience growing up in Philadelphia—were expanded by some of her clients who worked in the music industry. “I was with music people all the time in my professional life,” she said. “And the only time that they could meet was usually at night. That meant going to some party or event or musical venue in order to have a meeting and pick their brains about their home. So, in that way, it increased my musical repertoire of things I was exposed to.”

Adding Harlem Toile to the Sonos One SL was not without its challenges. “The original pattern is quite detailed, and the one we were using was multicolored with a lot of fine lines. We were losing a lot of detail” Gibbs said, referring to the process of cutting hundreds of tiny holes into the pattern in order to allow sound to pass through from the speaker. To address this issue, the team pivoted to a mono color scheme, drawing inspiration from Delftware “Sometimes when you have these problems, the solutions wind up making something more unique,” he said.

In the decade since Bridges designed the pattern, she believes it’s become more relevant than ever. “The world is starting to acknowledge culture in a different way. And I think it makes people happy to see themselves reflected,” she said. When I first did it, a lot of people didn’t understand. I think we now have a better understanding of why it’s important.”

The reissued Sonos One SL: Union LA Edition is available for purchase in limited quantities directly from 

. To learn more about how to support Black-owned businesses, visit Color Of Change’s 

Celebrating Black Businesses With Reissue of Limited Edition Sonos One SL

As Sonos’s Global Head of Music, Brian Beck meticulously unearths the ideal song or artist for our ads, events, curated playlists, and more. Find out how Brian stays plugged in to the latest music—as well as his three tips for creating great playlists.

If you grew up in Fairbanks, Alaska in the early 80s, you had to work a little harder to discover new music. And a lot harder to deliver newspapers in subzero weather at five in the morning. For Brian Beck, this extra effort fortified him for a career in music that’s spanned radio, streaming, labels, artist management, and, eventually, his current role as Global Head of Music for Sonos.

It was on those dark, frigid mornings that Brian experienced the beginnings of his lifelong obsession with music. “My mom had to drive me to deliver the paper because it was pitch black and negative forty degrees—way too cold to ride my bike,” Brian said. “We would have cassettes playing in the car of either the Beatles, Motown, or Zeppelin. That was our Sunday morning ritual.” Aside from those cassettes, Brian’s music exposure was limited to local pop radio and what he could find at Musicland, the lone music store in the mall.

That is, until August 1981. “When MTV came, that’s when things really opened up,” he said. “In Alaska, TV plays a huge part of your life. I was totally an MTV baby.” Eventually, he would go on to work at MTV, but not before earning his stripes in radio.

Idealistic beginnings (or, how to score free CDs)

“Working in music was kind of an accident,” Brian said. As a high school student in Seattle, he had to choose a job to explore for career day. “My band had played a city-wide talent show earlier that year and afterwards, a radio station sponsor had given us a ton of free CDs. So when it came time to decide what to do for career day, I said I wanted to be a DJ because I figured I could get more free CDs.” His choice to spend the day at Seattle’s KNDD 107.7 The End turned into an internship and then a full-time job as a music programmer and on-air talent. “So yeah,” he recalls, “it all started because I wanted free music on career day.”

When Brian landed at MTV, he was responsible for creating multi-genre playlists for the network’s foray into music streaming. “That’s when I really learned the importance of investing time into creating playlists,” he said. Not content to just throw songs together because they loosely fit a theme, Brian applied the thoughtfulness he’d learned while programming for radio to creating playlists optimized for the streaming experience.

The friction between art and commerce pervades the music business. As an artist manager, Brian learned the nuances of balancing both, while—most importantly—staying true to the artist’s unique brand. Working with the teams of My Morning Jacket, The Head and the Heart, and Preservation Hall Jazz Band (amongst others), Brian supervised marketing, online strategies, merchandise, and more. And, unbeknownst to him at the time, he was gaining the experience he most needed for his role at Sonos.

Throughout Brian’s career, he has had a front-row seat to the evolution of music consumption—from cassettes and CDs to MP3s and streaming. And with that progress, he witnessed the balance shift from quality to convenience. “I always cared about great sound, but it was inconvenient,” he said. It wasn’t until he got his first Sonos speaker, a first generation Play:5, that he finally found a convenient way to enjoy brilliant sound. “I remember thinking, Holy shit, it’s just so easy,” he said. With a renewed appreciation for brilliant sound and an extensive background in the music business, Brian joined Sonos in late 2015 as US Head of Artist Relations.

Keeping an ear to the ground(-breaking artists)

In Brian’s current role, he’s responsible for finding and securing the right artist or song for everything music-related at Sonos. To do this, he cultivates deep relationships with the teams of artists who truly align with Sonos’s values and aesthetic—artists like Solange, Beastie Boys, Frank Ocean, and Karen O, to name a few. “My job is to introduce Sonos to great artists with the hope that they have a meaningful experience with the product,” Brian said. “So when the time comes to choose music to help us tell a story, the conversation with the team is a lot easier because the artist already uses Sonos and loves it.”

Over the past four years, those relationships have continued to flourish, providing a consistent soundtrack to high-profile product launches, brand activations, product partnerships, and events. While his work may sound like a mostly solo endeavor, the crucial element, Brian says, is being part of an incredible team. “This team is the best crew I have ever worked with and that makes this a dream job,” he said. “Everyone comes from different backgrounds and brings valuable, unique perspectives. It ensures that whatever we produce is our absolute best work.”

Choosing which artists to work with in the first place requires Brian to consistently keep himself aware of—and immersed in—the latest music. His method for doing so has changed quite a bit since his days roaming the aisles of Musicland in Alaska. “I’ve mainly consolidated it all to streaming,” he said. “I probably follow somewhere between 50 and 70 new music playlists across all music streaming services.” But that’s when the real work starts: “Each week, I’ll pull whatever sounds interesting or appears on multiple playlists into a ‘maybe’ playlist.” He rounds out that playlist with some help from social media, following several artists and labels on Instagram, and occasional visits to record stores for good measure. From there, he pares down the playlist several more times until he’s left with a final playlist. And that’s the playlist he turns to when asked what music should accompany a new initiative at Sonos.

When he’s not navigating the complexities of the music business, Brian is sometimes asked to lend his expertise to creating official Sonos playlists. His method for creating these playlists is exhaustive but rewarding. (We share one of our favorites below.) Here are his top three tips for creating your own playlists:

“While you may feel that you are well-versed in a specific genre, vibe, or category, it’s helpful to use the internet to dig deeper. Look into online forums—there are a lot of hardcore music nerds out there who can teach you something with the information they’ve posted. Explore other playlists—if I’m making a jazz playlist, there’s a good chance that The New Yorker has an essential jazz playlist that’s worth looking at as reference. Finally, check out artist playlists on streaming services—they know other artists and real music fans are looking at those and will judge, so you might find songs that aren’t obvious or familiar. Consider all your research as an opportunity to expand your music knowledge.”

“Flow is the most important. How you start your playlist sets the tone for the rest of it. So if it starts out really fast, then you’ll probably want to keep that type of high energy throughout the playlist. But if you approach it as a journey, or a DJ set, you can gradually build into it. Then, try to incorporate ups and downs, moments of familiarity and surprise. And when you add songs, always consider how they work with each other. If one song ends really hard and the next song starts really soft, you may want to start with the softer song.”

“Once your playlist is built, listen to it many times, from beginning to end. Then, don’t listen to it for a while. Let a week or so go by and then come back to it to see if it still holds up. Each time you listen, decide what to add or remove. Some songs aren’t meant for playlists. They might end on a sound that’s part of a transition to the next song. Or they might include an interlude like part of a voicemail. Those songs just don’t work well within the flow of a playlist. Pay attention to your levels as well. Some songs have really low volume. So if you’ve got a playlist that’s meant for a party and you go from a really loud song to a quiet song, it’s not going to flow well. Either place the song earlier in the playlist or remove it. You’re trying to create a vibe with the playlist, so be willing to let songs go in the name of your larger vision.”

Inspired? Share your playlists on social media and tag Sonos—we’d love to see what you come up with.

Soundtracking Sonos: Behind the Scenes with Our Head of Music

Guest Writer

Meet Sonos Mechanical Engineer Camille Zaba, one of the engineers who helped design and test Sonos Move, and see the rigorous testing process her team put the speaker through to ensure its durability for life outside the lab.

Seeing a speaker soaked with water, heated in an oven, chilled in a freezer, zapped with a shock gun, and dropped from tables is enough to surprise almost anyone. But it’s an entirely different experience for someone who helped make Move a reality.

Meet Camille Zaba, the face and voice of the video series highlighting the rigorous testing Move endured and an integral member of the mechanical engineering team that worked on Move.

Before she found herself in the laboratories of Sonos, Zaba was a student caught between two of her greatest passions: music and taking things apart. Eventually she decided to pursue mechanical engineering. After years of working in telecommunications, she found a job at Sonos, where she could pursue both interests.

To most people there’s a kind of mysticism surrounding mechanical engineering, perhaps a side effect of the name. But Zaba insists that this discipline is everywhere, from the packaging of everyday items to the materials that compose our appliances. And it’s not the profession of a singular genius’s mind; it takes many heads working together—and compromising.

“If the acoustics team could purely have its way, Move would probably be too big for the industrial design team,” Zaba explains. “If the mechanical engineering team could have its way, Move would probably look like a fortified, rugged box, which would be awesome in all of our testing, but the design team would be horrified. So you have all these teams collaborating and keeping each other in check.”

For Zaba’s team, there’s more to the work than methodical experimentation and meticulously recorded results in spreadsheets. Not every contingency is planned out. In fact, Zaba values her job in mechanical engineering precisely because it allows her to be creative, adapting to new findings and technical challenges that arise out of the development process. Case in point, her chief accomplishment of Move’s design, one that helps it excel in the drop test.

In the early days of the development, Zaba’s team had been testing the durability of existing Play:5 woofers through extensive drop testing and simulation to evaluate whether the traditional, separate steel woofer basket design would survive the requirements for Move. They discovered that the steel basket around the Play:5 woofer (the part of a speaker that produces the bass) warped during most drops due to the sheer weight of the internal magnet.

Following this discovery, the mechanical engineering team systematically redesigned Move’s woofer basket, integrating it into Move’s cabinet as a single piece. (Traditionally the basket is a separate component.)

After running through dozens of 3D models and just as many proposals, prints, and prototypes, they created an integrated woofer basket with wide ribs and 40 percent glass composition that could withstand an impressive increase in force.

“No matter how much force we applied, we couldn’t break the new woofer basket.”

“We have the Instron, which is a machine that measures force-over-displacement,” Zaba adds. “Essentially it assesses how much it takes to break something, and no matter how much force we applied, we couldn’t break the new woofer basket.”

The team later discovered that the original basket they had tested was an anomaly, featuring an entirely different material composition, but the newly designed prototype for Move proved so durable that there was no question as to whether or not to include it in the final product.

“An engineer could look at this and be like, ‘Wow, that’s over-designed.’ But we knew that what we were doing was right,” explains Zaba. “I’ve never seen it break under any circumstances. Ever.”

Fast forward to the present, with Move ready for listeners to bring home and take anywhere. It’s not only as durable as Zaba and the team imagined but also weather-resistant and impervious to dust, as put on display in the Check 1,2 video series. And on top of all these features, Move balances the demands of the acoustic team with an ultra wide and richly detailed soundscape, all while passing the criteria set by the industrial design team.

Creating a brilliant-sounding speaker is never as easy as it sounds—here, literally. Behind each high-definition 15-second snapshot is a world of design and testing, plus a dedicated team.

“We work together for months, tinkering with different parts and trying to harmonize across design, acoustics, software, and even packaging.”

“The five of us mechanical engineers worked with all the cross-functional teams to take Move from a filled-in shell to this incredible-sounding and durable speaker,” Zaba says, praising her collaborators. “Not only that, but we actually designed its parts. We needed an enclosure that didn’t exist. And so we made sure it did.”

For Zaba, helping engineer a speaker that endures life’s surprises as incredibly as it sounds was almost surreal. “Not everyone gets to combine their greatest passions,” she says beaming with gratitude. “Creating Move was almost like writing a song. We work together for months, tinkering with different parts and trying to harmonize across design, acoustics, software, and even packaging. And when it all comes together, it’s music.”

The Making of Move: How We Made Our New Portable Speaker Ready for the Outdoors

With SYMFONISK WiFi speakers, Sonos and IKEA challenged themselves to find new ways of bringing sound into the home. Find out how the two brands worked together to design speakers that double as adaptable pieces of IKEA furniture.

At first thought, bringing the sound of a full orchestra into a dining room—without a speaker—doesn’t even seem like a challenge. It seems impossible.

Or so you might think. Meet SYMFONISK, a new collection of wireless speakers from Sonos and IKEA that double as a lamp or a multipurpose shelf—but with the premium sound you expect from Sonos. To create SYMFONISK WiFi speakers, the two companies worked together to introduce sound into the home in a more subtle way, integrating speakers into functional, beautiful pieces of furniture.

It may feel a little like magic. And in a way, it is. Except this magic wasn’t the kind from storybooks, but the kind that comes from teamwork, negotiation, prototyping, and repeated testing. And some knitting.

The first hurdle was figuring out how to best work together. Sonos brought to the table what it does best—creating great sound. IKEA, in turn, brought the expertise of home furnishing, as well as the spontaneity of trial-and-error design. Hilmar Lehnert, Audio Technology Manager at Sonos, describes both teams’ creation strategy as “an iterative process,” with new and unexpected directions arising the more they worked together and learned from each other. This process, Lehnert says, was made more complex by the number of collaborators involved. On one hand, there was IKEA, spearheading the products’ outward design, and on the other hand, there was Sonos, overseeing their sound and performance. Rounding out the team was the manufacturer responsible for bringing Sonos and IKEA designs into being.

Home Office Help: Using Sonos to Get Motivated, Stay Focused, and Be Productive

What We Mean by Brilliant Sound

A letter from our CEO

Secrets of Nostalgia: Simple Ways to Warm Up Your Holidays

Celebrating Black Businesses With Reissue of Limited Edition Sonos One SL

Soundtracking Sonos: Behind the Scenes with Our Head of Music

The Making of Move: How We Made Our New Portable Speaker Ready for the Outdoors

Bright Ideas: How Sonos and IKEA Made Furniture with Brilliant Sound

Fresh Look, Same Brilliant Sound: Inside the New Sonos Brand Identity

The Science of Listening: How Brilliant Sound Makes for Better Living

How Sonos Works With Creators to Fine-Tune the Home Sound Experience

Chris Jenkins: How an Acclaimed Hollywood Sound Creator Listens at Home

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