Sonos Debuts $35-a-Month Service That Lets Businesses Manage Smart Speakers
(Bloomberg) -- Sonos Inc., seeking new sources of recurring revenue, is launching a “Pro” service that allows businesses like coffee shops, retail stores and gyms to remotely manage groups of smart speakers.
Most Read from Bloomberg
Elon Musk’s Wealth Plunges $13 Billion as Drama Unfolds Across Empire
Airline Blunder Sells $10,000 Asia-US Business Class Tickets for $300
Meet the Guy Who Scored $250,000 of Tickets for $17,000 After Airline Error
Tesla Increases Price of Model S, X in US After Shares Slump
A new web-based dashboard will let businesses choose which streaming services they want to play and even particular songs, Sonos said on Tuesday. They can schedule when particular tunes should be played, find royalty-free music and determine which employees can access the controls. The program also includes premium customer support.
The new approach could help even out Sonos’s revenue, which is largely dependent on purchases of speakers — devices that aren’t upgraded very frequently. The company’s sales growth is expected to stagnate this year, and adding services and software could help provide a boost.
The Pro service goes live Tuesday in the US, and the Santa Barbara, California-based company expects to add additional regions in the future. Sonos is charging $35 per month per location.
Earlier this year, Sonos rolled out new Era 100 and Era 300 speakers, with the higher-end model offering spatial audio — a form of advanced surround sound.
Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek
How a Brazen Plot to Rig Oil Auctions Cost Venezuela Billions
With 4% Savings Accounts, Is It Finally Time to Break Up With Your Bank?
The Nord Stream Explosion Remains an Unsolved Mystery Gripping Europe
The Repo Man Returns as More Americans Fall Behind on Car Payments
©2023 Bloomberg L.P.