Sonos - Error Message: Someone Else Listening

[EAZM]

Hi, I am currently having issues with this account. I keep receiving warnings that someone else is listening to the account, when that is the case. I am listening to two different groups on different stations, but have a premium account, so I am not sure why this is happening. Can anyone help?

Moderator Edit: Edited title for clarity

[EAZM]

I am using Sonos. Is it possible that two different phones (or devices) changing the music on the different groups is tripping things up? This doesn't make sense to me, however, because we are in the same house.

[MOHLovesAlaska]

@EAZM you will get that message when you are playing your Pandora on your desktop app, then if you go online and listen without either stopping or pausing your desktop app. You will also get that message if you have one device that is not logged off, then you go to another device using the same account. You can also get that message when you allow another person on your account, then you try to listen on the same account. Be sure you check other devices, log off on the device (devices) you are not currently using. Take care and stay safe. 

[AdamPandora]

@EAZM I moved your post over to the Other Devices space.

 Would you please provide the following information for us to look into this further?

• Are you playing Pandora using the Sonos app or the Pandora app?
• If you're using the Sonos App, are you using the S1 or S2 app?
• Which Sonos app version are you on? (Open the Sonos app > From the Settings tab, tap System > Tap About My System > Under Sonos App Info > Version)

When encountering this error are you attempting to play multiple stations on one device, or one station on grouped speakers?

If you’re using grouped speakers, can you please send over a screenshot of the speaker groupings?

Thanks for your patience. Please get back to me at your convenience.

[NS4320]

I am having this same issue with Pandora. I am using Sonos and trying to listen to multiple stations on grouped speakers. I have version 13.0.4 and I have the S2 app. 

[TannerPandora · Accepted solution]

Hi all!

You can sign into the same Pandora account on any computer or supported device, as long as you use the same email address and Pandora password.

Unlike broadcast radio, which all drivers hear in the car at the same time, each internet-connected device used to access Pandora receives its own unique stream of personalized music. Similar to other online streaming services, our music licenses limit our ability to stream from a single account on more than one device at a time. As a result, your subscription to Pandora Plus, Pandora Premium, or Pandora Premium Family will only cover the cost of one stream to one device (per Pandora account).

There was a bug that allowed more than one stream while using a Sonos device that has since been fixed.

While you can group your Sonos speakers to allow for a single Pandora account to be heard in multiple locations, only one stream (a single station, playlist, etc.) can play across the grouped speakers at the same time.

Going forward, you can sign into the same Pandora account on any computer or supported device (as long as you use the same email address and password), you'll just need to pause your listening before moving from one device to another.

[filyrow]

So if I upgrade to a premium account or a family account will I be able to stream the music from Pandora through three Sonos speakers that are in the same building or because they fix the bug in the Sonos system how can I run three speakers that are all in the same building streaming Pandora it keeps shutting off and saying of course no someone else is listening or it just shuts off one or of our 3 speakers 

[filyrow]

So your saying that because there was a bug that was fixed I can no longer have the 3 Sonos speakers at work play different stations at the same time? The reason I invested in Sonos was because they guaranteed me that at work I could use all 3 speakers to stream different stations because all of here hate each other’s music so I one speaker in our show room and one in my studio and one in my bosses studio 

[Fab]

This is a Pandora failure. I am having the same issue over the last month. 
Them saying it was a bug they fixed is ridiculous. I have been splitting my Pandora with Sonos for six years! There is no way they didn’t know or fix that bug in six years.
I feel they got everyone subscribed through Sonos for this reason and are nows screwing us all over! If this is a solution to the problem and not something they are actively working to fix, I will be looking for another station I can do this through as we have to split two ways at my work through one device and Sonos. So I cannot be logged into two different Pandora accounts. 

[johndstu]

For the past couple of weeks I am having this same problem.  Sonos is connecting to my Pandora Family plan.  I am listening to one station while working and my wife wants to listen to another station in the other room but it says someone else is listening.  We have done this in the past without issue.  

Any suggestions?

[johndstu]

Hi,

I keep getting the alert that someone else is listening to my account.  The password was just changed but still having the same problem.

How can I find which devices are connected and de-active anything that is not part of my account?

[Maxxodd]

This is terribly disappointing and a deal killer for me. I've been streaming different stations to different rooms in my house for 7-10 years now using Sonos. Are there any other music services that function how Pandora used to for the last decade allow you to stream different stations to different sonos speakers?

[Freds109]

I also have this same issue. We were told we could stream multiple stations in-house at our salon (4 zones) Now if we have more than one station on we get the "someone else is listening" message as well as it stops all the other music.

We have had success with using Spotify in the other zones as it seems to allow us to split, the ONLY problem is Spotify does not recognize the "non-explicit" filter on the Sonos web player so you have to seek out "clean" playlists and trust that they were curated properly. Nothing like a good blink 182.."Did you hear? He fu**** her!" playing in the salon on a supposedly "clean" station.

I understand why Pandora has to limit the zones your music plays in per account, but they could just develop a Pandora Commercial Use account type. I don't get paid the big bucks though.

[AlyssaPandora]

Hi there, @Freds109. 👋

Thanks so much for your feedback, and for being a part of the Pandora Community.

Pandora is available and optimized for use in settings such as a business through Mood Media, with features like unlimited listening, no advertising, and a media player that can connect to your existing sound system.

Pandora for Business also ensures that you have the proper licenses to play music in your public setting. Due to the terms of our music licenses, the consumer version of the Pandora service (including Pandora Plus and Pandora Premium) can only legally be used to play music in a personal and private setting. Businesses, including non-profit or tax exempt organizations, must all have the proper licenses to play music, which also fairly compensates artists, authors, composers, publishers and other rights holders.

Use of Pandora in a commercial setting is available only via hardware sold by Mood Media. To learn more or sign up, please click here. 🎧

[Palimino]

Hi,

We are not a business but have the same problem - trying to play different pandora station through Sonos in different rooms.  Used to work, now it doesn't. We have a Pandora Premium.  Suggestions?

[hiphoptothemax]

this is something we need asap - I think that Sonos often causes this issue if you are listening to it then switch to the pandora app on the phone

[AdamPandora]

@hiphoptothemax I moved your post over to this existing thread: Sonos - Error Message: Someone Else Listening

Check out the accepted solution to this thread for more information around this. 

Hope this helps!

[TexasKyle]

We keep having the same error message but in our case, no one is using Pandora except me. I have to pause and then go through Sonos to reauthorize Pandora. I did this and an hour later got the same annoying message. My husband was watching television and it is just us living here. 

[TannerPandora]

Hi @TexasKyle!

I've enabled a trace on your account. The next time you get this message can you take note of the time and date. 

I'll take a closer look. 

[DCPrice]

We also got the family plan so we both can listen to Pandora at the same time buy on different devises.

Even when we are using different devises we get error message.

How do we set her family account up different from mine so she can play on her devices & me on mine. We mainly use Sonos by wifi.