In today’s tech world, where innovation is everything, even industry leaders like Sonos can trip over their own ambitions. When Sonos decided to roll out a major app redesign in 2024, the aim was to wow users with a faster, smarter, and sleeker experience. Instead, they unleashed a storm of glitches, unhappy customers, and a lot of questions about how such a respected company could get it so wrong.
SurveyHere’s a closer look at how a small screen caused such big problems and what’s next for the audio giant.
The big idea (That went sideways)
Sonos’s redesigned app wasn’t just about looking pretty. It was supposed to be the future: faster navigation, personalised controls, and a cloud-based system to handle the growing complexity of their product ecosystem. It was meant to pave the way for cutting-edge features like AI-powered sound tweaks and seamless cross-device syncing.
The idea was ambitious – maybe too ambitious. By the time the app hit users’ devices, the lofty promises couldn’t hold up against the reality of bugs, crashes, and missing features. Users didn’t mince words; they felt like beta testers for an experiment that wasn’t ready for prime time.
The messy rollout of the Sonos app
From the moment the app launched, complaints started pouring in. Connectivity issues were rampant, basic features had vanished, and the app felt slower and clunkier than the version it replaced. For long-time Sonos users, the loss of local network control and offline functionality was a gut punch.
Social media lit up with frustration. Reddit threads were filled with angry posts, and Sonos’s support team was swamped. Customers – some of them die-hard fans – accused the company of prioritising new revenue streams over keeping the basics solid. To make things worse, the app’s reliance on cloud processing raised concerns about privacy and data security.
Leadership takes the fall
With the backlash mounting, it didn’t take long for heads to roll. On January 13, 2025, CEO Patrick Spence stepped down, taking responsibility for the fiasco. In a candid statement, Spence admitted the company had dropped the ball and expressed hope that new leadership could help rebuild trust.
Tom Conrad, a Sonos board member and tech veteran with experience at Pandora and Snap Inc., stepped in as interim CEO. His first job? Damage control. Conrad promised to get the company back on track, but the challenges ahead were obvious.
And it wasn’t just Spence who exited. Chief Product Officer Maxime Bouvat-Merlin also left, and the company decided to eliminate the CPO role entirely. Chief Commercial Officer Deirdre Findlay followed soon after, citing personal reasons. While no one’s calling it a full-on leadership exodus, the timing raised plenty of eyebrows.
The app’s failure wasn’t just a reputational hit; it was a financial one, too. Sonos’s market value dropped by about $500 million after the launch. Revenue for 2024 was down 8% compared to the previous year, and the final quarter saw a painful 16% decline.
Analysts weren’t shy about connecting the dots. The app issues alienated loyal customers, disrupted new sales, and made the company’s growth plans look shaky. Investors wanted answers, and Sonos was left scrambling to provide them.
Delayed dreams for Sonos
One of the quieter casualties of the app disaster was Sonos’s product roadmap. The company had big plans to launch two new products: the Arc Ultra soundbar and a high-tech subwoofer. Both had to be delayed while Sonos scrambled to fix the app mess.
The delays were a blow to customers and a lost opportunity for Sonos to regain momentum. Meanwhile, competitors like Bose and JBL weren’t sitting still, pushing their own innovations while Sonos played catch-up.
Tom Conrad’s strategy for fixing Sonos starts with going back to basics. In a recent memo, he outlined a plan focused on quality, reliability, and customer feedback. The company has promised more testing and phased rollouts for future updates. In short, they’re trying to make sure the next big thing doesn’t blow up in their face.
Conrad has also called for better communication with customers. “We need to rebuild trust by listening more and delivering better,” he wrote. That means involving users in beta testing and being transparent about what’s coming down the pipeline.
Subscriptions: The next frontier?
There’s been a lot of talk about Sonos shifting to a subscription model, and the redesigned app’s cloud-based architecture has only fueled the speculation. Subscriptions could offer features like AI-driven sound customisation, premium playlists, and exclusive content.
While Sonos has denied any immediate plans for subscriptions, it’s clear they’re exploring the idea. The success of Sonos Radio HD, a subscription service for ad-free listening, shows there’s potential here. But if they’re not careful, they could face another backlash, especially if customers feel like they’re being charged for features that used to be free.
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Satvik Pandey
Satvik Pandey, is a self-professed Steve Jobs (not Apple) fanboy, a science & tech writer, and a sports addict. At Digit, he works as a Deputy Features Editor, and manages the daily functioning of the magazine. He also reviews audio-products (speakers, headphones, soundbars, etc.), smartwatches, projectors, and everything else that he can get his hands on. A media and communications graduate, Satvik is also an avid shutterbug, and when he's not working or gaming, he can be found fiddling with any camera he can get his hands on and helping produce videos – which means he spends an awful amount of time in our studio. His game of choice is Counter-Strike, and he's still attempting to turn pro. He can talk your ear off about the game, and we'd strongly advise you to steer clear of the topic unless you too are a CS junkie. View Full Profile
