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Sonos is a leading American audio technology company that is best known for pioneering wireless multi-room 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 theatre systems, headphones, architectural components, and integrated home audio solutions that revolutionise how people listen and connect to sound.

Global Head of Editorial

All our products are designed to look timeless, blending into the unique style of your home. But while aesthetics may endure, technology is constantly moving forward. With this in mind, we wanted to introduce you to the new Sonos Sub and Sonos Five in the architecturally significant Elliot House. Designed by R.M. Schindler, protégé of Frank Lloyd Wright, the Los Angeles home exemplifies how to bring modern advantages to a timeless classic.

After Rudolph Schindler arrived in Los Angeles in the early 1920s—at the request of Frank Lloyd Wright, who asked him to supervise the construction of the revered architect’s celebrated Hollyhock House—Schindler and his wife quickly found themselves at the epicenter of the city’s progressive, bohemian counter culture. Emboldened by the nonconformist atmosphere, Schindler bucked the popular Spanish Colonial Revival trend when he designed his own home. Often cited as the first modernist home in America, the Schindler House was created for four adults, including the builder of the home and his wife, as well as the Schindlers. The house reflects Schindler’s unique approach to architecture, with a mix of private and communal spaces and blurred boundaries between indoor and outdoor living spaces. Schindler’s willingness to prioritize the actual living experience within his creations is beautifully evident in the home he later designed for his insurance agent, the Elliot House.

Built in 1930, the house fell prey to short-sighted updates like a prefab kitchen and the removal of a built-in wooden desk and cabinetry before current owners Cameron Silver and Jeffrey Snyder bought the home in 2001. Silver and Snyder worked with Leo Marmol and Ron Radziner to restore the historic home, intent on preserving Schindler’s unique approach to space, lighting, and atmosphere. And, like Schindler did in his time, they took full advantage of the most current construction methods and material options, like new kitchen appliances and a contemporary color palette. It’s this approach—preserving the original artistry of a design while modernizing it for the world of today—that made the Elliot House the perfect setting to introduce the new 

The most powerful Sonos speaker for music, the new Sonos Five delivers vividly clear, room-filling sound. Internal updates include increased memory and processing power while the 3.5 mm line-in port allows you to connect your turntable, CD player, or other device directly to Five and play to your entire system. Five blends into the unique aesthetics of your home with an enduring design that has been updated in all black and—for the first time—all white.

Sonos Five: The high-fidelity speaker for superior sound

You can feel and hear the difference when you connect Sub to any Sonos system. While all Sonos speakers are designed for great bass, adding Sub allows those speakers to focus more on midranges, resulting in richer sound. And, like Five, the new Sonos Sub has increased memory and processing power ensuring the best possible performance while preparing Sub for future updates. Two force-canceling drivers at the center of Sub eliminate vibration and rattle so you get powerful bass without any distortion. Its award-winning and versatile design features a slim, sculptural shape and high-gloss finish. And, you can position it to be noticed or hide it away because Sub can be placed upright or laid on its side.

Sonos Sub: The wireless subwoofer for deep bass

As the sun sets each day, it casts golden light through a west-facing window and illuminates the richly-toned wood along the kitchen wall. This is Silver and Snyder’s favorite time of day. Even after owning the home for more than 20 years, they still appreciate the thoughtful details Rudolph Schindler weaved into the house (even if the milk box has long been removed). To learn more about the new Sonos Five, 

Sub and Five: Modern Interpretations. Original Artistry.

While sound is integral to everything we do at Sonos, there has never been a specific sound associated with our brand. Until today. Coinciding with the launch of Sonos Radio, we are thrilled to reveal our new sonic branding. Composed by Philip Glass, iconic master of contemporary classical music, listeners can hear his original composition when tuning in to Sonos Radio. Here’s the story behind the sound.

In the months leading up to the launch of 

, Dmitri Siegel, Sonos VP of Global Brand, discovered that a major piece of the listening experience was missing. “We realized that Sonos didn’t really have a sonic brand identity,” said Siegel. “We’re obsessed with sound—it’s what we think about all day—and yet we didn’t have a sound that meant Sonos. When we made a dream list of who might compose that sound for us, Philip Glass was always at the top.”

Glass’s decades-long exploration of repetition and modularity made him a natural choice to build upon the Sonos name and visual identity, which are rooted in symmetry and simplicity. Luckily, he was known to have Sonos in his home and even 

, thanks to a long-standing relationship with 

Sonos’s Global Head of Music, Brian Beck

. Siegel added, “Philip Glass is the perfect fit for Sonos because of the combination of formal structure and exuberance, humanity and technical rigor in his music.”

Once Glass agreed to the project, Siegel’s brief to him was simple:

Sonos is a made-up word that means sound.

Now we need to make up a sound that means Sonos.

And, as one of the most influential American composers of the last century, he delivered. Describing the result, Glass noted, “The composition reflects two opposing ends of a spectrum: the organic and the electronic. The organic, represented by the acoustic instrumentation, speaks to the act of listening as both communal and personal. The electronic, which can be heard in the synthesized elements, is a nod to Sonos products as breakthrough technology, both in sound reproduction and connectivity.”

To learn about the sound profile of Sonos speakers, Glass worked with Giles Martin, award-winning composer, producer, and Sound Experience Leader at Sonos. “We wanted to be sure that the tone and range of the composition demonstrated the capabilities of the speakers and that the composition addressed those moments in the user experience where sound is used explicitly,” said Martin.

To bring the composition to life, it was recorded with 21 musicians at the DiMenna Center for Classical Music in New York City. The recording includes a 17-piece string section, flute, trumpet, French horn, piano, and electronic synths.

Once recorded, Martin mixed and mastered the sonic branding in collaboration with Grammy- and Emmy-winning recording engineer Sam Okell. When they were finished, Siegel finally had the sound that means Sonos.

In all, Glass created a complete set of branding elements, ranging in length and purpose, which will serve as a “sonic toolkit” for the Sonos sound experience. Martin and the Sound Experience Team will draw from this toolkit as they chart and define the brand’s sonic identity going forward.

We’re now proud to share the final product, brought to life in the animation below. It’s best experienced on your Sonos system because, as Glass notes, it was composed “using the full frequency spectrum in order to demonstrate the range and depth of Sonos speakers.”

 where you can hear the new sonic branding in brilliant sound, along with curated genre stations, original programming, and thousands of radio stations from around the world.

What Sound Means “Sonos”? Philip Glass Had the Answer.

Fitness classes. Concerts. Happy hours. Religious services. School. It’s all streaming now. Here’s how to use Beam to experience your social life with the sound it deserves.

While it was once considered anti-social, screen time is now the best way to stay connected. You might not be able to spend time in person with your friends and extended family, but you can create greater closeness through shared experiences. And with the latest tentpole films, premium fitness classes, and performances by world-class musicians and artists all streaming to your home, there’s a lot to share. Our most versatile speaker, 

 is the easiest way to experience it all with brilliant sound.

There’s no lack of options when it comes to streaming quality content. 

We worked with Oscar- and Emmy-winning creators

 in the entertainment industry to fine-tune Beam so that when you watch your favorite movies and shows, you’re hearing them the way they were meant to be heard.

From The Great Courses Plus to Beachbody, smart TVs offer so much more than your standard video streaming services. Learn, sweat, and more with high-definition sound.

While technically categorized as a “home theater speaker,” when it comes to music, Beam delivers. Choose from hundreds of stations on TuneIn or from more than 100 music streaming services. If you want music for cleaning, cooking, working, playing, or dancing, it’ll sound better with Beam.

Whether you’re playing a game with friends in a Discord call or watching on Twitch, Beam’s rich, room-filling sound is the best way to truly immerse yourself in your favorite online worlds.

The connectivity our phones provide have become even more valuable. Now we can attend a yoga session in the morning, an online class in the afternoon, and a DJ set at night. To listen with brilliant sound, stream directly to Sonos from your iOS devices using Apple AirPlay 2. And when you need a moment to tune everything out, listen to your favorite YouTube videos (comedy, unboxing, or the music video you learned the entire dance to in junior high) out loud on Sonos.

 or just watching videos your family sent you, you can use AirPlay 2 to stream directly from your Mac to Beam as well. That video of your niece’s first steps (and the family’s reaction) definitely deserves to be heard with brilliant sound.

Beam has voice control built in. While Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant are good at helping you be productive, they’re also a great way for the family to have some screen-free fun. Try these:

“Hey Google, tell me something interesting”

With so much incredible, free content out there (and more coming every day), there’s a lot to enjoy on Beam. We wanted to share a few of the things that have been keeping us entertained, amused, energized, and inspired.

 COLORSXSTUDIOS is a unique aesthetic music platform showcasing exceptional talent from around the globe. They’re lending their YouTube page to artists from around the world who are at home and unable to tour.


 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBhEryRqrIk

 Live Nation’s Live from Home. A steady stream of live performances from up-and-coming artists to powerhouses.


 NFL Game Pass gives you free access to full broadcast replays, condensed games, and coach’s films.


 NFL App, Website, and other supported devices. https://gamepass.nfl.com/packages?redirected=true

 NBA League Pass provides access to full-length and condensed replays of all games from the 2019-20 season, as well as an expansive archive of classic games and content.


 NBA App on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Android mobile and tablet devices, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and other supported devices. https://www.nba.com/nba-fan-letter-league-pass-free-preview

 The Home Cooking podcast from Samin Nosrat (SALT FAT ACID HEAT) and Hrishikesh Hirway helps you figure out what to cook.


 https://pod.link/homecooking and your favorite podcasting platform.

 Easy Asian Home Cooking with Adam Liaw provides home cooking recipes, tips, and advice from Adam Liaw, Destination Flavour host and prolific cookbook author.


 https://www.youtube.com/user/adamliaw/featured

 Cirque du Soleil is offering a front-row seat to moments from KURIOS – Cabinet of Curiosities, O, and LUZIA, with never-before-seen angles that can only be experienced on your screen.


 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQ5eUJNXrMw

 Class Central is a search engine and reviews site for free online courses popularly known as MOOCs, or Massive Open Online Courses. Ivy League schools are currently offering 450 courses for free right now.


 Various learning sites like Coursera, all compiled here: https://www.classcentral.com

 Planet Fitness is offering free at home workouts called Home Work-Ins.


 CorePower Yoga is offering free yoga classes daily.


 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4z1

 Headspace is offering free meditations that are part of a larger collection in the Headspace app called Weathering the Storm. It includes meditations, sleep, and movement exercises to help you out, however you’re feeling.


 Scholastic has curated a free digital hub designed to support virtual learning plans. Scholastic Learn At Home allows open access to daily learning journeys divided into four grade spans—Pre-K–K, Grades 1–2, Grades 3–5, and Grades 6–9+, covering ELA, STEM, Science, Social Studies, and Social-Emotional Learning.


 https://classroommagazines.scholastic.com/support/learnathome.html

 Circle Round adapts carefully selected folktales from around the world into sound- and music-rich radio plays for kids ages 4 to 10. Each 10- to 20-minute episode explores important issues like kindness, persistence, and generosity, ending with an activity that inspires deeper conversations between children and adults.


 https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1246443751?mt=2

We’ll continue to keep this page updated as more things become available to stream. And, we’d also love to know what you’re enjoying. Tag us on social with #athomewithsonos.

Google and YouTube are trademarks of Google LLC.

Your Social Life Is Now Streaming. How Does It Sound?

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.

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.

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Secrets of Nostalgia: Simple Ways to Warm Up Your Holidays

Celebrating Black Businesses With Reissue of Limited Edition Sonos One SL

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