Dedicated multi-room audio solutions used to be all the rage, but a decade after the app boom, dedicated software is heading the way of the dodo. Sean Carroll explores what solutions integrators can offer clients in this space.

On 6 May 2026, Bose will discontinue all support for its SoundTouch solution. On that date, an update will be sent to the app, severing the end user’s device from the cloud and essentially removing the smart functionality of some of its speakers.

Bose SoundTouch systems entered the market in 2013, enjoying over a decade of updates and support. Today, Bose is the latest major manufacturer to pivot away from dedicated audio software, joining other notable industry figures, like Google’s Chromecast Audio dongle, Belkin’s Wemo devices and Netgear’s VueZone, in outsourcing multi-room audio.

Integrators working in this space will have to pivot to new solutions for customers, and to do so they’ll need to know what else is out there.

“What we’re seeing is the byproduct of how apps and ecosystems were developed around ten years ago,” Audacity Australia partner manager Andrew McGregor says.

“As technology progresses and standards become more open, manufacturers try to adopt those standards as quickly as possible. This isn’t a reflection on any one brand; it’s more about the evolution of the industry.”

Bose says that customers can still use their products to stream directly from their apps by sending the audio over AirPlay, Bluetooth or AUX, while home theatre systems can still use HDMI or optical connections for TV audio.

Additionally, Bose has made its technical specifications and API documentation freely available so independent developers can create their own SoundTouch-compatible tools and features.

But that doesn’t fix the multi-room audio issue for the vast majority.

“Data shows us that around 70% of home environments today have a TV at the centre, so they become part of a home theatre or living space,” Andrew explains.

“Australians also live both indoors and outdoors, so we often see a second zone on the deck, pergola or in the garden. People want a seamless multi-room experience so they can move through the house or into the yard while entertaining or relaxing. That’s really the cornerstone of networked audio in your home.”

Sonos installed solutions commercial manager, APAC, Richard O’Carroll, says the industry has seen several companies enter and then leave this space, as they don’t have the staying power to compete in the long term.

“Smart speakers aren’t like traditional analogue audio. They’re essentially computers that need to interface with the outside world and pull music from the internet, and everyone knows that computers have a finite lifespan,” he explains.

“Bose is an extraordinary company with an amazing pedigree, but it points to the difference between companies that are fundamentally hardware-based versus those that are software-based.”

He adds that after the boom of apps, several audio companies decided to bolt software onto their hardware but clearly didn’t have the ongoing resources to maintain the software.

“If your company is software-driven, you’re building interfaces between Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and the hardware sitting in someone’s home, you’re going to be better equipped to provide those services over time,” he says.

So, how does the end user get there without dedicated apps?

Richard’s answer is either adding a Sonos port to the speakers’ local connection or upgrading to a system that offers long-term support: “It’s a testament to our staying power in this space that 90% of the products that we’ve released since 2006 are still in customers’ homes. The fact that we’re still delivering products that work with products released in 2011, 2015 or 2017 speaks to our intention in this market.

“We deliberately don’t use language like ‘end of life’ because our products almost never enter that stage; they simply go to ‘end of sale’.”

Audacity Australia distributes WiiM, which is a manufacturer of high-resolution home audio solutions. WiiM uses a lot of open protocol connectivity options and can act as an intermediary between a customer’s audio source and their ‘stranded’ speakers.

“It’s unfortunate to see something like this happening to such a popular ecosystem that has been around for ten-plus years, but integrators are going to start getting calls. The good news is, WiiM can help, and they’ll be adding their audio products to broader ecosystems built on open standards,” Andrew outlines.

“As an industry, this is becoming a recurring theme, and WiiM presents a strong opportunity to pivot.”

Key WiiM streamers for multi-room audio include the WiiM Mini, a compact streamer that can make any speaker smart, supporting AirPlay 2, Chromecast Audio and Spotify Connect. Then there’s the WiiM Pro and Pro Plus streamers, which give integrators a range of inputs (WiFi, BT, Aux, SPDIF) and outputs, supporting hi-res audio and casting protocols.

Finally, there’s the range of WiiM amps, which act as power hubs for music, with the WiiM Amp Ultra boasting 100W per channel at 8Ω, WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3 and HDMI ARC integration for home theatres as well as built-in room correction.

“Additionally, we’re Roon Ready, and there are DLNA and networked audio options for your NAS or Roon player. All of our products are focused on creating interoperability and improving the customer experience, rather than locking them into a single ecosystem,” Andrew says, of Audacity Australia’s product range.

Sonos argues that their single ecosystem is the winning horse, and an integrator or end user opting to use their solutions will be supported for as long as they want to listen to audio.

“Hearing this news about Bose SoundTouch has highlighted the investment of time and energy that Sonos has put into creating smart speakers and the level of ongoing support that we offer our customers,” Richard explains.

“The fact that customers might have products like the Sonos ZP100 and ZP80 (released in 2005 and 2006, respectively) in their homes, mixed in with a decade-old Sonos Playbar or Playbase and then a few Era 100s or a Sonos Sub, which came out a few months ago, is just remarkable. It should give customers real confidence if they’re considering Sonos, and they can know that they’re getting long-term interoperability and support.”

End users and audio enthusiasts might be becoming used to resorting to Reddit threads and online forums for integration solutions as another popular system bites the dust, but this presents a unique opportunity.

Integrators are essentially consultants in the custom installation and audio space, and the absence of Bose’s bespoke SoundTouch technology creates a gap in the market that can be filled with a more heavily customised experience, tailored to the end user’s specific circumstances.

While many customers are understandably dejected after recent turbulence, there are a range of creative solutions on the market for integrators to utilise in creating dynamic audio solutions for customers.