Good audio shouldn't be something you only get after you pay. With this update I've raised the quality of the free tier and tidied up the streaming plans so each one clearly stands on its own.
A Real Boost to Free Audio
The free plan now streams at 192 kbps mono. That's a genuine step up from where it was, and for podcasts, talk radio, audiobooks and everyday listening it sounds clean and full with no account required. If all you want is to send a browser tab to your Sonos speakers and have it sound good, the free version now does exactly that.
The Plans at a Glance
The three tiers are now clearly separated by what they actually deliver:
- Free: 192 kbps mono. Reliable, unlimited streaming from any website.
- Stereo: 256 kbps stereo. Real left/right separation for music and video, and the most popular choice.
- Hi-Fi Premium: 320 kbps stereo. The highest-fidelity tier, delivering the full detail your Sonos speakers can produce.
The jump from Free to Stereo is about stereo separation: hearing instruments and effects placed across the soundstage instead of collapsed into one channel. The jump from Stereo to Hi-Fi Premium is about bitrate, squeezing out the last bit of clarity for critical listening.
What About Pricing?
Alongside the quality changes I've updated the paid plans. You can see the current monthly and yearly options on the pricing page. Every plan still includes automatic video sync, unlimited streaming time, and support for any site that plays audio in Chrome.
Why the Change
Running live audio streams to dedicated regional servers has a real cost, and the previous plan structure didn't reflect the difference between the tiers very well. Raising the free quality while clearly separating Stereo (channel separation) from Hi-Fi Premium (maximum bitrate) makes each plan easier to understand, and means more people get genuinely good sound for free.
Free to start · No account needed.
Looking Forward
As always, I'm continuously working on the extension and the streaming infrastructure behind it. If you have feedback on the new audio quality or the plans, I'd love to hear it through the feedback page.
Haven't tried Cast to Sonos yet? Download it from the Chrome Web Store and start streaming browser audio to your Sonos speakers today.