Turn Down For What - A Simple Sonos Volume Monitor with Slack Notifications

This Python script monitors Sonos speakers on your network, adjusts their volume if it exceeds a specified maximum, and sends notifications to a Slack channel when the volume is adjusted. The script runs continuously and checks the speakers at regular intervals.

Features

• Volume Monitoring: Continuously monitors the volume of Sonos speakers.
• Automatic Adjustment: Lowers the volume if it exceeds a defined maximum.
• Slack Notifications: Sends a message to a Slack channel when the volume is adjusted.
• Debounce Mechanism: Prevents spamming by ensuring notifications are sent no more than once every 5 minutes per speaker.
• Group Handling: Processes only coordinator speakers to avoid duplicate notifications in grouped speakers.
• Logging: Logs activities and errors to both the console and a log file.

Prerequisites

• Python 3.6 or higher: Required for f-string support and compatibility.
• Sonos Speakers: At least one Sonos speaker connected to your network.
• Slack Workspace: Access to a Slack workspace where you can create a Slack app and receive notifications.
• Raspberry Pi or Other Device: A device to run the script continuously (e.g., Raspberry Pi).

Installation

Clone the Repository

Clone this repository to your local machine or directly onto your Raspberry Pi:

git clone https://github.com/sagebrushes/TurnDownForWhat.git

Navigate to the project directory:

cd TurnDownForWhat

Install Dependencies

Install the required Python packages using pip:

pip install soco slack_sdk python-dotenv

• soco: Library for controlling Sonos speakers.
• slack_sdk: Slack SDK for Python to interact with the Slack API.
• python-dotenv: To load environment variables from a .env file.

Configuration

1. Set Up Slack App

Create a Slack App and Obtain a Bot Token

• Create a Slack App:

  • Go to Slack API Apps and click "Create New App".
  • Choose "From scratch", give your app a name (e.g., SonosVolumeBot), and select your workspace.

• Configure App Permissions:

  • Navigate to "OAuth & Permissions" in your app settings.
  • Under "Scopes", add the following Bot Token Scopes:
    • chat:write
  • Click "Install App to Workspace" and authorize the app.
  • Copy the Bot User OAuth Token (starts with xoxb-).

• Invite the Bot to Your Slack Channel:

  • In Slack, invite your bot to the channel where you want to receive notifications using /invite @SonosVolumeBot.

Get Your Slack Channel ID

• Open Slack and navigate to the channel.
• Click on the channel name to view details.
• The URL will have the channel ID in the format C01234567.
• Alternatively, right-click on the channel name and select "Copy Link".

2. Configure Environment Variables

Create a .env file in the project directory to securely store your Slack credentials:

SLACK_BOT_TOKEN=xoxb-your-slack-bot-token
SLACK_CHANNEL_ID=your-slack-channel-id

• Replace xoxb-your-slack-bot-token with your actual Slack bot token.
• Replace your-slack-channel-id with the ID of the Slack channel.

3. Adjust Script Constants (Optional)

Open turndownmusic.py in a text editor and adjust the constants if necessary:

MAX_VOLUME = 15          # Maximum allowed volume
CHECK_INTERVAL = 30      # Time in seconds between volume checks
DEBOUNCE_INTERVAL = 300  # Time in seconds between notifications per speaker

Usage

Running the Script

Run the script using Python 3:

python3 turndownmusic.py

• The script will continuously monitor your Sonos speakers.
• It adjusts the volume if it exceeds the MAX_VOLUME.
• Sends a Slack notification when the volume is adjusted, no more than once every DEBOUNCE_INTERVAL seconds per speaker.

Running the Script in the Background

To keep the script running even after closing the terminal or logging out, run it in the background or as a service.

Using nohup

nohup python3 turndownmusic.py &

Using screen

screen -S sonos_monitor
python3 turndownmusic.py

Detach from the screen session with Ctrl+A then D.

Using tmux

tmux new -s sonos_monitor
python3 turndownmusic.py

Detach from the tmux session with Ctrl+B then D.

Using systemd Service

Create a systemd service file to run the script as a service on startup.

1. Create Service File

   sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/sonos_volume_monitor.service

2. Add the Following Content

   [Unit]
   Description=Sonos Volume Monitor Service
   After=network.target
   
   [Service]
   ExecStart=/usr/bin/python3 /path/to/your/project/turndownmusic.py
   WorkingDirectory=/path/to/your/project
   StandardOutput=inherit
   StandardError=inherit
   Restart=always
   User=pi
   
   [Install]
   WantedBy=multi-user.target

   • Replace /path/to/your/project with the actual path to your script.
   • Ensure User is set to the correct user (e.g., pi).

3. Reload systemd and Enable Service

   sudo systemctl daemon-reload
   sudo systemctl enable sonos_volume_monitor.service
   sudo systemctl start sonos_volume_monitor.service

4. Check Service Status

   sudo systemctl status sonos_volume_monitor.service

Logging

The script logs its activities to both the console and a log file named volume_monitor.log in the project directory.

• Log Format: Includes timestamps, log levels, and messages.
• Log Levels: INFO, ERROR, etc.

Viewing Logs

• In Real-Time:

  tail -f volume_monitor.log

• Entire Log File:

  cat volume_monitor.log

Troubleshooting

Slack Notifications Not Appearing

• Ensure Bot Is Invited: Use /invite @SonosVolumeBot in your Slack channel.
• Check Permissions: Verify that the bot has the chat:write scope.
• Review Slack API Errors: Errors are logged and can indicate permission issues.

Script Not Discovering Speakers

• Network Connection: Ensure the device running the script is on the same network as your Sonos speakers.
• Firewall Settings: Check that no firewall is blocking the required ports.
• Sonos System Updates: Ensure your Sonos speakers are updated to the latest firmware.

Multiple Notifications

• Grouped Speakers: The script processes only coordinator speakers to avoid duplicates.
• Debounce Interval: Adjust DEBOUNCE_INTERVAL if notifications are too frequent.

Error Messages in Logs

• Syntax Errors: Ensure you are running the script with Python 3.6 or higher.
• Dependency Issues: Verify that all required packages are installed.
• Environment Variables: Check that the .env file is correctly configured.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please submit a pull request or open an issue to discuss changes.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.

Acknowledgments

• SoCo Library: For providing the tools to interact with Sonos speakers.
• Slack SDK for Python: For enabling Slack integrations.
• Community: For ideas and feedback on improving the script.