A method (600; 650; 800; 830; 860) for a playback system comprising a controller device (130; 300; 500) and a plurality of rendering devices (102-124, 152-156; 200-204; 400) connected via a network, the method comprising: grouping, by the controller device, a plurality of rendering devices into a bonded zone for synchronous playback in response to a corresponding user input via the controller device, the plurality of rendering devices including at least first and second rendering devices; causing, by one of the plurality of rendering devices, the first and second rendering devices to render audio content in a synchronized manner, according to first and second playback responsibilities, respectively; querying, by each of the plurality of rendering devices, state variables from each of the other rendering devices in the bonded zone, the one or more state variables indicating at least a playback responsibility of the respective rendering device and a current bonded zone of the respective rendering device; storing, by each of the plurality of rendering devices, the state variables for each of the plurality of rendering devices; detecting (604; 802), by the second rendering device, a failure of the first rendering device; and responsive to detecting the failure of the first rendering device: determining, by the second rendering device, according to the stored state variable corresponding to the first rendering device, a first playback responsibility that was associated with the first rendering device prior to detecting the failure of the first rendering device; and rendering (810; 838; 842; 844; 872), by the second rendering device, the audio content according to (i) the second playback responsibility and (ii) at least a portion of the first playback responsibility. grouping, by the controller device, a plurality of rendering devices into a bonded zone for synchronous playback in response to a corresponding user input via the controller device, the plurality of rendering devices including at least first and second rendering devices; causing, by one of the plurality of rendering devices, the first and second rendering devices to render audio content in a synchronized manner, according to first and second playback responsibilities, respectively; querying, by each of the plurality of rendering devices, state variables from each of the other rendering devices in the bonded zone, the one or more state variables indicating at least a playback responsibility of the respective rendering device and a current bonded zone of the respective rendering device; storing, by each of the plurality of rendering devices, the state variables for each of the plurality of rendering devices; detecting (604; 802), by the second rendering device, a failure of the first rendering device; and responsive to detecting the failure of the first rendering device: determining, by the second rendering device, according to the stored state variable corresponding to the first rendering device, a first playback responsibility that was associated with the first rendering device prior to detecting the failure of the first rendering device; and rendering (810; 838; 842; 844; 872), by the second rendering device, the audio content according to (i) the second playback responsibility and (ii) at least a portion of the first playback responsibility.