Multiroom audio

My assumption after discussing it on Reddit:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Chromecast/comments/eabp8b/local_music_library_stored_on_synology_nas/fat9ar6?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x

Iā€™m interested in any solution that uses one of those Linux distributions for audio on Raspberry Pi. For music stored locally, these methods can create a local network and stream the music. And any web browser can be used as a remote control when typing in the local server URL. Control with an Upnp/DLNA app is also a possibility if the server can stream DLNA.

@cedricoola If you want audio sync in different rooms then look at PiCorePlayer. If you donā€™t need that then look at it anyway but also look at Volumio.

Yes, there are a few solutions available for Raspberry Pi. Thereā€™s a list here that includes PiCorePlayer. https://www.justboom.co/software/
Iā€™m thinking about trying one that runs as a WiFi dongle on the thiny Raspberry Pi Zero. My server would be on another device like a pc, a NAS or Raspberry. From what I see, only the Justboom Player and the Max2Plax solutions seems to handle the Pi Zero. If anyone has experience with something smilar, Iā€™m curious.
The main reason I havenā€™t tried yet is that the Pi Zero is out of order in my local stores.

I give up the DIY solutions and will try this instead: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/octavio-tech/octavio-your-music-anywhere-at-home
Itā€™s a small and un-googled spotify streamer. Looking forward!

Hi @cedricoola Have you used this device at all? What is your experience?

They just finished the crowdfunding campaign and mention a delivery date in November this year.

1 Like

Itā€™s already available here since months :wink:
https://www.balena.io/blog/turn-your-old-speakers-or-hi-fi-into-bluetooth-receivers-using-only-a-raspberry-pi/

I need to try it since a long time, maybe i will configure it this week-end and I will post a feedback :slight_smile:

Very interesting that you mention Balena, @Poipoi! I was just reading about it last week. It differs from the Octavio streamer in the fact that it is a do-it-yourself project, so it involves buying different hardware elements, assembling them. But Balena system seems quite easy to set up. Youā€™ll tell us.
With the Balena solution, I understand the server is not installed on the domestic network but on Balena cloud. This is different from the other Raspberry Pi audio solution that I had heard of until now where the Raspberry Pi is a home server. Here this is not needed because the services are cloud based. Balena is in fact a company that offers to control connected objects of all kinds. the fact that they offer a service for audio is innovative! iā€™m looking forward to hear more about it.

So to be avoided then.

Yepā€¦Iā€™ve heard of this Balena solution and didnā€™t try it because of this ā€œwho knows whereā€ cloud based aspect.

Not only ā€œwho knows whereā€, but also youā€™d be without music if your internet connection got interrupted. For some things, and this is one, keeping everything local is the most sensible solution. Since Balena requires a Raspberry Pi you might as well put piCorePlayer and the LMS server on it. Pis are cheap enough to put others (running only piCorePlayer without the LMS server) in each extra room you want music in.

I donā€™t have a PI so Iā€™m stuck to use Emby on my server and phone to watch videos and listen music. Thereā€™s only a Google Firebase Analytics tracker.
I tried the Ampache solution but didnā€™t like it.

The crowdfunded Optimo device that I mentioned ealier operates locally (local server) except for software updates that are downloaded from a cloud server by the company OVH. Sounds good!

Hello,

I tried to installed balenaaudio without success (black screen after burning the sd card)
So I searched for another solution and then I installed ā€œRaspotifyā€

With a light raspian, I just installed the spotify connect thing, and now itā€™s working fine !

Thatā€™s lighter than Balena, and I donā€™t need an account (of course you need a spotify account)
I will test it and maybe in few weeks I will buy a better DAC for my pi

Very cool!
For the installation did you connect a monitor, keyboard and mouse to the Pi, and start with installing a Linux for Pi distribution? A Raspbian distro, right?
What version of the Pi do you have?

Yes I used a monitor it was more easy :

  • pi 2 with wifi dongle
  • raspian light (400MB file) burned on the sd card
  • turn on ssh, fr/azerty layout and connect to my wifi (the ssid is case sensitiveā€¦)

VoilĆ ā€¦!

1 Like

Something worth mentioning in my opinion is that when we listen to music we most likely use a streaming service. Same thing for video. So speaking about privacy doesnā€™t make much sense.

It is only when listening to our own music library - either the speaker accesses local files through a local server or files are being played on a device and sent to the speaker via Bluetooth - that privacy is guaranteed. This is far from being the dominant way that we listen to music today.

If we canā€™t avoid being exposed when listening to streaming services, what makes sense however is trying to avoid Google to be the gateway for all these services for the cast-to-speakers part. Trying to find another way to connect to our speakers. Through Spotify Connect for example, I donā€™t think anyone other than Spotify knows what we are doing.

Which is what I almost always do.

1 Like

I usually get Spotify on my speakers for listening at home via the Spotify Connect. But sometimes I will use the DRmare Music Converter for Spotify to convert Spotify music and then put them on the speakers for playing offline.