Other models create their own Wi-Fi network you join that network on your iOS device or computer, connect to a built-in Web server on the speaker, and then reconfigure the speaker to join your network.
Often, you just connect an iOS device to the speaker via a USB cable, and then use a dedicated iOS app to configure the speaker to join your local network. How you do so depends on the kind of receiver you have.ĪirPlay-enabled speaker system: Most dedicated AirPlay speakers are easy to set up.
HOW TO INSTALL AIRPLAY ON MAC SOFTWARE
Finally, while Bluetooth allows you to stream to only a single Bluetooth receiver, AirPlay lets you stream audio to multiple speakers or receivers simultaneously.Ĭompared with Bluetooth‚ the much more common approach to wireless-audio streaming‚ AirPlay has a number of advantagesĪirPlay does have a couple drawbacks: For one thing, streaming is limited to Macs and iOS devices-very few non-Apple devices can transmit over AirPlay (at least not without employing third-party software or hacks) and for another, AirPlay gear tends to be more expensive than the Bluetooth counterparts.īefore you can stream audio to an AirPlay destination, you must configure your AirPlay receiver. And while Bluetooth audio streaming is limited to devices no more than about 30 meters apart, AirPlay lets you stream from as far away as your Wi-Fi or wired network can reach. For starters, Bluetooth uses lossy compression, while AirPlay is lossless, so, assuming that you’re streaming high-quality audio to begin with, AirPlay offers better sound quality. But AirPlay is also a relatively inexpensive way to set up a whole-home audio system-at least when compared with a custom-installed setup or something like a multiroom Sonos system.Ĭompared with Bluetooth‚ the much more common approach to wireless-audio streaming‚ AirPlay has a number of advantages. Though most people think of AirPlay as a wireless technology, you can also stream audio over a wired network, or between wired and wireless devices-for example, from an iPhone to an ethernet-connected AirPlay receiver.
HOW TO INSTALL AIRPLAY ON MAC MAC
At its simplest, AirPlay is a convenient way to get audio from your Mac or iOS device to a speaker across the room-or across the house.