Some software to do multiroom playback?

mpj88 · 4 Jul 2010 at 10:53

Hi, i use itunes to stream my library to other computers in the house so for example i can listen to my music in the kitchen off a laptop coming from my main pc. I was just wondering if there is a program i can use to play music on them both simultaneously? The only solution i've come up with is trying to play them at exactly the same time by pushing play on both pcs together! But if the laptop needs to buffer it will then by out of time and then behind.

Any suggestions?
Thanks

rctneil · 4 Jul 2010 at 18:26

That sounds like something I too would like to know. Just replying do I also get notified of replies!

mpj88 · 4 Jul 2010 at 19:40

rctneil said:
That sounds like something I too would like to know. Just replying do I also get notified of replies!

Click subscribe under "thread tools" at the top.

Also asked in the hifi section as wasn't really sure where it belonged/ would get the most attention.

Schizophonic · 4 Jul 2010 at 20:26

Nothing in terms of software comes to my mind, but applications like the Squeezebox can do this for their mobile devices around the house.

mpj88 · 5 Jul 2010 at 00:13

Yeah but would rather just use my laptop instead of having to buy another box!

knowledge123 · 5 Jul 2010 at 07:15

Thinking outside the box here, but the thought that came to my mind was VNC software?

mpj88 · 5 Jul 2010 at 10:45

knowledge123 said:
Thinking outside the box here, but the thought that came to my mind was VNC software?

Yeah i use the inbuilt remote desktop in windows quite a lot but the audio settings are either "on remote computer" or "on this computer" not both.

anything I don't mind · 5 Jul 2010 at 13:03

You could stream your music player across the network and then point all the computers on the network to the streaming music address. Could use shoutcast or the other music streaming server software. I think foobar has a streaming audio feature.

But for a real setup you could install speakers all over the house and then have an amp that connects to one pc and to all the speakers, then that will play all over the house.

mpj88 · 5 Jul 2010 at 14:26

With it being a student house i cant really run wires all over the place! Obviously when i have my own place i would think like this.

Like the idea of the streaming. Would the computer streaming it be able to tune into it too?

anything I don't mind · 5 Jul 2010 at 16:37

Yes the computer streaming would be playing the music that is streamed. So if you stopped it on the server it would stop everywhere. So the answer is yes.

Ideally if it is used often would be to setup a dedicated music streaming box that you can remote into and then everyone just connects to the same streaming server.

mpj88 · 5 Jul 2010 at 17:11

Ok will give winamp a go, if i can figure it out!

Have tried vlc already and got it playing on both pc's but the 2nd one was slightly behind