Streaming Google Play Music to a single room

stoofa

stoofa

stoofa

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All of the music I own is currently in Google Play Music (the free option). I don't pay any subscription, it simply contains music I've bought and have uploaded.
I'd like to be able to stream this music - randoms and playlists to a single room.
What is the best way of going about this?
I'm assuming I would use a laptop/PC or tablet to do the actual streaming and then simply output to a wireless or bluetooth speaker?
Unless there is a device that could do the streaming too?

If I have a wireless speaker, can that be attached to the wireless network and I could stream via another machine on the same wireless network or a machine wired into the same network? Or is it direct output from machine to speaker?

Up until now we've only listened to the music directly from our PC running Play Music. First time I've had the requirement to be able to play this same music in another room that doesn't have a PC in it :)

Cheers.
 
ChromeCast Audio is nice (got one 2 weeks back in currys £15 deal - expect they will repeat) but yes have to stream wireless to it, from a PC other device from plex/google and attach it via RCA/optical to an Amp or powered speaker; whereas, checkout sonos thread, these are self contained streamers but a lot more $$.
Don't know what the cost of a powered speaker with similar quality to sonos is to accompany the CCA if you need it.

But the CCA accepts aac/mp3 codecs directly and via plex can cast internet radio stations eg 128Kb/s AAC radio paradise
 
jpaul, you've made it sounds incredibly complicated there :confused:

I have a Google Play Music subscription and a CCA plugged into my stereo amp. It works great. Cast music from my phone, tablet, desktop, whatever (usually my phone as it's nearest). Play radio from Tunein etc.

stoofa would need what is called an Active speaker setup of some sort, if he doesn't already have a hifi setup. This just means they have built-in amplification. A quick look at Richer Sounds shows me they start at £99 for a pair.

EDIT: I forgot that manufacturers have started making speakers with Google Cast built-in, that removes the need for a Chromecast. They're probably quite hard to track down though.

I'd highly recommend Chromecast over Bluetooth, the sound quality is noticeably much better.
 
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Cheers for the replies.
I don't have a Google subscription - I have all of my music stored in Google Play, but I'm not paying for access to their streaming content.
The room in question is the "main room" so to speak, so I've got an Onkyo surround sound setup, so I'm guessing I might be able to add the CC to one of the inputs on this?
 
Yes. I'm 99% sure you don't need a GPM subscription to cast from the Music app.

You're perfectly set-up to add a Chromecast Audio or a regular Chromecast to that room. CCA is a 3.5mm jack input, regular Chromecast is HDMI -- but obviously lets you cast video/media.
 
You can connect optically from CCA if your Onkyo has spdif input, but the CCA dac sounds good to me.
The CCA config options from windows OS do not enable you to group speakers for the cast (but I only drive one amp so not an issue for me)

Scam, I must have misunderstood
I'd highly recommend Chromecast over Bluetooth, the sound quality is noticeably much better.
Click to expand...
you mean as opposed to 2.4/5GHZ wifi ? ... but why does sound quality change - it is the encoded stream/codec being sent ?
 
Just as a final question.
So I have an Onkyo setup. The amp has 4 HDMI inputs, I'm currently using two for our SkyHD Box and the PS4.
So I could add a Chrome Cast (standard, not audio) via HDMI to one of the other inputs and then stream Google Play Music to it from say an Android Tablet or Windows PC?

Does the CC actually attach to the network? So could I stream from a PC that is hardwired into my network to the CC, or would it need to be something wireless?

Thanks again.
 
Yes, you can connect the regular CC to an HDMI input for music streaming - however (maybe someone else knows definitively or google), the audio quality maybe inferior to the CC audio version.
This maybe the case if the audio is transcoded to a different codec before it is sent to the regular CC ... due to system cost the quality/flexibility of the audio system in the regular CC maybe inferior because system has to deal with the video compression too.
The audio CC passes flac/aac/mp3 codec without transcoding (they made some firmware patches), but, as i say, maybe not the regular CC.

2nd point - A quick google suggests you can buy an internet adapter to hardwire a regula CC into network.
 
Thank you all so much for your time/help.
So just for final clarification :)

I shall purchase a single CC (not the Audio, I'm only planning on streaming to this room).
I shall attach it via HDMI to my Onkyo Amp (to one of two fre inputs it has).
It will also attach to my WiFi I'm guessing.

I would switch to that particular output on my Amp, then, using an Android tablet or a Windows laptop I shall stream music from my Google Play Account (free, not subscription) and with any kind of luck sounds will surround everyone in the room via the 5.1 speaker setup.

Cheers!
 
Sounds good stoofa.

As for bluetooth. Well it's up for debate all across the internet, but bluetooth uses lossy compression in transit therefore you lose quality in whatever you're playing. It has a very narrow bandwidth as it wasn't originally designed for sending media. Wifi (CC) does not.
 
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