Apple Airplay and its Untapped Potential

6/18/2015

I have written several articles related to Airplay and I am a big fan of the technology. However, it is a mystery as to why Apple hasn’t tapped into the full potential of the technology.

Multi-room Audio

Currently, you have a few options for multi-room audio. You can use iTunes on a computer, which has multiple speaker Airplay built right into the iTunes interface. It also allows you to control the speaker selection using the Remote app on iOS (see pic above). This is about all you can do for multiple speaker playback without third party apps.

Airfoil, which I have reviewed before, allows you to take ANY audio from your computer and send it to multiple speakers. Combined with Airfoil speakers, you can send any audio stream from an iOS device to the Airfoil Speakers program (it shows up in the iOS Airplay menu) on the computer and Airfoil can send that stream to multiple speakers. They also make a nifty little iOS app called AF Remote that gives you the ability to select speakers and have rudimentary control over some applications running on the computer.

Whaale App

In the past, I always thought the reason Apple did not have multiple Airplay speaker streaming from iOS was related to a limitation of iOS or the Airplay technology. However, that isn’t the case.

The Whaale app is the reason I know that Apple is holding out on us for some reason. The app provides multiple room audio to Airplay receivers without a computer in the mix. It will play music being stored on the device and it has plug-ins for internet audio, server audio (if you have a connected hard drive/NAS on your network), Deezer, and Audiobus. It allows you to send audio to several speakers simultaneously or you can even send different audio streams to different speakers from within one app.

This is the frustrating thing about how Apple is currently implementing Airplay. I should be able to do everything Whaale can do from ANY app right from the Control Center.

iOS to iOS Streaming

Apple has an issue with streaming from one iOS device to another. They have claimed that this is a “Post PC” world, yet you need a computer and Airfoil Speakers running on an iOS device to use the iPhone as an Airplay receiver.

There is absolutely no reason that an iPhone, iPad, or iPhone Touch can’t be used as an Airplay receiver for another iOS device. I know some are asking “Why would you want it to be an Airplay receiver”? Well, I have old iOS devices laying around, like a lot of people. If I dock one in something like a Pure i20 dock, I can send an audio stream from the iPad in my hand to the iPhone that is docked across the room. This would fill in for Apple’s Airport Express for audio in setups that use old docks with the old power connector.

Airfoil released Airfoil Speakers on iOS with this ability. You could send audio easily from ANY app on one iOS to another iOS device running the Airplay Speakers app (see pic below - I am sending an iPhone 6 an Rdio stream from an iPad). Apple removed the feature from future purchases. AirMusic (which I have written about in the past) also had this feature. Guess what? Apple removed the app from the app store. I still have both of them and they work great, but Apple is holding out on the people that didn’t buy the app before the feature was removed.

Multistream Audio from One Library

As I mentioned, you can send your “now playing” audio from iTunes to multiple devices. However, you can’t do the same with multiple songs. In other words, if you want to play The Beatles in one room and Nirvana in another, you can’t do that within the same library. Synology has the ability to stream different audio streams (or the same stream) to multiple rooms at the same time using their NAS and the DS Audio app (see pic below). Apple needs to give us the same ability from iTunes/Apple Music.

AirPlay Beats Speakers

Recently, I read an article that Beats had a speaker technology in the works that would compete with Sonos when Apple bought them. It Is being reported that Apple may have put the project on the back burner or completely scrapped it. However, I think Apple is missing an opportunity. Right now there are several third party vendors with speakers and Apple should have a native solution. If they could add direct from the web streaming to AirPlay with Beats and/or Apple branded speakers (my preference would be for a sleek Apple design), they could get a bigger piece of the streaming pie. It would also help with ecosystem lock-in. (AirPlay is the main reason I didn't switch to Android when I wanted a larger phone and Apple didn't make one).

Final Thoughts

There isn't a hardware or software limitation that is causing AirPlay to not completely fulfill its potential. It is a decision Apple is making and I don't understand it. I am hoping with Apple Music and iOS 9, they add some of these great features to the interface. However, all that being said, I still prefer the current version of AirPlay to the rest of the streaming competition.

24 Comments

Hiddenflight

7/12/2015 11:17:36 am

Great article!

I have 2 AirPlay speakers, however as much as I want to purchase another, am losing faith in Airplay's longevity due to Apple's reluctance to incorporate multi-room into IOS.

I have watched Sonos software go from strength-to-strength the last 18 months, with Apple Music due to be integrated by the end of this year.

I have been using the Whaale app (which has been a lifeline) however like the article states, is limited in its services.

I also appreciate AirFoil on PC / Mac is an option, however feel is an unnecessary workaround when we all know that native multi-room AirPlay from IOS is achievable.

I am really struggling to understand what the problem is with Apple in doing this and am starting to look at upcoming open standards such as Allplay as a longer term alternative.

P.s. As a bonus, Apple could easily implement access to ITunes Match as part of native IOS multi-room functionality.

Uofmtiger

7/12/2015 12:12:09 pm

Thanks for your comments!

I have it on good authority that Whaale will be adding Tidal to its list of services, so at least we have one service that is building around AirPlay. Tidal, vtuner, media server abilities, etc. gives you lots of options.

My main issue with Whaale, and Sonos for that matter, is that they work outside the native audio apps. Personally, I write about multiroom audio more than I use it, but if you have to have it and can't involve a computer, Whaale is the best iOS Airplay option for multiple speakers. The people at Whaale have it on their agenda to try to get the app working with all audio on iOS, but they may need some cooperation from Apple. (They also have an AirPlay app for Android in beta)

AirPlay isn't going anywhere from what I can tell. Apple has billed it as a major feature on the Appletv and I don't think they will flush that advantage down the drain with the introduction of the next Appletv. With Homekit and Appletv 4, they could introduce new AirPlay features, but only time will tell.

Torgeir

10/7/2017 03:53:42 am

Hi, and thanks for this great article!

Do you have any news on the Tidal integration?

uofmtiger

10/11/2017 11:13:14 pm

Torgier,

I haven't talked to the developer in a long time. They were supposed to add it back at the beginning of 2015, so apparently something slipped through the cracks. Tidal had a lot of turnover back then, so maybe the person that was going to help make it happen is no longer at Tidal? Just a guess on my part.

Apple introduced Airplay 2 over the summer and I expect it to be released in December with the HomePod. It will give iOS users the same type of multi-room audio built into iTunes. The main catch is that the only products that Apple has mentioned that will get the update is the AppleTV 4 and the HomePod. They did say that some manufacturers will update some devices for it, so I am waiting to see what happens with it.

It is too bad that Whaale did not get Tidal, though. That would have been a great feature.

Whereverigo

8/29/2015 04:47:40 am

Thank you for the objective, investigative insights. I sincerely hope Apple *does* step up with a cohesive audio plan to capitalize on the potential of AirPlay.

Years ago, I should have gone with a Sonos system; but I skimped and went with a relatively complex Squeezebox network. That worked fine, actually, until Logitech lacked compassion (or customer awareness) when they suddenly discontinued support for an entire suite of devices as they released a "new and improved" line.

A few years later, when Apple came out with the AirPlay concept, I again opted to ignore the urge to go with Sonos in favor of what I expected would become a beautifully clever, well-integrated Apple audio system. I have four (expensive!) AirPlay speakers, as well as five other speakers connected to AirPlay via Airport expresses and Apple TV. Of course, I'm generally limited to using only 4-5 speakers at a time, just due to bandwidth (though I'm leveraging upgraded Fios for wifi).

I've been willing to wait with bated breath, very optimistically holding out for something better than the clunky, always-dropping, ever-disappointing network Apple provided, while we held out for future wonders. I even made do with the Remote app that never seemed to catch up with all the whacky changes to iTunes, as well as the need to subscribe to Match just to get iRadio to play nice.

Sadly, my hope (not to mention my investment) seems to have been for naught. The recent updates to iTunes (which destroyed my carefully configured music library, as well as all my settings for hundreds of audiobooks), followed by the elimination of iRadio and release of Apple Music has broken the Remote app and left me with even less ability to control audio features remotely.

At this point, I'm definitely regretting my repeated decisions to pass up Sonos.

uofmtiger link

8/29/2015 01:03:07 pm

Thank you for the comments. Below I am going to address some of your statements:

1. "went with a relatively complex Squeezebox network. That worked fine, actually, until Logitech lacked compassion (or customer awareness)"

Be aware that Sonos is small enough that another company (like Apple) could buy them out tomorrow or they could simply decide to go another direction. Roku, like Logitech, had their own audio only players several years back, as well. It was a popular device called the Soundbridge. At some point, they abandoned it and decided to move on to video. With the Roku and Squeezebox, you still have ways to use them because they don't rely completely on the company to work. On the other hand, the Sonos would practically be worthless without the Sonos back-end.

Despite Airplay's issues that I discussed, its main advantage is that it is in numerous devices and is not reliant on Apple to do anything. If Apple went away from Airplay, you could still use old devices and computer’s running Airfoil to stream audio.

2. I am not sure I understand your specific issues with bandwidth, but it sounds (obviously this is a guess) like you would benefit from a wifi router upgrade. My suggestion would be for a router than handles 5 Ghz streams. If you actually have dropouts caused by Fios, that really isn’t an Airplay issue (neither is the router issue for that matter). If it is an issue with your internet service, I doubt Sonos would fix those issues. I was reading one of my favorite audio forums the other day and one guy was saying he had drop outs with his Sonos setup that he does not have with his Oppo networked universal player. Sonos can create its own “mesh” network, but they use 2.4Ghz, which would be less robust than 5 Ghz that you can get on the newest Airport Express units and routers. You could also use Home Plug networking to some of your wifi units to take them off of wifi.

3. "I even made do with the Remote app that never seemed to catch up with all the whacky changes to iTunes, as well as the need to subscribe to Match just to get iRadio to play nice."

I have been on iTunes Match for longer than I have used the radio feature, so I can’t really comment on that. However, Airplay doesn’t require iTunes at all. You can get around it by using a program called Airfoil and software that takes over your desktop like Splashtop. I do have the Remote app and it works great, so I am not sure what issues the “whacky changes” caused. My guess is that there will be updates to the Remote app that fix some issues when iOS 9 and their new OS X releases are available to the masses.

4. "Sadly, my hope (not to mention my investment) seems to have been for naught. The recent updates to iTunes (which destroyed my carefully configured music library, as well as all my settings for hundreds of audiobooks), followed by the elimination of iRadio and release of Apple Music has broken the Remote app and left me with even less ability to control audio features remotely."

Once again, Airplay has nothing to do with Apple Music updates. You don’t even need to use iTunes to take advantage of Airplay. I would have suggested that you backed up everything prior to updating iTunes, but I guess it is too late for that. However, you still may be able to get some of your audio files back by following these instructions: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203225 . I have done all of the Apple Music updates and the Remote app still works with every computer in my household, so I am not having the issue you are having. You may want to look on the iMore website to see if they have some answers for your specific issues. You may also want to look into some third party solutions for your audio needs if you want to abandon iTunes. For example, Spotify and Rdio both have remote apps (built into their regular iOS apps) included with their premium services (Rdio has a fairly inexpensive plan, as well).

Just to wrap things up. Airplay is a technology for streaming music. It works on Windows, iOS, Macs, rooted Android devices and does not require iTunes or Apple Music at all. I have tested Airplay on three separate setups just using the WHAALE app and it streams without an issue, so I think some of your issues are also related to your wifi router. Let me know if you have any questions and good luck!

Sean Trent link

8/30/2015 12:14:03 am

Thanks for an informative post. One easy thing Apple could do to make multiroom much much better is let you choose multiple speakers from an iOS device and not just OSx. At a party I would use my iPhone or iPad to choose songs - but wouldn't lug my MBA around with me.

8/30/2015 04:30:56 am

I agree. It was the main reason I wrote the article. I discussed many ways to accomplish your goal, but Apple needs to have the ability to do these things without third party apps being involved or at least let a third party app perform on iOS like Airfoil performs on a computer ( i.e. Steal the system audio and send it to any or all discovered AirPlay devices).

Jeremy

10/4/2015 11:42:27 pm

Very nice article. I agree completely that Apple has left behind huge opportunities. As an example, why is iTunes not included with HomeKit? It seems that it shouldn't be too hard to incorporate their already existing product line of airport expresses and Apple TVs into HomeKit. Then there's the Apple Watch. So it includes a remote app but the app has no glance and it has no way of selecting multiple speakers. I avoided Sonos because of the price tag but wish I had invested in it now. Let's hope Apple will revisit AirPlay in a coming event and integrate it with HomeKit and the Apple TV. It would be awesome to tell Siri to play an album (even if I don't have it but subscribe to Apple Music) in the upstairs zone. That seems like a no brainer.

Scott

10/21/2015 10:04:42 pm

It blows my mind that Apple still has not integrated multiroom AirPlay from an iOS device. I have 9 AirPlay capable devices in my house and I still find it comical that I have to switch from one rooms speakers to the next when I walk around.

Federico

5/11/2017 04:54:11 pm

.... totally agree.... and we are still waiting in 2017!

10/22/2015 09:38:24 pm

Thanks for the comments, Scott & Jeremy.

With Google getting into the market, maybe Apple will finally make some AirPlay changes. 9to5Mac and others seem to think iOS 9 would usher in changes to the AirPlay protocol, but so far, I haven't noticed anything different.

3/28/2016 06:54:49 am

2016, IOS 9 released (with no AirPlay multi-room) and Google launches Chrome Audio with multi-room functionality.

Any news / rumours that Apple might launch this capability with IOS 10?

So frustrating when you look at the Apple Remote app for how it could be nicely implemented on IOS....

3/28/2016 10:50:53 pm

I have not heard any rumors, but hopefully the extra features in Casting will put some pressure on them. The problem with Casting, right now, is that it is limited to certain apps and it is not yet available in stand alone speakers. Apple has a huge advantage in infrastructure, but for some reason they haven't done much to develop it lately.

The Amazon Echo is another product that I plan to review and compare later in the year. It is amazing and disappointing for those already invested in Airplay that Google and Amazon are moving ahead of Apple despite the fact that Apple has been in the streaming market for so much longer.

If Apple decides they want to continue to tread water in this area, they need to just give in and add a Casting button to Apple Music. It is funny that they keep touting the iPad as a PC replacement, but it is missing so many features compared to a PC/Mac. One glaring missing feature is the ability to stream audio to any or all AirPlay receivers using any app (Airfoil).

That being said, AirPlay works for my purposes, but I believe Apple is missing out on an opportunity in a market they are already in.

3/28/2016 11:56:44 pm

There is some hope given some of the execs talked about a new Remote app coming in the first half this year. The fact that they've never mentioned the Remote app before really makes me believe this time they will add the necessary features. In other words, it's something worth mentioning. They need to integrate Apple Music into the app so if I don't have something in my library I can quickly find and play with the app. I'm sure multi room audio will also be included as was mentioned, Google is expanding. Apple also needs an Amazon Echo type product to make HomeKit really take off. The problem is, you need your phone near you at all times to fully use the features of HomeKit. Personally I think Apple will get there, we just have to be patient :( As an early adopter, patience is not a quality that comes naturally. Lol

3/31/2016 09:55:04 pm

That last remark made me laugh. I hope the updated Remote app has all the features we want. All we can do now is just wait and see. Thanks for your comments!

3/31/2016 10:31:15 pm

Lol. Yeah I was trying not to be a realist. ;)

Loke

6/1/2016 05:18:29 pm

Found this searching for an answer. I prefer the Spotify app on IOS for better due control but will settle for the airfoil running on the i
Mac solution I suppose...

Chris

6/30/2016 07:40:09 am

This article really hits home...

There are so many people trying to find the same thing that I can't believe apple are limiting their implementation of airplay the way they are... it would seem like they have a no compete clause with Sonos.

I would love a system that utilises airplay and you can have multiple room audio with the added ability to play different songs in different rooms... a system that works both on a computer and with iOS. So with my set up, I have iTunes on a central computer and feeds 5 airplay devices around the house but I'm limited to play the same music on all devices... I don't get why iTunes can't be changed to play different music on different airplay devices... it seems like such a logical thing to do considering the success that Sonos have. With the recent WWDC I was hoping the latest version of iTunes was going to have this feature... Whaale has good potential but it is limited to iOS... they need a desktop version also... I wonder how difficult it would be to develop a desktop music app that has this functionality....

UofMTiger

7/1/2016 10:58:05 pm

Chris,

It is definitely a bummer that they haven't enhanced AirPlay for audio in years.

The only App I know that runs on a computer and gives much more control over AirPlay is RoonAudio. It works with your music collection and/or Tidal.

The app works as a remote and runs on iOS. It will allow you to create zones and it even allows you to send two separate streams to AirPlay receivers. The app is absolutely awesome with AirPlay and the way it handles metadata. It gives you more information about artists, albums, and songs than any other service.

The downside is that it costs ~$120! If it worked with Apple Music, I would pay the fee, but it doesn't so I don't use it. I highly recommend trying it out of you haven't already. Although, if you want it for Tidal integration, be aware their are rumors that Apple might be interested in buying Tidal and the feature could disappear.
Below is the link:
https://roonlabs.com

Dan B

9/1/2016 12:02:23 am

I have switched from apple iphone to Samsung galaxy. All you need on my galaxy phone is to root it and spend $10 bucks on Air audio app and then you can cast to mulitple airplay speakers even with system audio. It basically plays any sound your phone is playing.

Link to andriod app:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0ahUKEwjW6YOnpO3OAhUIMSYKHW75DMYQFggcMAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fplay.google.com%2Fstore%2Fapps%2Fdetails%3Fid%3Deu.airaudio%26hl%3Den&usg=AFQjCNGZxUASg3xzmzszvktFVkXPaZUQUQ&sig2=ylqYol8PLRUfq_dikGXbRg&bvm=bv.131286987,d.dmo&cad=rja

9/1/2016 01:05:04 am

Thanks for the reply. I didn't mention jail breaking or rooting because of all the downfalls associated with messing up the process, bricking your device, and/or losing your warranty. Might be worth trying on an old device for those that value multi room audio and can live with possible issues, though.

Will

9/6/2016 09:27:20 pm

Thanks for writing this article. Very helpful. I'm trying to send an audio signal from a Mac to multiple iOS devices for language translation. Is this possible with AirPlay technology? Has anything changed with iOS 10?

Uofmtiger link

9/9/2016 09:58:25 pm

Hi Will,

Sorry it took me a little while to answer your question, but I wanted to test it first with the newest version of Airfoil, since I typically use AirPlay devices with Airfoil.

To get this to work, you should run Airfoil-5 on the computer and select system audio or the individual program as the source. If the individual program is available as a source, you might get a few more features on the iOS device.

To see the iOS devices, they need to be running the Airfoil Satellite app. Once you have them running the app, they show up in the Airfoil menu that you can use for multi-device Airplay.

I have other articles on Airfoil 5. It is an awesome app and I highly recommend it.

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