HT202192: Wi-Fi base stations: How to set up and configure AirPort Express for AirPlay and iTunes

Learn about Wi-Fi base stations: How to set up and configure AirPort Express for AirPlay and iTunes
RCsCloud

Q: Using AirPort Express to stream audio to multiple AirPlay speakers?

I am looking to create a wireless living room without the need for a receiver.  We have multiple AirPlay enabled speakers in our great room, and I am looking for a way to stream audio from my new generation Apple TV to those speakers.  The article I found online alludes to the idea that this can be accomplished using an AirPort Express.  I have one burning question relating to the setup in the article I found:

 

Multiple AirPlay enabled speakers are connected to the same (or dedicated) network set up on an AirPort Express in client mode (or appropriate mode for AirPlay)

I select that AirPort Express as the alternative speaker source on the Apple TV

What happens?  Do all of the connected AirPlay speakers then receive the audio signal?  I sincerely cannot find this out anywhere online.  Apple Technical Support was not able to answer this question.

Posted on Apr 13, 2016 11:16 AM

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Q: Using AirPort Express to stream audio to multiple AirPlay speakers?

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  • by Vinceassociate,

    Vinceassociate Vinceassociate Apr 13, 2016 11:43 AM in response to RCsCloud
    Level 4 (1,738 points)
    Apr 13, 2016 11:43 AM in response to RCsCloud

    I have an Airport express.  I transmit via Airplay from my iPhone and the express has a mini audio plug which connects to my receiver which in turn splits and distributes the audio channels to the appropriate speakers.

    It cannot receive and retransmit the audio to multiple airplay speakers.

    You can through a Mac however simultaneously transmit audio to multiple airplay speakers.

    This is not something a Apple TV is capable of.

    FInally not sure what you are trying to accomplish, but transmitting the same audio to all the speakers would not accomplish something like Dolby 5.1 surround sound.  In that case different sounds are directed to the different speakers and that seperation and direction are done by the reciever.

    Post the link to the article you read.

  • by RCsCloud,

    RCsCloud RCsCloud Apr 13, 2016 3:47 PM in response to Vinceassociate
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Apple TV
    Apr 13, 2016 3:47 PM in response to Vinceassociate

    Completely get that more wired setup, but I am looking for something completely wireless.  I understand that Apple does not provide this natively from an iOS device of any kind.  That is why I am looking for a workaround, and totally ok without a fancy surround sound solution.  It just seems like there has got to be a way to accomplish this.  This is just abut my Apple TV. 

     

    Image this...sitting on your sofa watching a movie and wirelessly streaming to multiple speakers in that room.  The AirPlay protocol is there.  We know this protocol can support multiple devices at once as evidenced by OS X.  I wonder why the limitation. 

  • by Rudegar,Helpful

    Rudegar Rudegar Apr 14, 2016 7:50 AM in response to RCsCloud
    Level 7 (28,601 points)
    Apple TV
    Apr 14, 2016 7:50 AM in response to RCsCloud

    computers can do it ios devices including the appletv can't so maybe it's down to the performance of the Arm cpus network part

  • by RCsCloud,

    RCsCloud RCsCloud Apr 14, 2016 7:50 AM in response to Rudegar
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Apple TV
    Apr 14, 2016 7:50 AM in response to Rudegar

    A valid point for sure.  Have any 3rd party technologies solved for this in some way might be the question!