If you use Apple devices, you've probably heard of AirPlay. It allows you to easily transfer music or videos from your iPhone or Mac to compatible speakers or TVs. But what is AirPlay 2 and how is it better than the first version? Let's figure it out without getting into complicated technical details.
Essentially, AirPlay 2 is the next step in the evolution of this convenient technology. The most notable improvement is the ability to create multi-room audio. Now you can sync multiple wireless speakers in different rooms and stream the same music to them simultaneously, or play different music in each room.
In addition, the update brought a more stable connection, support for a stereo pair of two identical speakers, and improved control via the Home app. This makes working with media in your apartment or house much more seamless and convenient.
What is AirPlay 2?
AirPlay 2 is a new version of Apple's protocol that allows you to wirelessly stream video, music, and photos from one compatible device to another. AirPlay technology first appeared in 2004, but at that time it was called “AirTunes” and had limited capabilities. Since then, Apple has significantly improved its development, adding video streaming, metadata transfer, and other features.
AirPlay is already supported by Apple devices, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac, and HomePod, but soon other devices from partners such as Bang & Olufsen, Denon, Marantz, Sonos, etc. will also be able to work with this protocol. This will allow you to stream music from your iPhone to a B&O BeoPlay speaker or, for example, send audio from your Apple TV to a compatible soundbar.
AirPlay 2 will feature new and interesting options, mainly related to audio transmission. The most significant update is support for multi-room systems. Speakers with AirPlay 2 on board can be combined into a single home system, and multiple users can add tracks to an Apple Music playlist at once thanks to the new Shared Up Next feature.
Which streaming services work with AirPlay 2?
The AirPlay 2 protocol is integrated into Apple devices at the system level. This means that services such as Spotify, Tidal, Netflix, and HBO will work with the protocol without any additional settings: in the service app, users will see a small “AirPlay” icon, which they can click to start streaming content to another device. If there is no such icon, users can start streaming via the Control Center on their iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV. Sonos, by the way, has limited capabilities in this regard: not all services support the Sonos protocol.
Essentially, the rule is this: if you can stream from any media service on your iPhone, then that stream can also be broadcast via AirPlay. The only exceptions are services that have specifically blocked support for the protocol.
When it comes to HomePod, AirPlay support allows you to listen to music from Tidal or Spotify without any problems, selecting tracks on your iPhone/iPad screen.
AirPlay 2 and the HomeKit smart platform
The AirPlay 2 protocol is integrated with Apple HomeKit. In this case, AirPlay 2 provides audio transmission to all home devices running on this platform. Using the Home app for iPhone and iPad, users can configure their home audio equipment to their liking: compatible speakers can be grouped into multi-rooms, stereo pairs, or used as single audio sources.
Users can stream music to speakers and Apple TV via AirPlay 2 using any app, not just Apple Music.
Currently, Apple is focusing primarily on its HomePod speaker, but the list of fully compatible devices will grow in the future.
AirPlay 2 is an updated version of Apple's technology that makes it easy to stream audio, video, and music from your iPhone, iPad, or Mac to compatible speakers, TVs, and other devices over Wi-Fi. Its main advantage is the ability to stream audio synchronously to different rooms, meaning you can create a multi-room music system and control everything from a single device. It's easy to use: open the player, click on the AirPlay icon, and choose where to send the audio. It is supported by many smart speakers and TVs, especially if they have Apple software installed or are labeled “AirPlay compatible.”
Which devices will be compatible with AirPlay 2?
As mentioned above, the new protocol is supported by Apple TV, iPhone, iPad, Mac, and HomePod, but there is a slight difference. Apple TV can function as both a transmitter and a receiver; iPhone, iPad, and Mac can only function as transmitters; HomePod speakers, on the other hand, can only function as receivers. AirPlay 2 requires iOS/tvOS version 11.4.
The first speaker on the market with AirPlay 2 is, of course, the HomePod. This device can play music directly from the Apple Music server or from a smartphone via AirPlay 2. By the way, with AirPlay 2, you can combine two HomePods into a stereo system. Interestingly, it is not necessary to arrange Apple's smart speakers in a traditional stereo configuration — each HomePod has a sound optimization system that automatically adjusts the sound according to the location of the other paired speaker. Not only that, Apple promises “a wide, immersive soundstage with a much larger sweet spot than traditional speakers in a classic stereo system.”
The AirPlay 2 protocol will also be supported by Apple's partners. A number of third-party products will receive the relevant updates. The list of partners currently includes Bang & Olufsen, Bose, Sonos, Polk, Denon, Devialet, B&W, Naim, Beats, Dynaudio, McIntosh, Marantz, Libratone, Definitive Technology, and Bluesound.
AirPlay 2 on Apple TV set-top boxes
A small clarification is needed here: the AirPlay 2 protocol is only supported by tvOS set-top boxes, and older versions of Apple TV (without tvOS) will not be able to work with the new technology.
Through Apple TV, users can not only send sound to a connected soundbar or TV speakers, but also output audio from the TV to any of the paired speakers or to several at once (the first version of AirPlay only supported audio transmission to one device).
Apple's TV set-top box can act as a music control center in your home
This means that you can stream audio from your TV via AirPlay 2 to, for example, two HomePod speakers or two Sonos speakers and a soundbar. This is convenient, as built-in TV speakers rarely have good sound quality.
To start wireless audio transmission via AirPlay on Apple TV, go to the main menu and press and hold the “Play” button on the remote control. In the list that opens, you can select external speakers (or even AirPods headphones) to start streaming.
There are a couple of other ways: while watching a video, you can open the drop-down menu, where there is a corresponding item, or you can connect speakers in the main menu via the settings section.
Although AirPlay 2 supports streaming to multiple speakers simultaneously, the technology does not yet allow you to create surround sound systems. Apple explains that “the signal transmission system from Apple TV to HomePod is not yet complete.” As before, AirPlay 2 allows you to send pictures and videos from your iPhone/iPad and Mac to Apple TV.
Among other things, Apple's TV set-top box can function as a music control center in your home. Through the user interface, you can control the volume and playback on all compatible home speakers. The iPhone and iPad have also gained similar capabilities. You can also control viewing on Apple TV itself from these mobile devices.
Siri and AirPlay 2
The second-generation AirPlay protocol is used by Siri to interact with other devices. For the end user, everything is organized as simply as possible: for example, you can ask Siri to “play the Rolling Stones in the living room” — the smart assistant will turn on the music on all speakers grouped together in the “living room” group. Siri will also understand you if you ask it to “play rock music” or, for example, “play something new.” With Siri, you can switch music playback to other zones or start playback in several zones at once.
Apple TV's ability to function as a receiver allows you to play music on the set-top box using your voice via HomePod, iPhone, or iPad. Incidentally, these devices can also be used to control video playback on Apple TV via voice commands, but there are still some limitations: Siri has not yet learned to start movies or TV shows. The Amazon and Google ecosystems already offer full support for voice control of video via mobile devices and smart speakers, but Apple has not yet finished working on this.
Technical details
The new protocol provides for different types of streaming. AirPlay can work in point-to-point mode, in direct connection to the server mode, and supports mirroring and metadata transfer.
If you stream music from your iPhone to a speaker, this is the first method (“point-to-point”). The system works the same way if the user launches screen mirroring from an iPad to Apple TV. However, if you go to the Netflix app on your iPhone and launch AirPlay streaming from there, Apple TV will connect directly to the Netflix server, which will provide higher quality.
AirPlay 2 transmits audio streams without compression—the quality depends on the source itself. This sets Apple's technology apart from other offerings. If you didn't know, Bluetooth transmits sound in compressed form due to limited bandwidth.
Sales of HomePod, Apple's first smart speaker, began on February 9, 2018.
Buffer memory deserves special attention: AirPlay 2 allows compatible speakers to buffer the entire track, which prevents dropouts. At the same time, the delay in AirPlay 2 has been reduced compared to the previous version. These factors, of course, have a positive effect on music playback, but not all speakers and systems will be able to upgrade to work with the new protocol.
In summary, AirPlay 2 is a major evolution of familiar technology. It transforms it from a simple way to send music or video into a powerful system for controlling playback throughout your home. Most importantly, you can now easily combine multiple speakers in different rooms, creating a synchronized sound space or playing different music in each room.
This standard has become more reliable and smarter. Playback will not be interrupted if you answer a call, and you can control everything directly from your iPhone or via the Siri voice assistant. The technology is not limited to Apple devices, so many modern TVs and smart speakers from other brands also support it.
Essentially, AirPlay 2 makes your home a little “smarter” and more musical without requiring complicated settings. If you have multiple compatible devices, it's a great way to enjoy your favorite music, podcasts, or movies in a new way by freely moving the sound from room to room.
