AirPlay is a wireless music system from Apple that allows you to stream your iTunes library across a Wi-Fi network to a host of different devices. It's intuitive, powerful technology that could prove to be the best reason yet to upgrade your kit. Below you'll find some of our favourite AirPlay-compatible products so far.
If you have an iPhone, iPod or iPad, you'll already be using iTunes to buy, store and organise your music. iTunes makes it easy to manage thousands of songs, offering quick and convenient access to your entire collection. But, until recently, it's had one major weakness: your songs have been shackled to your computer or music player. Apple AirPlay fixes that.
Like all the best ideas, AirPlay is incredibly simple. Now a standard feature in iOS 4.2 and later, it enables any AirPlay sender, such as a computer running iTunes or an iOS mobile device, to stream audio to any AirPlay receiver, such as a compatible iPod dock, AV receiver, set of speakers, mini hi-fi system and so on.
AirPlay doesn't just support music either. Album and artist information, elapsed track times and cover art are also distributed over the network. You can even share video and photos.
There are several ways to use AirPlay. Firstly, you can sit at your computer and push music from iTunes to a compatible networked sound system. Provided the AirPlay receiver is powered-up, it will automatically start playing your tracks. This might be an individual song, specific playlist or your entire library.
Secondly, you can push tunes from your iOS mobile device. This works extremely well with an iPad. Browsing cover art on the large iPad screen never grows old, and the ability to play tracks directly into your sound system over Wi-Fi is game-changing.
Set-up is easy. When you put an AirPlay-enabled product on your home network, an AirPlay icon (a rectangle with a triangle in it) will appear in the bottom right-hand corner of your iTunes screen. Clicking this reveals the device just connected. Select it when you want to stream to it.
One cool AirPlay trick is the ability to stream to multiple devices on your network simultaneously. This makes setting up multi-room audio a snap.
AirPlay devices don't have to match, so you can stream to a dock in one room and a mini-system in the other. Just select the 'multiple speakers' option in the iTunes pull-down menu.
Android App 
RSS Feeds 
iPhone App 
Newsletters
Comments 8
Add your comment
professerclever 3 October, 2011 17:30
Are you guys crazy? I should spend up to 2,000 pounds to get 'Airplay' around the house!? I have a perfectly good surround sound system in my living room and a stereo in my bedroom.
I can move my iPods or iPad into either one and connect them via the headphone socket. Please tell me how buying more speakers/receivers will be to my benefit.
Airprint makes it simple to print out the photos that I have played with on my many photo apps on my iPad but Airplay?
Think it through gents. When does anyone have the same tunes playing throughout the house? Especially if every room must be equipped with one of the above devices.
OH yeah - all the celebrity parties I hold on a weekly basis.
Alastair Mitchell 10 November, 2011 13:36
I often want the same music playing at the same time in multiple rooms actually.
If you don't have a need for it then don't buy it?
GSARider 11 December, 2011 20:33
I thought the same, however the convenience of being able to stream from my main computer, which has ALL my music throughout the house is great. I now have six airplay zones at home and no ot isn't necessary to buy all new speakers. I recently picked up two Airport Express stations with ten quid off each in the Apple Black Friday sale and plugged my Apple HiFi (which I've had for four years) and a set of Bose Companion 2's into them.
Also the Apple TV is airplay, so now have all my movies and tunes streaming via airplay in the kitchen and living room.
My one new speaker purchase has been the B&W Zeppelin Air...absolutely brilliant!
drew 25 December, 2011 22:16
I also want to stream the same music around the house using multiple airport express's and also to a apple TV, is this possible to do from using just a iphone 4??
And is it possible to stream music from spotify or just itunes??
anonymous 24 January, 2012 17:37
Would an AirPlay system work with my flatmate's Acer laptop? The rest of my own gadgets are Apple (MacBook, iPad, iPhone) but we'd want to hook up her laptop as well, when she watches movies on it.
anonymous 10 April, 2012 11:23
Alternatively get an airport express that has an audio jack and allows you to use airplay on any speakers.
anonymous 10 April, 2012 11:25
Also - drew....
You can download a piece of software that allows you to stream any audio that comes from your Mac (I don't know if it works on PC but I guess there will be a piece of software out there.) Obviously there is a delay - so no good for videos and games, but you can use spotify and stuff.
anonymous 19 September, 2012 14:16
If money were no object, what would be the best airplay dock with speakers ? Research tells me probably the zeppelin. I have a friend with one and I'm not super impressed?