Multiroom support in Volumio2

Volumio Development Development talks
1

I remember seeing some topics on here about using Snapcast to enable multiroom. When I installed volumio2 recently I saw the “Multiroom Devices” tab at the bottom and got quite excited. While poking around I also saw this in /etc/mpd.conf:

audio_output {
    type            "fifo"
    enabled         "no"
    name            "multiroom"
    path            "/tmp/snapfifo"
    format          "44100:16:2"
}

which immediately stuck out as being Snapcast because I remember configuring this with Volumio 1 to get multiroom working myself.

However I’ve been unable to find out definitely what the current status and plans are for supporting multiroom? Were some changes made in the code but not fully complete yet and so why nothing has beem mentioned?

Also, slightly related question, but where can I find /etc/mpd.conf in github? I haven’t been able to find it

Any update would be greatly appreciated.

2

As far as I remember (and you can easily verify it using search function), the multiroom feature via snapcast is on the development list. I guess it is planned to be officially implemented and released during the first half of 2017

Bests
Max

3

Separate from true Volumio development, snapcast does work with Volumio2 doe NAS, Webradio etc. but not for the Spotify plugin (at least that I can find). Discussion here: multiroom-audio-output-from-volumio-with-snapcast-t3217.html . The Spotify plugin outputs via SoX which is a different path than Volumio’s MPD output. I have it running to 4 nodes + the snapcast Android app with no problems over LAN. Have tries a couple of nodes with Wifi and that worked fine as well.

4

What exactly do you have running? Are you using Volumio2 and snapcast server and client process running separately to have multiroom? And android app to control volumes in each room? Any tips would be appreciated.

5

Atm, you need to install a snapcast server and clients separately from Volumio (search for a guide). It works very well, and I am looking forward to it becoming a standard or plugin part of Volumio in the near future, hopefully :wink:.

I haven’t tried the android app to control volume.

6

When I had volumio v1 installed I had two instances working really well using stand along snapcast server and client. When I saw the piece of config in volumio2 I thought all the leg work had been done for me.

I would love to know what exactly is required to get it up and running. I can figure it out but have 2 kids so don’t have the time. I probably need to follow the guide from start to finish, with probably the one thing done already is redirecting the audio output to the snapcast tmp file.

7

Potted guide (you may need to refer to the main thread for further detail).

  1. Download client and server debs from github.com/badaix/snapcast/releases (armhf for RPi).
  2. Install both on your server device, and satisfy any dependencies:

[code]sudo dpkg -i snapclient_0.x.x_armhf.deb
sudo dpkg -i snapserver_0.x.x_armhf.deb

sudo apt-get -f install
[/code]

  1. Edit /etc/mpd.conf as follows.

[code]#audio_output {

type “alsa”

name “Output”

device “hw:0,0”

dop “no”

#}

audio_output {
type “fifo”
enabled “yes”
name “multiroom”
path “/tmp/snapfifo”
format “48000:16:2”
mixer_type “software”
}
[/code]

  1. Run
snapclient -l

to find the correct device number, and add to ‘/lib/systemd/system/snapclient.service’

  1. Install snapclient on client devices, and run snapclient -l on each to find the correct device number before adding to snapclient.service, as in step 4.

I hope this helps.

8

Did someone found how to use it with Spotify and shairport-sync? If so could you tell me how?