Audiout plays to five kinds of output, and they don’t all behave the same. Here is what each one can and can’t do.
AirPlay 2
HomePod, Sonos, Apple TV, and any receiver that speaks AirPlay 2. These are the fullest citizens:
- Full multi-room sync with every other speaker in the mix.
- Can be a per-app destination, so a single app can play there while the rest of the house hears something else (see Routing one app to a speaker).
- Has an equalizer (see The per-speaker equalizer).
- Works when the speaker is set to require a password, and with a TV or receiver that shows a code on screen. You type it in once and Audiout saves it (see AirPlay speaker or TV asks for a password or code).
Two kinds don’t work yet. A receiver that asks for a new code on every connection shows “Needs a code every time”. A HomePod or Apple TV whose AirPlay access is limited to people in its Home shows “Home members only”, and the Home app is where you change that.
Which Sonos models take AirPlay, and what the Mac does with one Sonos or several, is in How to play Mac audio on Sonos speakers.
AirPlay 1
Older AirPlay receivers. They work: they join playback alongside everything else, and they can be a per-app destination too. One with a password works as well.
Bluetooth
Bluetooth speakers join the mix like any other speaker. Two things are specific to them:
- Bluetooth adds its own delay, so these rows carry a SYNC chip. The row’s context menu has “Align by ear…”, which measures the offset with your Mac’s microphone or finds it by ear: Aligning a Bluetooth speaker that plays late.
- A speaker that is paired but not connected counts as unavailable. The Mixer hides it unless its Show in Mixer setting is “Always”, and the Speakers tab lists it below a divider such as “2 unavailable”. If it is showing in the Mixer, click its name and Audiout asks it to reconnect. See Hide or show a speaker in the Mixer.
To pair a new one, click “Pair Bluetooth speaker…” at the bottom of the Output Speakers card in the Mixer, or on the Speakers tab’s Overview page. Both open macOS’s Bluetooth settings.
Cast (Chromecast)
Cast receivers play the whole mix and show a live meter like any other playing row. Two things to know:
- They run several seconds behind. That gap is called latency, the time between sound leaving the Mac and coming out of the speaker. Audiout compensates the room’s delay so the Cast room lands together with the rest.
- A Cast receiver can never be a per-app target. It plays the whole mix or nothing. If you need one app on one speaker, use AirPlay or Bluetooth for it.
This Mac
Your Mac’s own speakers (or whatever is plugged into it) get their own row in the mixer and stay in sync with the rest of the house.
Two details:
- In the app menus, picking the Mac’s own output keeps that app on the Mac with its own volume. “Follows main output” means the app plays in the main mix instead.
- The Mac row has no equalizer.
At a glance
| Multi-room sync | Per-app destination | Equalizer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| AirPlay 2 | Yes, full | Yes | Yes |
| AirPlay 1 | Joins playback | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth | Yes, measured by your Mac or aligned by ear | Yes | Yes |
| Cast | Yes, delay compensated | No | Yes |
| This Mac | Yes | Yes, keeps an app on the Mac | No |
For how the rows themselves work, faders, meters, and mute, see The mixer: Main Audio, faders, and meters. More help lives at the support overview.