snapcast
SHA-256Multiroom client-server audio player that synchronizes all clients with the server for perfectly synced playback across devices.
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Download Download Version
v0.35.0 · 1.6 MB
Turn your devices into a synchronized multi-room audio system with <0.2ms latency.
Core Features
- Multi-room synchronization with <0.2ms drift
- Supports multiple audio sources: named pipe, ALSA, TCP, file, process output
- Codec support: PCM, FLAC (default), Vorbis, Opus
- Client grouping for same stream playback
- Cross-platform: Linux, macOS, Windows, Android, Raspberry Pi, etc.
What It Can't Do
- •Caveats: 1. Stable network is crucial; wired Ethernet recommended over Wi-Fi to avoid jitter. 2. Avoid PulseAudio as playback backend (adds latency); prefer ALSA or native APIs. 3. Named pipe must be created beforehand; audio format must match server config. 4. Raspberry Pi default audio may be HDMI; switch to 3.5mm jack via amixer. 5. Some stream sources (e.g., AirPlay) require extra setup and dependencies.
Use Cases
- Home multi-room audio system playing synced music in every room
- Convert old speakers or Raspberry Pi into synchronized smart speakers
- Pair with MPD or Mopidy for a WiFi music player setup
- Party background music with multiple synchronized speakers
Detailed Introduction
Snapcast is a multiroom client-server audio player where all clients are time synchronized with the server to play perfectly synced audio. It's not a standalone player but an extension that turns your existing audio player into a Sonos-like multiroom solution. Audio is captured by the server and routed to connected clients. Several players can feed audio to the server in parallel, and clients can be grouped to play the same audio stream. Supported codecs include PCM, FLAC, Vorbis, and Opus. It works with various stream sources like named pipes, ALSA devices, TCP, and file inputs. Clients use low-level audio APIs (ALSA, PulseAudio, CoreAudio, WASAPI, etc.) for precise timing, achieving typical synchronization deviation below 0.2ms.
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Getting Started
Download installer
Click the button above to download the installer for your system
Install the software
Install the appropriate package for your distro (dpkg / rpm / AppImage)
Step 1: Install Snapcast (Linux package manager / Homebrew / build from source)
Step 2: Configure Snapserver by editing /etc/snapserver.conf with a stream source (e.g., pipe:///tmp/snapfifo)
Step 3: Start snapserver service; run snapclient pointing to server IP
- Step 1: Install Snapcast (Linux package manager / Homebrew / build from source)
- Step 2: Configure Snapserver by editing /etc/snapserver.conf with a stream source (e.g., pipe:///tmp/snapfifo)
- Step 3: Start snapserver service; run snapclient pointing to server IP
SHA-256 checksum verified
Checksum extracted from GitHub official Release page
SHA256 Checksum
5a5fbabe0c1b8dea09542f0334af16c6eac9072c287fa6501bd7ff1f487bbf01This checksum is extracted from the GitHub Release page. Verify file integrity after download.
All SHA-256 checksums on this platform are extracted from the project's official GitHub Release page, without any modification. You can independently verify them on the GitHub Releases page.
Open Source Transparency
View GitHub SourceUninstall Info
Linux: Use package manager (e.g., apt remove snapcast). Homebrew: brew uninstall snapcast. From source: run make uninstall in build directory or manually remove files.
No Extra Dependencies
Ready to use after download. No additional runtime required.
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