Question 1

How do I set up an AirPlay server with Airstream in Swift?

Accepted Answer

Initialize an Airstream instance with a name, set its delegate, and call startServer(). Implement delegate methods like airstream(_:processAudio:) to handle incoming audio data. Example code is provided in the README's basic usage section.

Question 2

Does Airstream support AirPlay 2 or just the original AirPlay?

Accepted Answer

Airstream is based on the shairplay library, which implements the original AirPlay protocol for audio streaming. There's no indication in the README that it supports AirPlay 2 features like multi-room audio or enhanced metadata.

Question 3

Airstream vs using AVFoundation for AirPlay – which should I choose?

Accepted Answer

Use Airstream if you need to act as an AirPlay receiver with custom audio processing. AVFoundation is better for sending audio to AirPlay devices or using built-in player controls, as it's Apple's native framework but doesn't offer receiver capabilities.

Question 4

Can I use Airstream to stream audio to Bluetooth speakers?

Accepted Answer

No, Airstream is specifically for receiving AirPlay audio streams from Apple devices. You'd need additional code to output the processed audio to Bluetooth or other outputs, as hinted in the example projects using CoreAudio.

Question 5

Is Airstream actively maintained or outdated?

Accepted Answer

The README emphasizes it's for educational purposes, and the GitHub repository shows limited recent activity. It relies on a fork of shairplay, which may not be updated, so it's best for learning or prototypes rather than long-term projects.

Question 6

How to handle album artwork from AirPlay streams with Airstream?

Accepted Answer

Implement the airstream(_:didSetCoverart:) delegate method, which provides cover art as Data. You can convert this to an NSImage or UIImage, as shown in the README snippet for displaying images.

Question 7

Can I password-protect my AirPlay server with Airstream?

Accepted Answer

Yes, use the init(name:password:port:) initializer to set a password. This prompts connecting devices with a challenge, enhancing security for your receiver app.

Airstream

What is Airstream?

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