Multiroom Audio Server

Raspberry Pi 4-based multiroom audio server supporting Spotify, AirPlay, and Google Cast, synchronized across Raspberry Pi Zero clients with DAC+ Zero using Snapcast.

Hardware Requirements

Server

• Raspberry Pi 4 (any RAM variant)
• MicroSD card (16GB+)
• Power supply
• Ethernet connection (recommended)

Clients (per room)

• Raspberry Pi Zero W
• DAC+ Zero (pHAT DAC)
• MicroSD card (8GB+)
• Power supply

Software Requirements

• Raspbian Lite on all devices
• Docker and Docker Compose on the server

Server Setup (Raspberry Pi 4)

1. Install Raspbian Lite

Flash Raspbian Lite to your Pi 4's SD card and boot it up.

2. Install Docker

Follow convenience script steps

3. Install the Multiroom Server

git clone https://github.com/tipbr/multiroom-server.git
cd multiroom-server
docker compose up -d

The server will start and be accessible at http://<pi4-ip>:1780

Client Setup (Raspberry Pi Zero + DAC+ Zero)

1. Install Raspbian Lite

Flash Raspbian Lite to your Pi Zero's SD card.

2. Configure DAC+ Zero

Edit /boot/firmware/config.txt:

sudo nano /boot/firmware/config.txt

Add this line:

dtoverlay=hifiberry-dac

Comment out or remove:

#dtparam=audio=on

Reboot:

sudo reboot

3. Install Snapclient

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y snapclient

4. Configure Snapclient

Edit the configuration:

sudo nano /etc/default/snapclient

Replace <SERVER_IP> with your Pi 4's IP address:

SNAPCLIENT_OPTS="--host <SERVER_IP> --soundcard hw:CARD=sndrpihifiberry"

5. Start Snapclient

sudo systemctl enable snapclient
sudo systemctl start snapclient

Repeat steps 1-5 for each room/client.

Usage

Spotify

1. Open Spotify on your phone/computer
2. Look for "Spotify Multiroom" in available devices
3. Select it and start playing

AirPlay

1. Open Control Center on iOS or use AirPlay menu on macOS
2. Select "AirPlay Multiroom"
3. Start playing audio

Google Cast

1. Open any Cast-enabled app
2. Tap the Cast icon
3. Select the multiroom server
4. Start casting

Web Control

Access http://<pi4-ip>:1780 to:

• View all connected clients
• Adjust individual room volumes
• Group/ungroup rooms
• Switch between audio sources

Troubleshooting

Server Issues

Container not starting:

docker logs librespot-snapcast

Rebuild after changes:

docker-compose down
docker-compose up -d --build

Client Issues

No audio from DAC+ Zero:

# Verify DAC is recognized
aplay -l

# Should show: card 0: sndrpihifiberry

# Test audio
speaker-test -c 2 -t wav -D hw:CARD=sndrpihifiberry

Client not connecting:

# Check if server is reachable
ping <SERVER_IP>

# Check snapclient status
sudo systemctl status snapclient

# View logs
sudo journalctl -u snapclient -f

Audio stuttering on WiFi:

# Increase latency buffer
sudo nano /etc/default/snapclient
# Change to:
SNAPCLIENT_OPTS="--host <SERVER_IP> --soundcard hw:CARD=sndrpihifiberry --latency 200"

sudo systemctl restart snapclient

Network Configuration

All devices must be on the same network. For best performance:

• Use ethernet for the server (Pi 4)
• WiFi is acceptable for clients (Pi Zero W)
• Ensure router has good WiFi coverage
• Reserve IP addresses for all devices in your router

Advanced Configuration

Adjusting Audio Quality

Edit snapserver.conf to change encoder settings:

nano snapserver.conf

Multiple Rooms

Repeat the client setup for each room. Each client will appear in the web interface where you can:

• Name each room
• Create groups for synchronized playback
• Adjust individual volumes
• Apply delay compensation if needed

Technical Details

Ports Used

• 1704: Snapcast server
• 1705: Snapcast control
• 1780: Web interface
• 4713: PulseAudio (Google Cast)
• 5353: mDNS/Avahi

Audio Pipeline

Spotify/AirPlay/Cast → Named Pipes → Snapserver → Network → Snapclients → DAC+ Zero → Speakers

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details.

This project uses:

• Snapcast - Synchronous multiroom audio
• librespot - Spotify client
• shairport-sync - AirPlay receiver
• PulseAudio - Google Cast receiver