Cast Your Favorite Music Anywhere in Your Home with Chromecast Audio

The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free.

One thing we do a lot in our home is listening to music. I can’t clean house without music. I need music to motivate me and keep me on task.

Chromecast Audio from Best Buy

Recently I tried out the Chromecast Audio, which allows you to play music on your speakers, new or old, wirelessly from your phone, laptop or tablet. Because Chromecast Audio uses WiFi instead of Bluetooth, you can stream crystal clear hi-res sound.

How to Use Chromecast Audio

Using the chrome cast audio is a simple experience. These are the steps I did to get the device up and running:

  1. Open the box and release the chrome cast from its packaging.
  2. Plug the 3.5mm jack into an amplified audio source. This can be speakers or practically anything that has an audio in. The device also supports optical inputs using the correct cable adapter. In my case, I used it with a computer audio system that supported the 3.5mm jack.
  3. Plug in the power supply and hook it up to the Chromecast through its mini USB connector. Once this is done the device will come to life, and you will see a light on its side to indicate power.
  4. Now you need to set up the device. I downloaded the Google Home app on my iPhone and went through the setup. The app discovered the Chromecast Audio almost immediately, and after testing the sound connection with a sample, it proceeded to set up the wifi connection. This was very straightforward and painless and allows multiple Chromecast Audio devices to be set up in a home or office. The app allows you to name each one independently so that you can choose where to cast your music.
  5. After setup is complete, you are ready to cast. Using an iPhone is probably not as native to the device as an Airplay solution would be, but there are many apps that support the function. One of my favorite radio apps, TuneIn Radio Pro, does support it, and I found that the music flowed easily once you selected the cast destination.

Chromecast Audio from Best Buy

Chromecast Audio from Best Buy

Music at Your Fingertips with Chromecast

By using your phone, it’s easy to play, pause, or change the volume from anywhere in the home. And while streaming, you can still text or call without interrupting what’s playing or draining your battery. This is perfect for me as I go throughout my home dancing cleaning.

I like that I can use Chromecast Audio to stream over Wi-Fi which has many advantages over Bluetooth including higher sound quality.

You can stream millions of songs, radio stations, and podcasts through apps like Pandora, Spotify, YouTube Music, and Google Play Music. Find more at chromecast.com/apps.

Overall the Chromecast Audio is a great solution to get your audio distributed anywhere in your home. You can cast from many devices, including iOS (with the right app), Mac, and Windows, as long as you are on the same wifi network. I didn’t experience any hiccups in the streaming audio during my testing, which is always good to find.

While using a spare Air Express or two might be a more practical audio streaming solution to someone deep in the Apple ecosystem, the Chromecast Audio worked quite well for my needs (selected apps and laptop streaming).

Chromecast Audio from Best Buy

And while I did not try the optical connection, many owners of higher end audio equipment may find this to be a welcome addition to their hardware interfacing. Chromecast Audio really is an excellent way to bring an amplified speaker to life in this new wireless paradigm we are living in today.