Home Assistant Community Add-on: AirCast

I’m having issues on the airplay aspect. I can use home assistant voice to text service to the speakers but airplay never works. It used to but suddenly stopped. Here are my logs.
s6-init] making user provided files available at /var/run/s6/etc…exited 0.
[s6-init] ensuring user provided files have correct perms…exited 0.
[fix-attrs.d] applying ownership & permissions fixes…
[fix-attrs.d] done.
[cont-init.d] executing container initialization scripts…
[cont-init.d] 00-banner.sh: executing…

Add-on: AirCast
AirPlay capabilities for your Chromecast devices.

Add-on version: 3.1.1
You are running the latest version of this add-on.
System: Home Assistant OS 6.4 (amd64 / qemux86-64)
Home Assistant Core: 2021.10.1
Home Assistant Supervisor: 2021.09.6

[cont-init.d] 00-banner.sh: exited 0.
[cont-init.d] 01-log-level.sh: executing…
[cont-init.d] 01-log-level.sh: exited 0.
[cont-init.d] aircast.sh: executing…
[20:30:50] WARNING: Setting the RTP latency of AirPlay audio below 500ms is not recommended!
[cont-init.d] aircast.sh: exited 0.
[cont-init.d] done.
[services.d] starting services
[services.d] done.
[20:30:50] INFO: Starting the AirCast server…
[20:30:50.517298] main:974 Starting aircast version: v0.2.50.5 (May 24 2021 @ 15:13:08)
[20:30:50.517426] Start:732 Binding to**

I am wondering if there is also a way to do this the other way round. Most of my devices are google cast ready except of my AVR, it just does airplay. Is there any way to integrate it into the Google cast network?

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I really like the aircast add-on, but it doesn’t show some devices. The log shows this:

[17:15:53.514169] mDNSsearchCallback:497 Too many Cast devices
[17:15:53.518860] mDNSsearchCallback:497 Too many Cast devices
[17:15:53.522452] mDNSsearchCallback:497 Too many Cast devices
[17:15:53.524173] mDNSsearchCallback:497 Too many Cast devices
[17:15:53.525874] mDNSsearchCallback:497 Too many Cast devices
[17:15:53.529244] mDNSsearchCallback:497 Too many Cast devices
[17:15:53.531191] mDNSsearchCallback:497 Too many Cast devices
[17:15:53.532894] mDNSsearchCallback:497 Too many Cast devices
[17:15:53.540395] mDNSsearchCallback:497 Too many Cast devices
[17:15:53.542138] mDNSsearchCallback:497 Too many Cast devices

Only 32 devices are shown, and this sounds like a compiled in limit. We have a ton of speaker zones using chromecast audios as well as Google homes and Nvidia shields, probably 40 or so. Is this configurable or does it need a new release to fix?

1 Like

Would love that to work
i Have a Stereo with integrated Airplay but so now i want to cast to it like my chromecast speakers but it doesn’t seem to work

Hello,

Just tried this addon, seem to work in logs :

Blockquote
[18:41:19.420604] Start:662 Binding to 192.168.1.3
[18:41:19.519338] AddCastDevice:627 [0xb20460]: adding renderer (PSLHub-Garage) with mac CCCCDBE24133
[18:41:19.523258] AddCastDevice:627 [0xb20df8]: adding renderer (PSLHub-SDB 2) with mac CCCC6EAD0EE5
[18:41:19.735678] AddCastDevice:627 [0xb21790]: adding renderer (PSLHub-Cuisine) with mac CCCCF61B7395
[18:41:19.738203] AddCastDevice:627 [0xb22128]: adding renderer (Groupe Hub) with mac CCCCDF668056
[18:41:19.740484] AddCastDevice:627 [0xb22ac0]: adding renderer (PSLCast-CH 1) with mac CCCC857CAA74
[18:41:19.743196] AddCastDevice:627 [0xb23458]: adding renderer (PSLHub-Salon) with mac CCCC8A39F3D2
[18:41:19.745790] AddCastDevice:627 [0xb23df0]: adding renderer (PSLCast-Salon) with mac CCCC23618566
[18:41:19.808896] AddCastDevice:627 [0xb24788]: adding renderer (PSLHub-SDB 1) with mac CCCCBA765FA1

But it gives me an empty list on my iPhone…

Edit: oh it’s only for audio, my bad…

Fantastic addition and easy to set up. Sent USD $20 to show my appreciation

Hi there! This looks really promising. However, I am hitting a weird bug. I am not sure if this on me or how to fix it. I installed aircast in my hassio with synology NAS, hoping to use google home mini as speaker.
When I start the service I have this as log message

s6-rc: info: service s6rc-oneshot-runner: starting
s6-rc: info: service s6rc-oneshot-runner successfully started
s6-rc: info: service base-addon-banner: starting

-----------------------------------------------------------
 Add-on: AirCast
 AirPlay capabilities for your Chromecast devices.
-----------------------------------------------------------
 Add-on version: 3.5.1
 You are running the latest version of this add-on.
 System: null  (amd64 / qemux86-64)
 Home Assistant Core: 2023.1.7
 Home Assistant Supervisor: 2023.01.1
-----------------------------------------------------------
 Please, share the above information when looking for help
 or support in, e.g., GitHub, forums or the Discord chat.
-----------------------------------------------------------
s6-rc: info: service base-addon-banner successfully started
s6-rc: info: service fix-attrs: starting
s6-rc: info: service base-addon-timezone: starting
s6-rc: info: service base-addon-log-level: starting
s6-rc: info: service fix-attrs successfully started
[18:34:39] INFO: Configuring timezone (America/Toronto)...
s6-rc: info: service base-addon-log-level successfully started
s6-rc: info: service base-addon-timezone successfully started
s6-rc: info: service legacy-cont-init: starting
s6-rc: info: service legacy-cont-init successfully started
s6-rc: info: service init-aircast: starting
s6-rc: info: service init-aircast successfully started
s6-rc: info: service aircast: starting
s6-rc: info: service aircast successfully started
s6-rc: info: service legacy-services: starting
[18:34:41] INFO: Starting the AirCast server...
s6-rc: info: service legacy-services successfully started
[18:34:42] INFO: Service AirCast exited with code 256 (by signal 11)
[18:34:42] INFO: Starting the AirCast server...
[18:34:42] INFO: Service AirCast exited with code 256 (by signal 11)
[18:34:43] INFO: Starting the AirCast server...
[18:34:43] INFO: Service AirCast exited with code 256 (by signal 11)
[18:34:44] INFO: Starting the AirCast server...
[18:34:44] INFO: Service AirCast exited with code 256 (by signal 11)
[18:34:45] INFO: Starting the AirCast server...
[18:34:45] INFO: Service AirCast exited with code 256 (by signal 11)
[18:34:46] INFO: Starting the AirCast server...

I tried to google what code 256 means, but no luck. Could someone let me where I messed up? Thanks

I have this exact issues as aware while running HA on my Synology. I’ve never been able to get it setup and working because it will not launch - same code 256 error by signal 11

I have a problem with the names of my Google Nest Audio & Mini. I change them on Google Home and i re-add them on Google Cast on HA with their new names but in our Apple devices on Airplay they shows with their past names. I re-install the Aircast but same thing… How can I refresh my device names?

I found that i can edit the XML. I can actually remove a CC device.
When re-starting the Integration, the device i removed appears back in the list again.

Is there a way to prevent a device showing up again after deletion?
Thx.
Richard

Excellent integration, it works very well for me.
Will it be possible to extend this bridge for audio between AirPlay and Chromecast to video one day?
I really wish I could use AirPlay’s screen copy on my Chromecast devices!

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Does anything exist that does the reverse? Create chromecast virtual devices for every apple tv device that exists?

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Indeed it would be useful to make compatible the speakers “Sonos” that are AirPlay but not ChromeCast…

I can’t believe I have been using HA for years and didn’t know about this addon. And I did google a few times. This time some folk on reddit mentioned it… should visit add-ons section more often.
Thanks for this!

I have an issue with Google Home Nest Hub.
When a Google Hub is selected as the playback device, it shows the album information and a playback bar. The audio plays for 2 seconds and stops, dropping the connection. I’ve managed to turn on logging and I think the relevant error is: “Service AirCast exited with code 256 (by signal 13)” (note AirCast is the Home Assistant add in name). Thanks for being so responsive.

Server: rPI3, HA OS, all component up to date
I tried restart rpi, router, google home nest hubs…nothing

I have Chromecast for tv and google home mini → These work perfectly.

1 Like

Has anyone tested using this AirCast addon for Home Assistant to get an AirPlay stream from the Yamaha MusicCast VINYL 500 Wi-Fi turntable or any other Yamaha MusicCast products?

I am thinking about buying a turntable (vinyl record player) and by some means get that working as a network streamer but before I buy I would like to find a solution or a product that is able to stream the audio from that turntable to our existing Chromecast Audio devices and Google Home / Google Nest speakers that we have.

The problem with this is that I can not seem to find any network streamers or vinyl record players that are sold today that can stream audio to receivers using Chromecast (Google Cast protocol) such as Chromecast Audio and Google Home / Google Nest speaker, but there looks to be several network streamer products out there that can stream audio to AirPlay receivers, so I am thinking that a workaround is to instead get network streamer with AirPlay support such as the WiiM Pro or Teufel Streamer and better yet a WiFi enabled vinyl record player like the Yamaha MusicCast VINYL 500 Wi-Fi turntable, and have that stream AirPlay via AirCast to Chromecast Audio and Google Home speakers indirectly?

As such, wondering if the Yamaha MusicCast VINYL 500 turntable in combination with AirCast could work as a solution for that scenario?

Alternatively using the WiiM Pro with any other dumb record player? …though personally prefer the idea of an all-in-one product like the Yamaha MusicCast VINYL 500 turntable if possible as thiking that would be less clutter.

When looking at the e Yamaha MusicCast VINYL 500 turntable I found an article that said Yamaha released a firmware upgrade for its Yamaha MusicCast VINYL 500 turntable or some other Yamaha MusicCast products that added AirPlay support.

It is however unclear from the product descriptions if that means that the Yamaha MusicCast VINYL 500 can transmit its audio to AirPlay or if it can only act as a AirPlay rreceiver

It is also unclear if the Yamaha MusicCast VINYL 500 turntable supports AirPlay v1 audio receivers or if it only support AirPlay 2.

See references:

Note that cross-posted this question as a dedicated disussion on the GitHub project here → AirPlay stream via AirCast to Chromecast Audio and Google Home speakers from Yamaha MusicCast VINYL 500 turntable or other Yamaha MusicCast products? · hassio-addons/addon-aircast · Discussion #190 · GitHub

PS: Off-topic; also found the discontinued Teufel Connector (and previous model Raumfeld Connector) which did support streaming to Chromecast but those are no longer sold or supported.

I have been doing some more searching online and found at least an answer to one of my questions;

Yamaha Vinyl 500 turntable and all other of Yamaha’s “MusicCast” enabled products that state they support AirPlay can only act as AirPlay reviewers, apparently, none of them has AirPlay casting/cast support (which their marketing could do a better job at clarifying as one would think that a vinal record player should have output support) → https://discussions.apple.com/thread/253097445

So the question remaining from me is if the AirCast addon can receive an AirPlay stream from the WiiM Pro? FAQ for the WiiM Pro mention AirPlay and AirPlay 2 enabled speakers → How to AirPlay 2 Cast on WiiM Pro to HomePod, Sonos and other AirPlay and AirPlay 2 enabled speakers : Audio Help Center

I have the same issue as user litecross91 with my Google Home Nest Hub and receiving the error after 2 seconds of playing:

[17:53:14] INFO: Service AirCast exited with code 256 (by signal 13)

Any help is appreciated!

The only way to resolve the issue is to not use the HA version of AirConnect as they haven’t updated the code to the latest version which resolves this issue. I’ve had to run my own docker version of AirConnect to fix the issue:

https://hub.docker.com/r/1activegeek/airconnect

Once you launch the docker image and turn off the HA version of AirCast it’ll work without issues. Side note no configuration required if you just launch the docker image.

Aircast is installed and it works but it is seen as speaker only.
I have google chromecast connected via hdmi to amplituner and I can cast audio and video directly from cast enabled apps.
But aircast is only capable to cast audio - is visible as speaker only. Am I missing something or something was overlooked?