Spotify may have launched its iPhone and Android apps, but how about streaming the Spotify sounds to other devices in the home, such as game consoles and digital radios? After all, many of us have expensive speaker systems connected to the Xbox One or PlayStation 4, while the speakers found on the average laptop gives even Barry White a nasal whine.
Although the Spotify software doesn’t support streaming to other devices, it’s entirely possible to do so with third-party software, known as Jamcast. What’s more, the Jamcast software is free to use (Premium option available for advanced features). Unlike the iPhone/Android software, you don’t need a premium Spotify account to take advantage of this feature either.
I set this up on my Xbox 360 over the weekend, and the process couldn’t be more straightforward. It will also work fine for Xbox One, PS3, and PS4.
Here’s how to set up Jamcast to stream PC audio to your game console or digital radio.
- Download the Jamcast software and install it on your PC.
- Open Jamcast, click the devices tab, and check that your Xbox, PlayStation, or digital radio/receiver appears on the list. If not, click Find, and it should appear.
- Fire up Spotify.
- Ensure that no applications such as email clients are running in the background, or be prepared to have your listening interrupted by “you’ve got new mail” jingles. Jamcast (free version) primarily broadcasts the output from your PC’s sound card to other devices on the home network.
- Turn on your Xbox or Playstation console and choose the music option from within the menu.
- Select Jamcast from the list of networked devices, then select Playlists and Virtual Soundcard. Click play, and after a few seconds delay, you should hear Spotify streaming through your console’s attached speakers. Note that the instructions may vary slightly based on the device or console used.
Note: Only the Premium option allows independent audio control for applications. The FREE Jamcast version only broadcasts ALL PC audio, including OS sounds and alerts.
Jamcast Limitations
Jamcast is excellent software, but the streaming experience isn’t perfect. Our stream suffered from odd audio wobbling and dropouts during tests. A post on the Jamcast support forums claims this is due to the PC struggling to sample the Spotify audio quickly enough, which could be a particular problem on low-powered laptops and netbooks.
There’s also a five to ten-second delay to start the sound going from your PC to the console/digital radio, so don’t panic if it doesn’t kick in immediately.
We also struggled to get Jamcast running on our tested digital radio (the Revo Pico RadioStation), which recognized the Jamcast Virtual Soundcard playlist, but flat-out refused to play it. Others have had more success with digital radios, judging by the forums.
Streaming Mac Audio to Xbone One, Xbox 360, PS3, or PS4
For those of you “living in Apple land” who are unable to install Jamcast, several online forums suggest that it’s possible to stream Spotify using a combination of the $25 Airfoil software and Apple’s Airport Express devices. Note: I haven’t tested this, so proceed at your own risk.
The Final Note
When wondering how to stream audio sound to your PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, or digital radio, Jamcast surely does the trick! Just like any other third-party program, it is not perfect but does work with most devices that use the latest media streaming protocols, including UPnP, DLNA, Sonos, Chromecast, and more.
As stated on the Jamcast website, there are “currently” no plans for Android, iOS, Mac, or Linux support. However, it might work in Linux using Wine, PlayOnLinux, or a Virtual Windows OS. As for Mac, you may be able to use a virtual Windows OS as well.
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