Smart audio for the smart home (2021)

As it turns out, most people don't want distributed synchronized music in their homes. The two scenarios in which that's desirable are parties and one person wandering around an otherwise empty house.

What people want is music where they are. The protocols for that boil down to MPD, ChromeCast Audio and Apple AirPlay, and any means of control -- a local webserver is usually about right. All three protocols have open-source implementations. The hardware for that on the receiving end can be a "smart" speaker or soundbar, a phone, a proper HT receiver, or just about any low-power computer.

Personally, I run owntone as a server and listen on my desktop, a laptop, a phone, and two Wiim minis hooked to powered speakers. It's actually capable of doing the synchronized playback thing, but I never do.