Is there a way to stream music from local storage to chromecast audio over wifi but WITHOUT THE INTERNET

[JMak]

I Have been wanting to do it coz I listen all my music via streaming flac files from local storage to chromecast audio..and from there to the amp and passive speakers..
Yesterday there was no internet so no local or remote streaming and the itch got back to settle this..
This effectively means that if Google decides to close the chromecast audio servers then I would have no way to use the device..
Although I am in process to acquire an all in one streamer but I wish to still settle this issue.

 

[badwhitevision]

Symfonium is an android/iOS phone app that allows you to connect to an SMB share and then you can use chromecast on the app to cast to TV or speakers.

This is the simplest way.

A much more elaborate way would be to use a music server like Navidrome/Jellyfin and then use either a browser directly on the TV or through an app (like Symfonium) to cast to the TV or speakers.

Symfonium is paid (one time only). XPlore File manager on Android allows SMB shares but I doubt chromecast support on the app exists.

 

[JMak]

Symfonium is an android/iOS phone app that allows you to connect to an SMB share and then you can use chromecast on the app to cast to TV or speakers.

This is the simplest way. A much more elaborate way would be to use a music server like Navidrome/Jellyfin and then use either a browser directly on the TV or through an app (like Symfonium) to cast to the TV or speakers.

Symfonium is paid (one time only). XPlore File manager on Android allows SMB shares but I doubt chromecast support on the app exists.

Well, I have been using vlc android app and it's performing well.. It does connect via smb protocol.. But again as soon as there is no internet despite being connected to chromecast audio streaming doesn't happen
.

You think symfonium wouldn't need internet.. I doubt that coz latching onto internet seems a feature of chromecast audio..

 

[badwhitevision]

I misinterpreted your issue. Symfonium has a 7 day trial period, so maybe you can check within that period whether it works without the internet, although I doubt it will.

Isn't bluetooth a viable alternative?

This seems chromecast specific and the service wanting to reach Google servers every x seconds.

rsaeon might be able to help.

 

[rsaeon]

Chromecast needs internet access because it's a google product and for Google, the end user is the product they're offering to their advertisers.

(if you're not paying for the service, you're not the customer, you're the product being offered to a customer — which usually are advertisers)

So every initiation, connection, handshake, etc with chromecast goes through Google for logging metrics. There are other things that are made possible, like syncing audio across multiple devices, etc. Also, going through the internet bypasses any firewall restrictions that may block client-to-client traffic inside a local network. It's why/how IoT devices work.

The alternative before chromecast was DLNA. These days the non-Google alternative for local audio streaming is a raspberry pi with Volumio or Kodi. Older androids could do charging with OTG so you can use them while connected to a charger and a USB DAC.

I used to have a streaming PC connected to my stereo, just a random pentium with 8gb memory, 120gb ssd and a sub 2k motherboard. Need to build another soon, my unplayed podcasts are piling up.

Many, many years ago I had Virgin Webplayer doing the same thing, with internet radio. I still have the hardware somewhere in storage: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgin_Webplayer

People wonder why I have dozens of systems, it's because of this — many of them are single purpose systems, like an audio streaming receiver.

A used/refurbished x86 based thin client would work out to be half the price of a raspberry pi.

 

[JMak]

Chromecast needs internet access because it's a google product and for Google, the end user is the product they're offering to their advertisers.

(if you're not paying for the service, you're not the customer, you're the product being offered to a customer — which usually are advertisers)

So every initiation, connection, handshake, etc with chromecast goes through Google for logging metrics. There are other things that are made possible, like syncing audio across multiple devices, etc. Also, going through the internet bypasses any firewall restrictions that may block client-to-client traffic inside a local network. It's why/how IoT devices work.

The alternative before chromecast was DLNA. These days the non-Google alternative for local audio streaming is a raspberry pi with Volumio or Kodi. Older androids could do charging with OTG so you can use them while connected to a charger and a USB DAC.

I used to have a streaming PC connected to my stereo, just a random pentium with 8gb memory, 120gb ssd and a sub 2k motherboard. Need to build another soon, my unplayed podcasts are piling up.

Many, many years ago I had Virgin Webplayer doing the same thing, with internet radio. I still have the hardware somewhere in storage: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgin_Webplayer

People wonder why I have dozens of systems, it's because of this — many of them are single purpose systems, like an audio streaming receiver.

A used/refurbished x86 based thin client would work out to be half the price of a raspberry pi.

Thanks bud..
Let me share my no cost setup
I have converted many of my cds and downloaded the rest in lossless format..
All past and newer music is stored on an ext hdd and plugged into my secondary router the tplink archer c7.
I have installed vlc for android on my personal phone and connect the vlc to the ext hdd via smb.
As vlc has cast icon hence I can 3wsiot cast to chromecast audio which is connected via analogue output (Cca has a decent internal dac so that also helps in audio quality) to my fosi bt 20a pro....

I have been trying to get hold of a wiim pro plus or an auris Audifi from US..

Now please suggest what other options are there for me which are cost effetive and may be non or less intrusive...
A streaming device which has a decent dac inside or something as you suggested which could be cheaper than a pi

Thanks