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If you had been considering of shopping for two HomePod mini audio system to use as a stereo pair together with your Mac, you may want to assume once more. As some customers undoubtedly discovered with the unique HomePod, it is not attainable to AirPlay to a number of audio system from the menu bar on a Mac.
The lack of ability to choose stereo-paired HomePod audio system as your Mac audio output system is a evident omission in Apple’s AirPlay rollout, and the scenario sadly stays the identical in macOS 11 Big Sur. You can solely use them with sure Apple apps like Music and TV – all different Mac audio should be output to one speaker or the opposite, however not each on the similar time.
While it is irritating that Apple’s personal apps let customers choose stereo-paired HomePods as a single system, this does present a workaround, though it is a kludge that has its drawbacks. The following steps present you the way it’s accomplished.
- Launch the Music app in your Mac and choose your stereo-paired HomePod minis because the audio output.
- Now, decrease the Music app (do not shut it), then launch the Audio MIDI Setup app positioned within the Applications -> Utilities folder.
- In the Audio MIDI Setup app, click on the + button within the bottom-left nook of the interface and choose Create Aggregate Device from the dropdown.
- Select the Aggregate Device within the sidebar and examine the Use field subsequent to AirPlay.
- Close the Audio MIDI Setup app, then choose the Aggregate Device from the quantity dropdown within the menu bar.
As for the caveats to this workaround, utilizing it means you’ll be able to solely change the quantity by tapping the bodily HomePod controls themselves – you will not find a way to modify it out of your Mac’s menu bar. You even have to hold the Music app open always, in any other case you may lose your audio and you will have to repeat the steps.
Another factor to take into account is that that is solely AirPlay 1, so there’s a delay within the sound output between enjoying/pausing, and audio will probably be barely out of sync when watching movies, though checking the Drift Correction possibility (circled in inexperienced above) within the Audio MIDI Setup app can compensate for this.
As talked about, the answer is way from splendid, however till Apple brings system-wide AirPlay 2 help to Macs, it is the one approach to pipe your Mac’s audio by stereo-paired HomePods, wanting buying a third-party app like Airfoil.
Update: As MacRumors reader B4rbelith factors out, in the event you play one thing within the Music app, you’ll be able to then right-click AirPlay within the Audio MIDI Setup app’s sidebar and choose Use this system for sound output. This enables you to management the quantity from the menu bar, however the different caveats nonetheless apply.
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