benvanik / node-airplay

Apple AirPlay client library for node.js

node-airplay -- AirPlay client library for node.js

node-airplay is a client library for Apple's AirPlay remote playback protocol. It implements a simple AirPlay device browser using mdns and command interface.

Currently supported features:

• AirPlay device discovery
• Support for audio and video playback

Coming soon (maybe):

• Photo playback
• Robust error handling
• Better device information formatting (supported features/etc)

Quickstart

npm install airplay
node
> var browser = require('airplay').createBrowser();
> browser.on('deviceOnline', function(device) {
    device.play('http://host/somevideo.mp4', 0);
  });
> browser.start();

Installation

With npm:

npm install airplay

From source:

cd ~
git clone https://[email protected]/benvanik/node-airplay.git
npm link node-airplay/

node-airplay depends on both node-plist and node_mdns. Unfortunately node_mdns is woefully out of date and has required many tweaks to get working, resulting in a fork.

If you're running node on FreeBSD (or maybe Linux) you may get errors during install about a missing dns_sd.h file. If so, install the Apple mDNS SDK:

wget http://www.opensource.apple.com/tarballs/mDNSResponder/mDNSResponder-522.1.11.tar.gz
tar zxvf mDNSResponder-522.11.tar.gz
cd mDNSResponder-333.10/mDNSPosix/
sudo gmake os=freebsd install

API

Browser

The browser is a discovery service that can be run to automatically detect the AirPlay-compatiable devices on the local network(s). Try only to create one browser per node instance, and if it's no longer needed stop it.

Create a browser using the createBrowser method:

var browser = require('airplay').createBrowser();

Attach to the browser events to track device discovery:

browser.on('deviceOnline', function(device) {
  console.log('device online: ' + device.id);
});
browser.on('deviceOffline', function(device) {
  console.log('device offline: ' + device.id);
});

Start or stop the discovery process:

browser.start();
browser.stop();

If you are running a server you can use the built-in device list instead of maintaining your own via the events:

function myHandler() {
  var devices = browser.getDevices();
  console.log(devices);
}

Device

A device instance represents a single AirPlay device on the local network. Devices are created either through the discovery process or by direct connection. Each device has only a single control channel, and all methods are asynchronous.

Obtain devices using the browser API:

// Get all ready devices
var allDevices = browser.getDevices();
// Grab a device to play with
var device = allDevices[0];

TODO At some point, you'll be able to connect directly:

var device = require('airplay').connect(deviceHost);
device.on('ready', function() {
  // Ready to accept commands
});

If you are done with the device, close the connection (note that this will stop any playback):

device.close();

Issue various device control calls. All calls are asynchronous and have an optional callback that provides the result - for most, it's an empty object if the call was successful and null if the call failed.

// Get the current playback status
device.getStatus(function(res) {
  // res = {
  //   duration: number, -- in seconds
  //   position: number, -- in seconds
  //   rate: number, -- 0 = paused, 1 = playing
  //   ...
  // }
  // or, if nothing is playing, res = {}
});

// Play the given content (audio/video/etc)
var content = 'http://host/content.mp4';
var startPosition = 0; // in seconds
device.play(content, startPosition, function(res) {
  if (res) {
    // playing
  } else {
    // failed to start playback
  }
});

// Stop playback and return to the main menu
device.stop();

// Seek to the given offset in the media (if seek is supported)
var position = 500; // in seconds
device.scrub(position);

// Reverse playback direction (rewind)
// NOTE: may not be supported
device.reverse();

// Change the playback rate
// NOTE: only 0 and 1 seem to be supported for most media types
var rate = 0; // 0 = pause, 1 = resume
device.rate(rate);

// Adjust playback volume
// NOTE: may not be supported
device.volume(value);

node-airplay's Issues

dns problem

hi

just tried ytour node module

error:

"Uncaught Error: /tmp/.org.chromium.Chromium.0EEQU7/node_modules/airplay/node_modules/mdns/build/Release/dns_sd_bindings.node: undefined symbol: _ZN2v816FunctionTemplate3NewEPFNS_6HandleINS_5ValueEEERKNS_9ArgumentsEES3_NS1_INS_9SignatureEEE", source: /tmp/.org.chromium.Chromium.0EEQU7/node_modules/airplay/node_modules/mdns/lib/dns_sd.js (35)

thx

++

Error: This socket has been ended by the other party.

step:

1. play a video and wait for play-end.
2. play another video, then error occurred.

And we could found "device.client_.socket_.destroyed" is "true". socket connection has lost but we seems not be informed and has no method to reconnect it.

If someone could provide

1. lost connection notify.
2. a method to sockets reconnect will be good.

Thanks.

Does it work on ios9?

Does it work on ios9?

no browsing

I get this error:

var b = require('airplay').createBrowser();
undefined
console.log(b.getDevices());
[]
undefined
b.start();
undefined

events.js:72
throw er; // Unhandled 'error' event
^
Error: getaddrinfo ENOTFOUND
at errnoException (dns.js:37:11)
at Object.onanswer as oncomplete

I have both an airport Express and an AppleTV, so something should be there. I also tried node_airtunes, which only gave me "tick" in the speakers. For that to work, I needed the IP address for the airport express. Is there a way to test airtunes with an IP address?

Travis,Appveyor CI support

I want to make a PR for this. But i'm not really sure if its possible. @benvanik do you know if it is?

Passwords

Seems like password support isn't enabled yet - any plans to add that in?

Quick question on node-airplay's application in a project.

I just want to confirm weather or not this infact will allow me to play audio or video from my iphone or ipad through the computer running the node.js script? Is that true?

Dependency is using mdns@master, which breaks Slackware build

http://pastie.org/5026845 <-- Details here. mdns's current release is fine on the same machine.

Dropped video playback

It would appear that the video will on play for a few seconds before dropping. I have tested on OSX and Ubuntu with multiple files and sources.

Do you have any idea why this happening?

var browser = require('airplay').createBrowser();

browser.on('deviceOnline', function(device) {
    console.log('device online: ' + device.id);
    device.play('http://www.wowza.com/_h264/BigBuckBunny_115k.mov', 0);
});

browser.start();

browser.getDevices() doesn't find my Airport Express

Hi,

I have bought a Airport Express to be able to listen to music from my computer in my living room. So naturally I wanted to play a bit with it too and I found this project. I installed the airplay module and tried the example code but even if I can play music on the Airport Express from iTunes, node-airplay doesn't discover my Airport Express:

> var browser = require('airplay').createBrowser();
undefined
> console.log(browser.getDevices());
[]
undefined

I just get an empty array. What am I doing wrong?