AirPlay

AirPlay is a proprietary wireless streaming protocol suite developed by Apple that enables the transmission of audio, video, and screen content between compatible devices over a local network. It originated in 2010 as AirTunes for audio streaming to an Apple TV and was later expanded and branded AirPlay.

AirPlay 2, announced in 2017 and released in 2018, added multi-room audio with synchronized playback across multiple speakers, improved buffering, and new control features. It lets users manage playback from iOS devices, macOS, the Home app, and Siri, and supports grouping compatible speakers into zones.

How AirPlay works: devices discover AirPlay-capable receivers over a Wi-Fi network, typically using Bonjour/mDNS. A source device such as an iPhone, iPad, or Mac streams content to a receiver such as an Apple TV or AirPlay 2-enabled speaker or television. AirPlay supports audio-only streaming, video streaming to compatible displays, and screen mirroring.

Compatibility and ecosystem: AirPlay is designed for use within the Apple ecosystem, but many third-party manufacturers license AirPlay 2 for compatible speakers and smart TVs, including brands such as Samsung, LG, Sony, Sonos, and Bose.

Security and privacy: AirPlay streams are encrypted during transmission. Connecting to a new receiver may require on-screen approval or a passcode to begin streaming. Performance depends on network bandwidth and stability.