June 9, 2008 – 9:00 pm
The problem: A software solution to play music on an outdoor, pool-side audio system.
The solution: I’ve been thinking about this for a couple of days. My parents want to put in a few outdoor speakers near our pool, and I was brainstorming about what would be the best solution.
One of the most simple solutions would be the all-in-one receiver. This receiver could have a CD player built in, as well as an AM/FM radio, and inputs for external sources (an iPod, for example).
This solution is easy to understand, and has high reliability. There is little chance that my parents will be confused by a single box that has big knobs for “Volume” and “CD - Radio - MP3.” This is probably the most logical solution for the less technically inclined.
A more complicated, but more interesting and potentially more useful solution would be a software solution. This software would run on a computer that is connected directly to the speakers (via amplifier). The computer would have the following specifications:
- Play a CD
- Play over-the-air radio
- Play online radio
- Play music from an iPod or MP3 player
- Play music from online sources (Pandora comes to mind)
- Accessible from the internet (but the internet is not required for full use of features)
Is there a software solution that will do this?
One of the major obstacles will be to actually get music on the computer. For example, if I just purchased Weezer’s Pork and Beans
on iTunes, I want to play this song outside on my sound system. How do I get this song that is locked down with digital rights management (DRM) to my “Jukebox” computer? I can’t! The proliferation of DRM-free music sites like the Amazon MP3 Store help this problem, but the consumer would still need to upload the music to the host computer somehow.
If we assume the music is already on the computer, this simplifies the process. The software would simply require playlist creation and switching to other forms of music like Pandora or online radio. A nice cross fader and audio-leveler would also be nice.
Although a custom piece of software could be written for this, a typical audio program like iTunes, Windows Media Player, or foobar2000 would do the trick. The system could be accessed remotely through Windows Remote Desktop or similar desktop sharing application. iTunes already supports playlist creation, CD playing, and online radio. Most AM/FM radio stations have online stations these days, so a terrestrial radio tuner would not be needed. The mere fact that it is a computer allows playing of other internet media like Pandora. An MP3 player could be plugged in via USB and played.
Sometimes it is easier and more reliable to use a current solution than to invent your own.
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