Mixed-brand multi-room
HomePod, Sonos and WiiM, playing as one house
Apple's Home app groups Apple speakers. The Sonos app groups Sonos speakers. Nobody sells you the group you actually own — the HomePod in the living room, the Era 100 in the kitchen and the WiiM on the hi-fi, all playing the same thing with timing adjustments available.
- Spotify
- YouTube
- Apple Music
- Any app
macOS output device
EQ · dynamics · limiter
- HomePodLiving room
- Sonos Era 100Kitchen
- WiiM AmpHi-fi
Audio route
Nobody wants to build this group but you
Multi-room audio is sold one ecosystem at a time. That is a commercial decision, not a technical one — and it collides with how houses actually accumulate speakers. A HomePod arrived as a gift. A Sonos was on sale. A WiiM went behind the amplifier that has been in the study since university.
SoundFerry sends the same audio to multiple network outputs and provides per-speaker synchronization delay adjustments. Check timing on your own device and network configuration.
SoundFerry is the thing that sends that stream. It shows you every AirPlay device on the network in one list, regardless of who made it, and lets you tick the ones you want.
Groups people actually save
Whole house
- Living room
- Kitchen
- Bedroom
Party
- Lounge
- Deck
Desk + kitchen
- Desk
- Kitchen
Name a set once and recall it in a click. Dinner is not the same group as cleaning the kitchen.
Versus the apps you already have
| Feature | SoundFerry | Apple Home app | Sonos app |
|---|---|---|---|
| HomePod + Sonos in one synchronised group | ✓ | — | — |
| WiiM + HomePod in one group | ✓ | — | — |
| Audio from Spotify, browsers, VLC | ✓ | — | Sonos only |
| One saved group per occasion | ✓ | — | Sonos only |
| Needs an account with anyone | — | — | ✓ |
Questions
Can a HomePod and a Sonos really play the same thing in sync?
Yes, provided the Sonos is an AirPlay 2 model. To SoundFerry they are both simply AirPlay 2 receivers — a shared source and group, with device-specific timing adjustments. Neither brand's app is involved and neither is aware of the other.
What about my old Sonos Play:1 with no AirPlay?
Group it behind an AirPlay 2 Sonos in the Sonos app. Sonos relays to it over its own network, so it joins the party one hop later. It works well; expect its timing to be Sonos' rather than AirPlay's.
Do the brands have to be on the same Wi-Fi network?
Yes. AirPlay discovery uses Bonjour, which does not cross subnets by default. Guest networks and some mesh setups with client isolation will hide speakers. Everything on one SSID is the reliable arrangement.
Different brands have different latency. Does that cause echo?
AirPlay 2 exists specifically to prevent that: every receiver in the group is given a common playback time and buffers to meet it. Mixing brands is the case it was designed for.
An AirPlay 1 device in the group is the exception — it uses a looser clock and can sit slightly apart from AirPlay 2 units.
Do the speakers actually stay in sync?
SoundFerry manages playback across selected speakers. Timing depends on the devices and network; SoundFerry provides per-speaker delay adjustment. Try your speaker combination before purchasing. No fixed synchronization accuracy is guaranteed.
What does the equalizer actually do?
Group-wide EQ, dynamics and reverb process the shared audio before it reaches the speakers. The same processing applies to every selected output.
Can I set a different EQ per speaker?
SoundFerry applies EQ to the group as a whole. It provides per-speaker delay adjustment, but does not provide a separate EQ for each speaker.
How much delay is there?
The managed default audio path adds several seconds of delay. It is intended for listening rather than live instrument monitoring, gaming or video calls. Video playback may need delay compensation.
How much is it, and is it a subscription?
19 USD buys a perpetual license for version 1.x. Updates such as 1.0 to 1.1 are included. Version 2.x requires a separate purchase, with pricing not yet decided. There is no subscription. Other currencies are converted from the USD price.
What is in the free trial?
The trial lasts seven days and requires no payment card. An internet connection is required to start it, after restarting the app, and every 12 hours during use. The server manages expiry; changing the Mac clock does not extend it. Purchased licenses are verified offline.
Build the group your house actually is.
Free for 7 days. $19 once if it works.
- One-time purchase, no subscription
- Free updates within 1.x
- macOS 14+, Apple silicon