Spotify → every room
Play Spotify on multiple AirPlay speakers from your Mac
Spotify on a Mac gives you one AirPlay speaker at a time — the multi-room experience Apple Music has simply is not available to it. SoundFerry moves the problem down a level, so Spotify does not have to solve it.
- Spotify
- Spotify Connect
- Podcasts in Spotify
macOS output device
EQ · dynamics · limiter
- HomePodLiving room
- Sonos Era 100Kitchen
- HomePod miniBedroom
Audio route
Why Spotify gets the short end of AirPlay
It is a fair thing to be annoyed about. On an iPhone you long-press the AirPlay icon and tick three HomePods. In the Music app on a Mac you can do the same. Open Spotify on that same Mac and the option is gone — one device, radio-button style.
SoundFerry routes Mac system audio through a virtual speaker instead of relying on player-specific integration. Check that the player uses the Mac system output.
The way around it is not to ask the player at all. SoundFerry is a macOS output device.Spotify plays into it the same way it plays into your MacBook speakers, and SoundFerry takes it from there — one source, adjustable output timing, every speaker you ticked.
Five minutes, once
- 01
Install SoundFerry and restart the Mac once
The installer adds an output device called
SoundFerry. Restart after driver installation and follow the installer instructions for driver updates. - 02
Tick the speakers you want
Open SoundFerry. Every AirPlay device on your network is listed — HomePods, AirPlay-enabled Sonos, WiiM, Apple TVs. Tick two or ten, then save the set as a group so you can recall it later.
- 03
Press Start
The group comes up together, with per-device timing adjustments. The status row shows frames captured, frames sent and any dropped, so you can see it is really flowing.
- 04
Point macOS at SoundFerry
System Settings › Sound › Output, or Option-click the volume icon in the menu bar, and choose
SoundFerry. - 05
Play Spotify
That is it. Spotify does not need to know anything about AirPlay — it is just playing to the Mac's output device, and that device happens to be your whole house.
Against the alternatives
| Feature | SoundFerry | Spotify Connect + Sonos | Spotify + macOS AirPlay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spotify to several speakers at once | ✓ | — | One speaker only |
| Kept in sync | ✓ | Sonos speakers only | — |
| Works with any Sonos / HomePod / WiiM mix | ✓ | Sonos only | One at a time |
| Also carries YouTube, Safari, VLC | ✓ | — | — |
| Equalizer before the speakers | 12-band parametric | Per-speaker in the Sonos app | — |
| Needs Spotify Premium | — | Sonos: no | — |
Make it sound right, not just loud
A 12-band parametric EQ runs on the stream before it leaves the Mac.
Spotify's own equalizer is mobile-only — there is none in the desktop app. Once you are sending to a kitchen speaker bolted to a tiled wall and a bedroom speaker on a soft rug, you will want one.
SoundFerry gives you peaking, shelf, cut, notch and band-pass filters, each assignable to left/right, mid or side, plus a three-band compressor for late-night listening, stereo width with bass mono-ing so multiple speakers do not cancel each other's low end, and a look-ahead limiter. Loudness and true-peak meters follow ITU-R BS.1770-4, so the numbers mean what they mean everywhere else.
Before you buy
What you need
- macOS 14 Sonoma or later
The distribution PKG is for Apple Silicon Macs.
- Administrator authentication and a restart
Required to install the virtual audio driver. Follow the installer instructions.
- Network speakers
AirPlay or Chromecast receivers on the same network as your Mac.
Before you start
- ×Several seconds of delay
Not intended for live monitoring or other low-latency use. Video may need delay compensation.
- ×Check your speaker combination
Timing depends on the devices and network. Per-speaker delay adjustment is available.
- ×Group-wide EQ
All selected speakers receive the same processed audio.
- ×Trial internet access
The seven-day trial connects at start, after app restart and every 12 hours. Purchased licenses are verified offline.
Spotify questions
Why can Apple Music do this and Spotify cannot?
SoundFerry routes Mac system audio through a virtual speaker instead of relying on player-specific integration. Check that the player uses the Mac system output.
SoundFerry solves it a level lower: it becomes the Mac's output device, so it never needs Spotify's cooperation.
Does this work with Spotify Free, or does it need Premium?
Both work. SoundFerry takes the audio after Spotify has decoded it, exactly like your Mac's speakers do, so your plan makes no difference. Spotify Connect is not involved at all.
Will Spotify Connect still show my Mac?
Yes. Your Mac stays a normal Spotify Connect target and your phone can still hand playback to it. The only change is where the sound comes out.
Can I keep using Spotify on my phone while the Mac plays the house?
Yes — Spotify on the phone is a separate session. Many people run the Mac as the house player and use the phone purely as the remote via Spotify Connect.
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.
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.
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.
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.
What do I need?
macOS 14 or later on Apple Silicon, compatible AirPlay or Chromecast speakers on the same network, and administrator authentication to install the driver. The distributed PKG is for Apple Silicon.
Put Spotify in every room tonight.
Free for 7 days, all features, no card. $19 once if you keep it.
- One-time purchase, no subscription
- Free updates within 1.x
- macOS 14+, Apple silicon