MusicCast is a network audio feature developed by Yamaha for a select few of their home entertainment systems. The MusicCast system allows users to use MusicCast products as a single connected system or separately. The entire system is controllable via a simple app for Android or iOS devices.
Feautres
- Stream the Same or Different Music to Each Room
- Stream Internal or External Content
- Stream via Bluetooth®
- Control All Your Equipment with a Single App
- Stream Music to Bluetooth-Compatible Devices
- Supports High-resolution Music Content
MusicCast connects you with your music through your home’s wireless network. This way, users can enjoy content from any MusicCast-compatible devices located in any room in the home—or any Blu-ray or CD player connected to them.
Stream the Same or Different Music to Each Room
The MusicCast network allows users to listen to music throughout the entire home. You can set up any MusicCast compatible device to play the same song or a different song for each. The system allows you to play music from a smartphone, a streaming service or a computer all over the network connection.
Compatible Streaming Services
The MusicCast compatible streaming services include:
- Vtuner
- Spotify
- Napster
- Juke
Stream Internal or External Content
Another interesting and useful feature of Yamaha’s MusicCast is that it allows you share music from any MusicCast network audio equipment to any device connected to external inputs including HDMI.
Stream via Bluetooth®
MusicCast devices are Bluetooth Compatible. This allows you to stream Videos and music alike via your smartphone, computer or tablets. Furthermore, you can share the audio throughout the MultiCast network. This means that you can play a song in the kitchen for your husband/wife while playing the same (or a different song) n the room that you are in.
Control All Your Equipment with a Single App
Users can download the MusicCast App for Android or iOS and take control of all the audio equipment and all the music in the home. There are a wide variety of capabilities like the Link function that lets you play the same song in different rooms simultaneously and the ability to freely customize the room screen with your own pictures.
Supports High-resolution Music Content
MusicCast supports a variety of audio formats including MP3, WAV and FLAC. All MusicCast devices support 192kHz/24-bit high-resolution audio codec, letting you enjoy your music with extremely high quality sound. Compared to compressed sound sources, high resolution sound sources more accurately reproduce the sonic details, presence, and atmosphere of a concert hall.
Audio Compatibilty
| Compatible Codec | Desk Top Audio | Soundbar | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISX-80 | WX-030 | YSP-5600 | YSP-1600 | SRT-1500 | ||
| MP3 / WMA / MPEG4 AAC | – 48 kHz | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Apple Lossless | – 96 kHz | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| WAV / FLAC / AIFF | – 192 kHz | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| DSD | – 5.6 MHz | — | — | — | — | — |
| Compatible Codec | AV Recievers | HiFi Audio | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RX-V479 and above | R-N602 | MCR-N670 / MCR-N870 | NX-N500 | ||
| MP3 / WMA / MPEG4 AAC | – 48 kHz | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Apple Lossless | – 96 kHz | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| WAV / FLAC / AIFF | – 192 kHz | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| DSD | – 5.6 MHz | Yes | Yes | — | Yes |
Video: What is Music Cast?
A short video outlining exactly what MusicCast is as well as some of its features.
Video: MusicCast Insights
Video: MusicCast – An Overview
Video: Using MusicCast in the Home
Things to Know About MusicCast
Which OS are supported for smart devices?
IOS7.1, Android 4.1.
Can MusicCast stream high resolution audio formats over 48kHz?
All MusicCast devices support WAV/AIFF/FLAC 192kHz, 24bit and Apple Lossless 96kHz. Certain models also support DSD 5.6MHz.
Can MusicCast stream high resolution audio formats to multiple rooms simultaneously?
Can MusicCast distribute 5.1-channel surround sound to other rooms?
No. Master room playback is 5.1-channel and playback in other rooms is down-mix 2-channel sound.
How many devices can be controlled with MusicCast?
MusicCast supports control for up to 10 devices.
Conclusion
MusicCast is not an open standard, which means it only works with Yamaha devices. Of course, this situation can be bypassed using the Bluetooth feature. The MusicCast system selects the strongest Wi-Fi (or Ethernet) source, which means components can communicate with one another directly, a bit like Sonos systems set up.
The Yamaha MusicCast system does multi-room audio systematically and efficiently: music is broadcast through the system losslessly, playback is controlled through a single app, and different rooms can be synchronized, eliminating delay.