> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://rockboxzig.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Chromecast

> Google Cast support over WAV-over-HTTP plus the Cast control channel.

Rockbox streams audio to any Google Cast-compatible device — Google Home,
Chromecast Audio, Chromecast with Google TV, Nest Hub, or third-party
receivers — using two channels at once:

| Channel       | Port     | Purpose                                              |
| ------------- | -------- | ---------------------------------------------------- |
| Cast protocol | TCP 8009 | TLS + Protobuf — playback control, queue, metadata   |
| WAV over HTTP | TCP 7881 | Live `audio/wav` stream with finite `Content-Length` |

The finite content length is what lets the Chromecast show a progress bar
and auto-advance at track boundaries.

## Configuration

```toml theme={"theme":{"light":"catppuccin-latte","dark":"min-dark"}}
music_dir            = "/path/to/Music"
audio_output         = "chromecast"
chromecast_host      = "192.168.1.60"  # LAN IP of the target device
chromecast_port      = 8009            # optional, default 8009 (Cast protocol)
chromecast_http_port = 7881            # optional, default 7881 (WAV stream)
```

## Auto-discovery

Devices on the LAN are discovered via mDNS (`_googlecast._tcp.local.`) and
appear in the web UI and desktop app device picker — clicking starts a Cast
session on demand without `audio_output = "chromecast"` in the config.

## Track metadata

Title, artist, album, duration, and album art are pushed to the device on
every track change so the "Now playing" card stays accurate.

<Note>
  **Network requirement**: the Chromecast must be able to reach port 7881 on
  the host running rockboxd. If rockboxd is in a VM or container, forward
  that port to the host (or run with `--network host`).
</Note>

## Picking a device from the API

```graphql theme={"theme":{"light":"catppuccin-latte","dark":"min-dark"}}
query DiscoveredCastDevices {
  devices {
    id
    name
    ip
    port
    isCastDevice
  }
}

mutation Cast {
  connectDevice(id: "chromecast-living-room")
}
```

…or with the [TypeScript SDK](/sdks/typescript):

```ts theme={"theme":{"light":"catppuccin-latte","dark":"min-dark"}}
const devices = await client.devices.list();
const cast = devices.find((d) => d.isCastDevice);
if (cast) await client.devices.connect(cast.id);
```

## Architecture

Implementation lives in `crates/chromecast/`. See
[`crates/chromecast/README.md`](https://github.com/tsirysndr/rockboxd/blob/master/crates/chromecast/README.md)
for the protocol-level details.