> ## 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.

# Audio output overview

> Pick a PCM sink. Switch any time over the API.

Rockbox writes decoded PCM into a single active **sink** at a time. The sink
is selected by the `audio_output` key in `settings.toml`, but it can also be
changed at runtime — e.g. by clicking a discovered Chromecast in the device
picker.

| Sink              | `audio_output` | Use it for                                         |
| ----------------- | -------------- | -------------------------------------------------- |
| Built-in CPAL     | `builtin`      | Local speakers / headphones                        |
| HLS + DASH (CMAF) | `cmaf`         | Browser playback, `ffplay`/`vlc`/`mpv`, CDN origin |
| FIFO / pipe       | `fifo`         | Snapcast (`pipe://`), `ffplay`, any pipe consumer  |
| Snapcast TCP      | `snapcast_tcp` | Snapserver `tcp://` source with auto-discovery     |
| AirPlay (RAOP)    | `airplay`      | Apple TV, HomePod, Airport Express, shairport-sync |
| Squeezelite       | `squeezelite`  | Logitech-style multi-room with squeezelite clients |
| Chromecast        | `chromecast`   | Google Home, Chromecast Audio, Nest Hub            |
| UPnP / DLNA       | `upnp`         | Kodi, VLC, BubbleUPnP, any UPnP MediaRenderer      |

## Stream format

Every sink receives the same byte stream: **S16LE stereo PCM at 44 100 Hz**.
The Rockbox DSP pipeline dithers and downmixes higher-bit-depth decoder
output before it reaches the sink.

## Fan-out

A few sinks support sending the same stream to multiple receivers
simultaneously:

* **AirPlay** — list multiple `[[airplay_receivers]]` and they all share the
  same `initial_rtptime`, keeping playback within \~8 ms across the LAN.
* **Squeezelite** — any number of squeezelite clients can attach to one
  rockboxd; a `sync` packet aligns their clocks once per second.
* **Snapcast** — fan-out is handled by snapserver, not Rockbox.

For Chromecast, AirPlay and UPnP the LAN is also scanned with mDNS / SSDP at
startup; discovered devices show up in the web UI and desktop picker without
any config-file edits.

## Switching sinks at runtime

Through the GraphQL API:

```graphql theme={"theme":{"light":"catppuccin-latte","dark":"min-dark"}}
mutation Connect {
  connectDevice(id: "chromecast-living-room")
}
```

…or through the desktop / web device picker. The active sink is stopped, the
new sink's `init` and `start` hooks run, and audio resumes within a frame.

## Architecture

Each sink implements the `pcm_sink_ops` vtable in
`firmware/export/pcm_sink.h`. The full list of sinks with file paths and
implementation notes lives in [Architecture › PCM sinks](/architecture/pcm-sinks).