HOWTO : Streaming music from Ubuntu 10.04 to Android smartphone

Streaming mp3 or ogg audio files from Ubuntu desktop or server to Android is very easy. It just requires several steps to make it work.

You can share your music to other computers or Android devices via intranet or internet no matter the musics are sharing from Desktop or Server.

(I) Prerequisite

(a) Hardware
(1) One computer or server which is installed Ubuntu Desktop or Server 10.04
(2) One Google Nexus One or any Android smartphone 1.5 or higher
(3) Internet connection equipments (if any), such as router

(b) Software
(1) Install DAAP Media Player from the Android Market on your Android smartphone

(II) Server Side

Step 1 :

Install the Firefly on your Desktop or Server.

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade
sudo apt-get install mt-daapd

Step 2 :

Follows the instructions below and then copy or upload the audio files to the below mentioned directory.

sudo mkdir /home/media
sudo mkdir /home/media/music

Step 2a :

After copied or uploaded the songs to the directory, execute the following commands.

sudo chmod -R 755 /home/media/music

*Whenever you copied or uploaded new songs to the directory, make sure you carry out Step 2a. Meanwhile, to conduct "Start Full Scan" at Firefly web page to read the new songs into the database/playlist.

Step 3 :

Open a browser (such as Firefox) and point to the address of the server that installed mt-daapd :

Desktop -
http://localhost:3689

or

Server -
http://server_ip:3689

e.g. http://192.168.1.100:3689

Login with the username "admin" and password "mt-daapd".

Go to "configuration" and click "show advanced config".

Go to "Transcoding" section. Add the media extension to "Never Transcode" at the bottom of the page and then save.

For example, .ogg, .mp3

Step 4 (Optional) :

Go to "Server" section. Change the password of "Admin password" or add "Music password" if you want to have to enter password before listening to the music.

Changes "Compress" to "Yes".

Then save it.

Step 5 :

Go to "Server status" and click "Start Full Scan" button and you will see the figure of "Songs" is updated. Make sure you have uploaded or copied the mp3 or ogg files to the directory that mentioned above.

(III) Client Side

If you installed mt-daapd on the desktop computer, open Rhythmbox (or Banshee) and you will see the Firefly at the "Share" section. You can play the music now. You can also play the music within the same network on other computers.

If you installed mt-daapd on the server computer, open Rhythmbox (or Banshee) on the any desktop computers within the same network and play the music as mentioned above.

For Android, make sure you have installed DAAP Media Player from the Market. Open the application, you will connect to the mt-daapd server if you are connected via wifi.

Press "Menu" and select "Preference" to enable "SD Card as Cache" and "Streaming music".

You can select any music to play and press "Menu" to choose from "Stop", "Repeat" and "Shuffle".

(IV) Router

You may required to forword the port 3689 on your router if you want to stream your music via internet.

Enjoy your music on the road!

That's all! See you.