Google has announced a second piece of hardware in its Chromecast lineup, the Chromecast Audio. With the Chromecast Audio, you will now be able to stream your favorite music from your phone to your existing speaker set up with the addition of just a small accessory. To get started, all you have to do is plug the Chromecast Audio into your speaker, then plug it into power, and you are set to cast your audio. In your favorite music apps, just look for the speaker icon and you can cast as you would for video. Chromecast Audio will support multi-room synchronization, allowing you to play music throughout the house with ease.
To hook into your existing speakers, the Chromecast Audio supports a 3.5mm audio out, as well as RCA out and optical audio out. It makes use of the same 3-antenna adaptive system as the video version of the Chromecast as well. You’ll be able to control the Chromecast Audio from your smartphone or Android Wear hardware, and it will automatically work for anyone connected to your Wi-Fi network. For those without access to your Wi-Fi network, Chromecast Music will also support a guest mode.
Chromecast Audio will be available later today for the same price as the original Chromecast, just $35. Initially it will be available in 17 countries.