Click Essentials: Music streamers

Our essential guide to converting your home into a jukebox.

The Sonos system includes a remote control with a screen

With storage cheap as chips we all have access to thousands of songs.

But how do you go one step further and access it anywhere within your four walls at home?

What is the point of having so many tracks if you can only access them from your computer and through headphones in your MP3 player?

Aside from hardwiring your music player or PC to your hi-fi, the cheapest answer is streaming. That means playing your tunes in real-time, to another device.

READY TO STREAM

Most music streamers opt for wireless as the best way of getting your music buzzing around your four walls.

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Streamers come in all shapes and sizes, but the principle behind them is basically the same.

Once you have configured a piece of software on your PC, it acts as a transmitter, sending stuff through your router and ready to fire out across your home.

Then simply connect up one receiver to each hi-fi you want the music to come out of. After a few configuration tweaks you can then access your collection, including playlists and album art, most commonly through a remote.

MULTI-ROOM EXPERIENCE

The more sophisticated systems do away with the need for a hi-fi, as the receiver contains a built-in amp.

These also offer a multi-room experience, with different tracks playing in different rooms, or even a party mode with the same track being piped throughout the house.

As an added plus, some streamers will give the choice of hundreds of podcasts and internet radio stations for your aural delectation. After all, they are using your internet-connected router, so why not?

Drawing on that same principle, some boxes marketed as internet radios will return the favour, featuring basic interfaces to give you access to your own music collection.

YOUR MUSIC ONLINE

A broadband net connection allows you to get your own tunes to the outside world too.

Some services stream directly from your PC, while many others offer ridiculously cheap, or even free, storage so you can upload your collection.

ESSENTIAL LINKS Sonos: Multi-room system Logitech Squeezebox Duet Orb: Stream to any web enabled device Musicmaster : Unlimited fee accounts while in beta MP3Tunes: Up to 400 songs Jukefly: Social networking emphasis The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites

The interface of the web-based music player looks just like something you would get on your PC.

There are also impressive feature-sets; you can build playlists, share tracks, even synchronise your online locker with your home PC so that every time you add tracks at home they work their way seamlessly to the web.

In fact once you have got your collection online you can dispense with the PC altogether.

Fancy streaming music and even video to your mobile? No problem, though watch out for potentially sky-high data charges.

These days there really are no more excuses to be tuneless.