Can you use AirPlay 2 with the Mac mini?
Can you use AirPlay 2 with the Mac mini?
Best answer: Like other Macs, you can use AirPlay 2 with your Mac mini, so long as you have iTunes 12.8 or later installed.Apple: Mac mini ($799)Amazon: Sonos One ($179)
You can use AirPlay 2 on your Mac with iTunes
On iOS, AirPlay 2 is baked in at the system level, meaning that you can utilize it from any app that supports AirPlay audio so long as you have an AirPlay 2-compatible speaker like the Sonos One. On the Mac, this isn't the case. In order to take advantage of AirPlay 2, you'll need to have iTunes 12.8 or later installed on your Mac.
Using the AirPlay menu just to the left side of the Now Playing display in iTunes, you can click the checkboxes next to the AirPlay 2 speakers to which you'd like to send audio.
You can also use this interface to choose which device iTunes is controlling. So rather than sending music from your Mac to your speaker, iTunes instead acts as a control interface for your speaker, telling it what to play, but with your speaker actually fetching that music itself. iTunes will behave this way until you tell it to switch back to your computer.
The Sonos One is a great AirPlay 2 speaker to get
If you're on the lookout for a great AirPlay 2 speaker to use with your new Mac mini, the Sonos One is a great option. It's got excellent sound for its price and, if this is a plus for you, comes with Alexa built in.
On Sonos speakers, Alexa doesn't yet support playback of Apple Music, but the digital assistant has gained support for Apple Music on Amazon's own Echo products, so it could only be a matter of time before your Sonos supports Apple Music playback via Alexa, too.
Our pick
The cheapest new Mac you can get
With the latest iteration of its Mac mini, Apple has really made a desktop machine for any type of Mac user. And whatever configuration you get, you'll be able to use AirPlay 2 just fine.
Speaker choice
A great AirPlay 2 speaker at a great price
The Sonos One is one of four speakers that Sonos has updated with support for AirPlay 2. It has excellent sound, and a lower price than a lot of AirPlay 2 speakers of its size and quality.
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Joseph Keller is the former Editor in Chief of iMore. An Apple user for almost 20 years, he spends his time learning the ins and outs of iOS and macOS, always finding ways of getting the most out of his iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac.