Shairport Sync plays
audio streamed from iTunes
or from an AirPlay device to an ALSA-compatible audio output device (available on
Linux and FreeBSD), to a "sndio" output device (available on OpenBSD, FreeBSD and
Linux), to a PulseAudio output stream or to Jack Audio.
Shairport Sync offers full audio synchronisation.
Full audio synchronisation means that audio is played on the output device at exactly
the time specified by the audio source.
This means that if many devices are playing the same stream at the same
time, all the outputs will stay in synchrony with one another.
This allows multiple devices to play the same source without getting out of step with
one another, enabling, for example, simultaneous multi-room operation.
Shairport Sync can stream synchronised audio to a unix
pipe or to standard output, or to audio systems that do not provide timing
information. This could perhaps be described as partial audio synchronisation, where
synchronised audio is provided by Shairport Sync, but what happens to it in the
subsequent processing chain, before it reaches the listener's ear, is outside the
control of shairport-sync.
Shairport Sync can be compiled to stream metadata, including cover art, to a pipe
or socket.
Shairport Sync can be compiled to offer a standard MPRIS interface, a "native"
D-Bus interface and an MQTT client interface. Through these interfaces, it can provide
metadata, including cover art, and can offer remote control of the audio source.
Settings can be made using the configuration file (recommended for all new
installations) or by using command-line options.
The name of the Shairport Sync executable is shairport-sync .
Both names are used in these man pages.
You should use the configuration file for setting up Shairport Sync.
This file is usually shairport-sync.conf and is generally located in the
System Configuration Directory, which is normally the /etc directory in
Linux or the /usr/local/etc directory in BSD unixes.
You may need to have root privileges to modify it.
(Note: Shairport Sync may have been compiled to use a different configuration
directory. You can determine which by performing the command $ shairport-sync
-V . One of the items in the output string is the value of the
sysconfdir ,
i.e. the System Configuration Directory.)
Within the configuration file, settings are organised into groups , for
example, there is a "general" group of
standard settings, and there is an "alsa" group with settings that pertain to the ALSA
back end. Here is an example of a typical configuration file:
general = {
name = "Mike's Boombox";
password = "secret";
output_backend = "alsa";
};
alsa = {
output_device = "hw:0";
mixer_control_name = "PCM";
};
Most settings have sensible default values, so -- as in the example above -- users
generally only need to set (1) the service name, (2) a password (if desired) and
(3) the output device. If the output device has a mixer that can be used for volume
control, then (4) the mixer name should be specified. It is important
to do this if the mixer exists. Otherwise, the
maximum output from the output device will be whatever setting the mixer happens to
have, which will be a matter of chance and which could be very low or even silent.
A sample configuration file with all possible settings, but with all of them
commented out, is installed at shairport-sync.conf.sample , within the
System Configuration Directory -- /etc in Linux,
/usr/local/etc in BSD unixes.
To retain backwards compatibility with previous versions of shairport-sync
you can use still use command line options, but any new features, etc. will
be available only via configuration file settings.
The configuration file is processed using the libconfig library
-- see
"GENERAL" SETTINGS
These are the settings available within the general group:
name= "service_name" ;
Use this service_name to identify this player in iTunes, etc.
The following substitutions are allowed:
%h for the computer's hostname,
%H for the computer's hostname with the first letter capitalised (ASCII
only),
%v for the shairport-sync version number, e.g. "3.3.6" and
%V for the shairport-sync version string, e.g.
"3.3.6-OpenSSL-Avahi-ALSA-soxr-metadata-sysconfdir:/etc".
The default is "%H", which is replaced by the hostname with the first letter
capitalised.
password= "password" ;
Require the password password to connect to the service. If you
leave this setting commented out, no password is needed.
interpolation= "mode" ;
Interpolate, or "stuff", the audio stream using the mode .
Interpolation here refers to the
process of adding or removing frames of audio to or from the
stream sent to the output device to keep it exactly synchronised
with the player.
The "basic" mode is normally almost completely inaudible.
The alternative mode, "soxr", is even less obtrusive but
requires much more processing power. For this mode, support for
libsoxr, the SoX Resampler Library, must be selected when
shairport-sync is compiled.
The default setting is "auto", which will choose "soxr" if support for it has been
compiled into the build of Shairport Synce and if the CPU is fast enough. Otherwise,
"basic" stuffing will be chosen.
output_backend= "backend" ;
shairport-sync has a number of modules of code ("backends") through which
audio is output. Normally, the first audio backend that works is selected. This
setting forces the selection of the specific audio backend . Perform the
command shairport-sync -h to get a list of available audio backends -- the
default is the first on this list. Only the "alsa", "sndio" and "pa" backends support
synchronisation.
mdns_backend= "backend" ;
shairport-sync has a number of modules of code ("backends") for
interacting with the mDNS service to be used to advertise itself. Normally, the first
mDNS backend that works is selected. This setting forces the selection of the specific
mDNS backend . The default is "avahi". Perform the command
shairport-sync -h to get a list of available mDNS modules.
port= portnumber ;
Use this to specify the portnumber shairport-sync uses to
listen for service requests from iTunes, etc. The default is port 5000.
udp_port_base= portnumber ;
When shairport-sync starts to play audio, it establises three UDP
connections to the audio source. Use this setting to specify the starting
portnumber for these three ports. It will pick the first three unused ports
starting from portnumber . The default is port 6001.
udp_port_range= range ;
Use this in conjunction with the previous setting to specify the
range of ports that can be checked for availability. Only three ports are
needed.
The default is 100, thus 100 ports will be checked from port 6001 upwards until three
are found.
drift_tolerance_in_seconds= seconds ;
Allow playback to drift up to seconds out of exact
synchronization before attempting to correct it.
The default is 0.002 seconds, i.e. 2 milliseconds. The smaller the tolerance, the more
likely it is that overcorrection will occur.
Overcorrection is when more corrections (insertions and deletions) are made than are
strictly necessary to keep the stream in sync. Use the statistics setting
to monitor correction levels. Corrections should not greatly exceed net corrections.
This setting replaces the deprecated drift setting.
resync_threshold_in_seconds= threshold ;
Resynchronise if timings differ by more than threshold seconds.
If the output timing differs from the source timing by more than
the threshold, output will be muted and a full resynchronisation
will occur. The default threshold is 0.050 seconds, i.e. 50
milliseconds. Specify 0.0 to disable resynchronisation.
This setting replaces the deprecated resync_threshold setting.
ignore_volume_control= "choice" ;
Set this choice to "yes" if you want the volume to
be at 100% no matter what the source's volume control is set to.
This might be useful if you want to set the volume on the output device, independently
of the setting at the source. The default is "no" .
volume_range_db= dBvalue ;
Use this dBvalue to reduce or increase the attenuation range,
in decibels, between the minimum and maximum volume.
For example, if a mixer has a minimum volume of -80 dB and a maximum of +20 dB, you
might wish to use only 60 dB of the 100 dB available.
This might be because the sound becomes inaudible at the lowest setting and unbearably
loud at the highest setting --
indeed, many domestic HiFi systems have a volume control range of just 60 to 80dB.
Another potential use might be where the range specified by the mixer does not
match the capabilities of the device.
For example, the Raspberry Pi's DAC that feeds the built-in audio jack claims a range
of 106 dB but has a useful range of only about 30 dB.
The setting allows you to specify the maximum range from highest to lowest.
The range suggested for the Raspberry Pi's built-in audio DAC, which feeds the
headphone jack, is 30.
Using it in this case gives the volume control a much more useful range of
settings.
As a third example, you can actually extend the range provided by a mixer.
Many cheaper DACs have hardware mixers that offer a restricted attenuation range.
If you specify a volume range greater than the range of the mixer, software
attenuation and hardware attenuation will be combined to give the specified range.
If you omit this setting, the native range of the mixer is used.
volume_max_db= dBvalue ;
Specify the maximum output level to be used with the hardware mixer, if
used. If no hardware mixed is used, this setting specifies the maximum setting
permissible in the software mixer, which has an attenuation range from 0.0 dB down to
-96.3 dB.
volume_control_profile= "choice" ;
Use this advanced setting to specify how the airplay volume is transferred
to the mixer volume. The "standard" profile, which is the default, makes
the volume change more quickly at lower volumes and slower at higher volumes. Choose
the "flat" profile to makes the volume change at the same rate at all
volume levels.
volume_range_combined_hardware_priority=
"choice" ;
Use this advanced setting to specify how to combine the hardware
attenuator with software attenuation to provide a greater attenuation range than the
hardware attenuator alone can provide. Choosing "yes" means that when
attenuation is required, the hardware attenuator will be used in preference.
If more attenuation than it can provide is needed, the hardware attenuator is set to
its greatest attenuation and software attenuation is added.
For example, if 40 dB of attenuation is required and the hardware attenuator
offers a maximum of 30 dB, then the hardware attenuator will be set to give 30 dB
attenuation and 10 dB of software attenuation will be added.
Unfortunately, certain hardware attenuators will mute at their greatest
attenuation, so can't be combined with software attenuation in this way. Choosing
"no" means that software attenuation is used to bring the remaining
attenuation required into the range offered by the hardware attenuator.
This is the default.
run_this_when_volume_is_set=
"/full/path/to/application/and/args" ;
Here you can specify a program and its arguments that will be run when the
volume is set or changed. Be careful to include the full path to the application.
The application must be marked as executable and, if it is a script, its first line
must begin with the standard shebang #!/bin/... as appropriate.
The desired AirPlay volume is appended to the end of the command line -- leave a
space at the end of the command line you specify here if you want it treated as an
extra argument.
AirPlay volume goes from 0.0 to -30.0 and -144.0 means "mute".
regtype= "regTypeString" ;
Use this advanced setting to set the service type and transport to be
advertised by Zeroconf/Bonjour. Default is "_raop._tcp" .
playback_mode= "mode" ;
The mode can be "stereo", "mono", "reverse stereo", "both left"
or "both right". Default is "stereo". Note that dither will be added to the signal in
the mono mode.
alac_decoder= "decodername" ;
This can be "hammerton" or "apple". This advanced setting allows you to
choose the original Shairport decoder by David Hammerton or the Apple Lossless Audio
Codec (ALAC) decoder written by Apple. Shairport Sync must have been compiled with the
configuration setting "--with-apple-alac" and the Apple ALAC decoder library must be
present for this to work.
interface= "name" ;
Use this advanced setting if you want to confine Shairport Sync to the
named interface. Leave it commented out to get the default behaviour.
audio_backend_latency_offset_in_seconds=
offset_in_seconds ;
Set this offset_in_seconds to compensate for a fixed delay in
the audio back end. For example, if the output device delays by 100 ms, set this to
-0.1.
audio_backend_buffer_desired_length_in_seconds=
length_in_seconds ;
Use this length_in_seconds to set the desired length of the
queue of audio frames in the backend's output buffer.
The default is 0.15 seconds for the ALSA backend, 0.35 seconds for the PA backend
and one second for all other backends.
If this value is set too small, underflow may occur on low-powered machines.
If set too large, the response times to the volume control may become excessive, or it
may exceed the backend's buffer size.
It may need to be larger on low-powered machines that are also performing other tasks,
such as processing metadata.
audio_backend_buffer_interpolation_threshold_in_seconds=
time_in_seconds ;
This is an advanced feature. If the length of the audio backend buffer
size drops below this, it's a sign that shairport sync can not process frames of audio
quickly enough. It this threshold is reached, shairport sync will stop using
time-consuming interpolation like soxr to avoid underruns.
audio_backend_silent_lead_in_time=
lead_in_time_in_seconds ;
This is an advanced setting. Use the lead_in_time_in_seconds to
set the desired length of the period of silence (a "silent lead-in") played before a
play session begins.
The purpose of this silent lead-in is to give the backend sufficient time to
prepare for operation and to make an estimate (and, importantly, to correct the
estimate) of the exact time at which to begin playing audio to achieve initial
synchronisation. The value can be from 0.0 up to a maximum of either 4.0 seconds. The
actual duration will be close to the setting but can not exceed the latency set by the
client, usually 2 seconds or a little more.
If the value chosen is too short for synchronised backends such as the ALSA, sndio
or PA backends, then audio will not be synchronised correctly at the start of play.
The default is to have a silent lead-in of approximately the same time as the latency
set by the client.
dbus_service_bus=
"bus_name" ;
If shairport sync is compiled with the D-Bus interface, it can offer it on
the "system" or the "session" D-Bus "bus".
Use this to specify which. The default is to use the "system" bus.
mpris_service_bus=
"bus_name" ;
If shairport sync is compiled with the MPRIS interface, it can offer the
service on the "system" or the "session" D-Bus "bus".
Use this to specify which. The default is to use the "system" bus.
"SESSIONCONTROL" SETTINGS
run_this_before_play_begins= "/path/to/application and
args" ;
Here you can specify a program and its arguments that will be run just
before a play session begins. Be careful to include the full path to the application.
The application must be marked as executable and, if it is a script, its first line
must begin with the standard shebang #!/bin/... as
appropriate.
run_this_after_play_ends= "/path/to/application and
args" ;
Here you can specify a program and its arguments that will be run just
after a play session ends. Be careful to include the full path to the application.
The application must be marked as executable and, if it is a script, its first line
must begin with the standard shebang #!/bin/... as
appropriate.
run_this_before_entering_active_state= "/path/to/application and
args" ;
Here you can specify a program and its arguments that will be run just
before shairport-sync goes active.
Shairport Sync goes "active" when a play session starts. When the play
session ends, the system will stay active until the time
specified in the active_state_timeout setting elapses.
If a new play session starts before that, the system will remain active. Otherwise,
the system will go inactive.
Be careful to include the full path to the application.
The application must be marked as executable and, if it is a script, its first line
must begin with the standard shebang #!/bin/... as
appropriate.
run_this_after_exiting_active_state= "/path/to/application and
args" ;
Here you can specify a program and its arguments that will be run just
after shairport-sync goes inactive (see the previous entry for an explanation
of the idea).
Be careful to include the full path to the application.
The application must be marked as executable and, if it is a script, its first line
must begin with the standard shebang #!/bin/... as
appropriate.
active_state_timeout= seconds ;
After a play session has ended, the system will remain active for
seconds seconds. If a new play session starts before this time has elapsed,
the system will remain active. However, if no new session starts in the interval, the
system will go inactive at the end of it. The default is 10 seconds.
run_this_if_an_unfixable_error_is_detected= "/path/to/application
and args" ;
Here you can specify a program and its arguments that will be run if the
system detects an unfixable error. At present, there are two types of
unfixable errors. One is where a play session cannot be terminated.
The second is if an output device has "stalled" -- that is, if an output device
refuses to accept any more output frames.
Although the first problem could, in principle, be fixed by restarting
Shairport Sync, it is usually caused by a malfunctioning output device.
Typically, the most reliable way to recover from either of these errors
is to reboot the entire machine.
Be careful to include the full path to the application.
The application must be marked as executable and, if it is a script, its first line
must begin with the standard shebang #!/bin/... as
appropriate.
wait_for_completion= "choice" ;
Set choice to "yes" to make shairport-sync wait until the
programs specified in the run_this_... settings have
completed execution before continuing. The default is "no".
allow_session_interruption= "choice" ;
If choice is set to "yes", then another source will be able to
interrupt an existing play session and start a new one.
When set to "no" (the default), other devices attempting to interrupt a session will
fail, receiving a busy signal.
session_timeout= seconds ;
If a play session has been established and the source disappears without
warning (such as a device going out of range of a network)
then wait for the number of seconds specified before ending the session.
Once the session has terminated, other devices can use it. The default is 120
seconds.
"ALSA" SETTINGS
These settings are for the ALSA back end, used to communicate with audio output
devices in the ALSA system. (By the way, you can use tools such as
alsamixer or aplay to discover what devices are available.)
Use these settings to select the output device and the mixer control to be used to
control the output volume.
You can additionally set the desired size of the output buffer and you can adjust
overall latency. Here are the alsa group settings:
output_device= "output_device" ;
Use the output device called output_device . The default is the
device called "default" .
mixer_control_name= "name" ;
Specify the name of the mixer control to be used by
shairport-sync to control the volume.
The mixer control must be on the mixer device, which by default is the output device.
If you do not specify a mixer control name, shairport-sync will adjust the volume in
software.
mixer_device= "mixer_device" ;
By default, the mixer is assumed to be output_device. Use this setting to
specify a device other than the output device.
output_rate= frame rate ;
Use this setting to specify the frame rate to output to the ALSA device.
Allowable values are "auto" (default), 44100, 88200, 176400 and 352800. The device must have
the capability to accept the rate you specify. There is no particular reason to use
anything other than 44100 if it is available, and if "auto" is selected, the lowest
of these rates available, starting at 44100, will be selected.
output_format= "format" ;
Use this setting to specify the format that should be used to send data to
the ALSA device. Allowable values are "auto" (default), "U8", "S8", "S16", "S24", "S24_3LE", "S24_3BE"
or "S32". The device must have the capability to accept the format you
specify.
"S" means signed; "U" means unsigned; BE means big-endian and LE means
little-endian. Except where stated (using *LE or *BE), endianness matches that of the
processor. The default is "S16".
If you are using a hardware mixer, S16 is fine,
as audio will pass through Shairport Sync unmodified except for
interpolation, but any of the higher-resolution formats are okay too.
If you are using the software mixer, use 32- or 24-bit, if your device
is capable of it, in order to get the lowest possible levels of dither.
The "auto" setting will cause Shairport Sync to choose the highest resolution available.
disable_synchronization= "no" ;
This is an advanced setting and is for debugging only. Set to
"yes" to disable synchronization. Default is "no" .
If you use it to disable synchronisation, then sooner or later you'll experience audio
glitches due to audio buffer overflow or underflow.
period_size= number ;
Use this optional advanced setting to set the alsa period size near to
this value.
buffer_size= number ;
Use this optional advanced setting to set the alsa buffer size near to
this value.
use_mmap_if_available= "yes" ;
Use this optional advanced setting to control whether MMAP-based output
is used to communicate with the DAC. Default is "yes" .
mute_using_playback_switch= "no" ;
This is an advanced setting and the default is "no" . If it is set to
"yes" , hardware mute will be used where it is available.
Set it to "no" to prevent the hardware mute being used.
If Shairport Sync is sharing the output device with other applications, it is best
to leave this set to "no" for compatibility with those applications.
Another motivation for this is to allow the ALSA function call
"snd_mixer_selem_set_playback_switch_all" to be avoided. It is incorrectly implemented
on certain soundcards, including the emulated card in VMWare Fusion 8.5.
maximum_stall_time= seconds ;
If an output device fails to accept any audio frames for more than the
time, in seconds, specified here (0.2 seconds by default),
it is considered to have malfunctioned. It will result in the
run_this_if_an_unfixable_error_is_detected program,
if any, being called.
Implemented for the ALSA back end only.
disable_standby_mode= "never" ;
Shairport Sync has a "Disable Standby" feature to eliminate certain
faint-but-annoying audible pops and clicks. When activsted, it prevents
an output device from entering standby mode and thus it minimises standby/busy
transitions, which can sometimes be heard. Use this setting to control when the
Disable Standby feature is active: "never" means it will never be activated, "always"
means it will be active as soon as shairport-sync starts running, and "auto"
means it will be active while shairport-sync is in the "active" state.
Shairport Sync goes "active" when a play session starts. When the play
session ends, the system will stay active until the time
specified in the active_state_timeout setting elapses.
If a new play session starts before that, the system will remain active. Otherwise,
the system will go inactive.
"SNDIO" SETTINGS
These settings are for the SNDIO back end, used to communicate with audio output
devices in the SNDIO system.
device= "snd/0" ;
Use this optional setting to specify the name of the output device, e.g.
"snd/0" . The default is to use the SNDIO system's default.
rate= 44100 ;
Use this optional setting to specify the output rate in frames per second.
Valid rates are 44100, 88200, 176400 or 352800.
The output device must have the capability to accept data at the specified rate. The
default is 44100.
format= "S16" ;
Use this optional setting to specify the output format. Allowable values
are "U8", "S8", "S16", "S24", "S24_3LE", "S24_3BE" or "S32".
The device must have the capability to accept the format you specify.
"S" means
signed; "U" means unsigned; BE means big-endian and LE means little-endian.
Except where stated (using *LE or *BE), endianness matches that of the processor. The
default is "S16".
Since the SNDIO backend does not use a hardware mixer for volume control, dither will
be introduced into the output if it is less than full volume.
Thus, (unless you are ignoring the volume control setting),
consider using 32- or 24-bit output if your device is capable of it, to get the lowest
possible levels of dither.
Please note that 32- or 24-bit has not been extensively tested on
SNDIO.
round= value ;
Use this optional advanced setting to specify the period size of the SNDIO
channel. If omitted, a SNDIO system default value will be used.
bufsiz= value ;
Use this optional advanced setting to specify the buffer size of the SNDIO
channel. If omitted, a SNDIO system default value will be used.
"PA" SETTINGS
These settings are for the new PulseAudio backend.
application_name= "Shairport Sync" ;
Use this to set the name to appear in the Sounds "Applications" tab when
Shairport Sync is active. The default is the name "Shairport Sync".
"PIPE" SETTINGS
These settings are for the PIPE backend, used to route audio to a named unix pipe.
The audio is in raw CD audio format: PCM 16 bit little endian, 44,100 samples per
second, interleaved stereo.
name= "/path/to/pipe" ;
Use this to specify the name and location of the pipe. The pipe will be
created and opened when shairport-sync starts up and will be closed upon shutdown.
Frames of audio will be sent to the pipe in packets of 352 frames and will be
discarded if the pipe has not have a reader attached.
The sender will wait for up to five seconds for a packet to be written before
discarding it.
"STDOUT" SETTINGS
There are no settings for the STDOUT backend.
"AO" SETTINGS
There are no configuration file settings for the AO backend.
"METADATA" SETTINGS
shairport-sync can process metadata provided by the source, such as Track Number,
Album Name, cover art, etc. and can provide additional metadata such as volume level,
pause/resume, etc. It sends the metadata to a pipe, by default
/tmp/shairport-sync-metadata .
To process metadata, shairport-sync must have been compiled with metadata support
included.
You can check that this is so by running the command $ shairport-sync -V ;
the identification string will contain the word metadata .
Please note that different sources provide different levels of metadata. Some
provide a lot; some provide almost none.
The metadata group of settings allow you to enable metadata handling and
to control certain aspects of it:
enabled= "choice" ;
Set the choice to "yes" to enable shairport-sync to look for
metadata from the audio source and to forward it, along with metadata generated by
shairport-sync itself, to the metadata pipe. The default is "no".
include_cover_art= "choice" ;
Set the choice to "yes" to enable shairport-sync to look for
cover art from the audio source and to include it in the feed to the metadata pipe.
You must also enable metadata (see above).
One reason for not including cover art is that the images can sometimes be very large
and may delay transmission of subsequent metadata through the pipe.
The default is "no".
pipe_name= "filepathname" ;
Specify the absolute path name of the pipe through which metadata should
be sent The default is /tmp/shairport-sync-metadata .
socket_address= "hostnameOrIP" ;
If hostnameOrIP is set to a host name or and IP address, UDP
packets containing metadata will be sent to this address.
May be a multicast address. Additionally, socket-port must be non-zero and
enabled must be set to "yes".
socket_port= port ;
If socket_address is set, use port to specify the
port to send UDP packets to. Must not be zero.
socket_msglength= 65000 ;
The maximum packet size for any UDP metadata. This must be between 500 or
65000. The default is 500.
"DIAGNOSTICS" SETTINGS
statistics= "setting" ;
Use this setting to enable ("yes") or disable ("no") the output
of some statistical information to the system log (or to STDERR if the -u command line option is chosen). The default is to
disable statistics.
log_verbosity= 0 ;
Use this to specify how much debugging information should sent to the system log
(or to STDERR if the -u command line option is chosen).
The value 0 means no debug information, 3 means most
debug information. The default is 0 .
This section is about the command-line options available in shairport-sync.
Note: if you are setting up shairport-sync for the first time or are updating an
existing installation, you are encouraged to use the configuration file settings
described above. Most of the command-line options described below
simply replicate the configuration settings and are retained to provide backward
compatibility with older installations of shairport-sync.
Many command-line options take sensible default values, so you can normally
ignore most of them. See the EXAMPLES section for typical usages.
There are two kinds of command-line options for shairport-sync:
regular program options and audio backend options .
Program options are
always listed first, followed by any audio backend options, preceded by
a -- symbol.
These command-line options are used by shairport-sync itself.
-a service name | --name= service
name
Use this service name to identify this player in iTunes, etc.
The following substitutions are allowed:
%h for the computer's hostname,
%H for the computer's hostname with the first letter capitalised (ASCII
only),
%v for the shairport-sync version number, e.g. "3.0.1" and
%V for the shairport-sync version string, e.g.
"3.0.1-OpenSSL-Avahi-ALSA-soxr-metadata-sysconfdir:/etc".
The default is "%H", which is replaced by the hostname with the first letter
capitalised.
-B program | --on-start= program
Execute program when playback is about to begin. Specify the
full path to the program, e.g. /usr/bin/logger .
Executable scripts can be used, but they must have the appropriate shebang
(#!/bin/sh in the headline.
If you want shairport-sync to wait until the command has
completed before starting to play, select the -w option as well.
-c filename | --configfile= filename
Read configuration settings from filename . The default is to read them from
the shairport-sync.conf in the System Configuration Directory --
/etc in Linux, /usr/local/etc in BSD unixes.
For information about configuration settings, see the "Configuration File Settings"
section above.
-d | --daemon
Instruct shairport-sync to demonise itself. It will write its
Process ID (PID) to a file, usually at
/var/run/shairport-sync/shairport-sync.pid , which is used by the
-k , -D and -R options to locate
the daemon at a later time. See also the -j option. Only available if
shaiport-sync has been compiled with libdaemon support.
-E program | --on-stop= program
Execute program when playback has ended. Specify the
full path to the program, e.g. /usr/bin/logger .
Executable scripts can be used, but they must have the appropriate shebang
(#!/bin/sh in the headline.
If you want shairport-sync to wait until the command has
completed before continuing, select the -w option as well.
--get-coverart
This option requires the --meta-dir option to be set, and enables
shairport-sync to request cover art from the source and to transmit it through
the metadata pipe.
Please note that cover art data may be very large, and may place too great a
burden on your network.
-h | --help
Print brief help message and exit.
-j
Instruct shairport-sync to demonise itself. Unlike the -d option, it will
not write a Process ID (PID) to a file -- it will just (hence the "j") demonise
itself. Only available if shaiport-sync has been compiled with libdaemon support.
-k | --kill
Kill the shairport-sync daemon and exit. (Requires that the daemon has
written its PID to an agreed file -- see the -d option. Only available if
shaiport-sync has been compiled with libdaemon support.)
--logOutputLevel
Use this to log the volume level when the volume is changed. It may be useful if you
are trying to determine a suitable value for the maximum volume level. Not available
as a configuration file setting.
-L | --latency= latency
Use this to set the default latency , in frames, for audio coming from an
unidentified source or from an iTunes Version 9 or earlier source. The standard value
for the default latency is 88,200 frames, where there are 44,100
frames to the second.
Please note that this feature is deprecated and will be removed in a future version
of shairport-sync.
--meta-dir= directory
Listen for metadata coming from the source and send it, along with metadata from
shairport-sync itself, to a pipe called shairport-sync-metadata
in the directory you specify. If you add the --get-cover-art
then cover art will be sent through the pipe too. See
-m mdnsbackend | --mdns= mdnsbackend
Force the use of the specified mDNS backend to advertise the
player on the network. The default is to try all mDNS backends until one
works.
-o outputbackend |
--output= outputbackend
Force the use of the specified output backend to play the audio.
The default is to try the first one.
-p port | --port= port
Listen for play requests on port . The default is to use port
5000.
--password= secret
Require the password secret to be able to connect and stream to the
service.
-r threshold | --resync= threshold
Resynchronise if timings differ by more than threshold frames.
If the output timing differs from the source timing by more than
the threshold, output will be muted and a full resynchronisation
will occur. The default threshold is 2,205 frames, i.e. 50
milliseconds. Specify 0 to disable resynchronisation. This setting is
deprecated and will be removed in a future version of shairport-sync.
--statistics
Print some statistics in the standard output, or in the logfile if in daemon mode.
-S mode | --stuffing= mode
Stuff the audio stream using the mode . "Stuffing" refers to the
process of adding or removing frames of audio to or from the
stream sent to the output device to keep it exactly in synchrony
with the player.
The default mode, basic , is normally almost completely inaudible.
The alternative mode, soxr , is even less obtrusive but
requires much more processing power. For this mode, support for
libsoxr, the SoX Resampler Library, must be selected when
shairport-sync is compiled.
-t timeout | --timeout= timeout
Exit play mode if the stream disappears for more than timeout
seconds.
When shairport-sync plays an audio stream, it starts a play
session and will return a busy signal to any other sources that
attempt to use it. If the audio stream disappears for longer
than timeout seconds, the play session will be terminated.
If you specify a timeout time of 0 ,
shairport-sync will never signal that
it is busy and will not prevent other sources from "barging in"
on an existing play session. The default value is 120 seconds.
--tolerance= frames
Allow playback to be up to frames out of exact synchronization before
attempting to correct it.
The default is 88 frames, i.e. 2 ms. The smaller the tolerance, the more likely it is
that overcorrection will occur.
Overcorrection is when more corrections (insertions and deletions) are made than are
strictly necessary to keep the stream in sync. Use the --statistics option
to monitor correction levels. Corrections should not greatly exceed net corrections.
This setting is deprecated and will be removed in a future version of shairport-sync.
-u
If you are running shairport-sync from the command line and want logs to appear there,
use this option. Otherwise, logs may go to the system log.
-V | --version
Print version information and exit.
-v | --verbose
Print debug information to the system log, or or to STDERR if the -u command line option is also chosen.
Repeat up to three times to get more detail.
-w | --wait-cmd
Wait for commands specified using -B or -E to complete before
continuing execution.
These command-line options are passed to the chosen audio backend. The audio
backend options are
preceded by a -- symbol to introduce them and to separate them from any
program options. In this way, option letters can be used as program
options and also as audio backend options without ambiguity.
In the ALSA backend, audio is sent to an output device
which you can specify using the -d option.
The output level (the "volume") is controlled using a level control associated with a
mixer.
By default, the mixer is implemented in shairport-sync itself in software.
To use a hardware level control on a mixer on the sound card, specify the name of the
mixer control with the -c option.
If the mixer is not associated with the output device, then you need to specify where
the mixer is to be found with the -m option.
-c controlname
Use the level control called controlname on the hardware mixer for
controlling volume.
This is needed if the mixer type is specified, using the -t option,
to be hardware . There is no default.
-d device
Use the specified output device . You may specify a card, e.g.
hw:0 , in which case the default output device on the card will be chosen.
Alternatively, you can specify a specific device on a card, e.g. hw:0,0 .
The default is the device named default .
-m mixer
Use the specified hardware mixer for volume control. Use this to specify
where the mixer is to be found. For example, if the mixer is associated with a card,
as is often the case, specify the card, e.g. hw:0 .
If (unusually) the mixer is associated with a specific device on a card,
specify the device, e.g. hw:0,1 .
The default is the device named in the -d option,
if given, or the device named default .
-t devicetype
This option is deprecated and is ignored. For your information, its functionality has
been automatically incorporated in the -c option
-- if you specify a mixer name with the -c option, it is assumed that the mixer is
implemented in hardware.