What's the recommended approach to playing music (.mp3) stored locally on a laptop or on a Home NAS through a Chromecast-Audio?
And IMHO, I don't think "upload it to Google Music and play it from there" is the correct answer. I'd much rather use Winamp or VLC (or even WMP) due to the better playlist handling.
VLC is working on integrating Chromecast (no date yet).
What Google need to do for us windows users, is build a Windows device driver or app that intercepts Windows Audio Out and then routes it to a Chromecast. Then we can use whatever audio player we fell like but have it come out of an audio system somewhere else. And without having to install and learn another system.
- Localcast is Android only.
- Plex is a full featured server, but I don't want a server, I just want to play my local/NAS files.
- VLC desktop Cast support is still a long way off
[1] RIP Winamp. I really hope it gets some development love again, but I don't hold out a lot of hope.
I use it a lot for music on my NAS and video from my NAS or server. It has the option of using the bubbleupnp server software, but it is not necessary if you don't need to transcode. You should be fine in your situation with out it, I am. I am a huge fan of bubbleupnp's Android app.
Option to would be ES File Explorer: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.estrongs.android.pop
With, the Chromecast plugin: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.estrongs.chromecast
In this scenario you will add your NAS to the "LAN" locations and when you click on a file you can chose to play it with the Chromecast plugin. I use this too some time's, but don't find it as useful as bubbleupnp.
For bonus points, Chromebooks. Oh. but wait, Chromebooks can't see a local NAS out of the box.
One option here is to use the Chrome Beta Cast extension and then use Cast Whole Screen. That captures any audio from the laptop and ought to work with a C-A. Then you can just use your fav music player.
Queue can be saved as playlists.
https://support.google.com/chromecast/answer/6279416?hl=en-GB
- Upload to GPM
- Use an App, eg Plex, BubbleUp
- Android Audio Casting to play any locally stored music
- Cast a Chrome tab
- Use Chrome Cast to Cast the desktop or a window