AirSend

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Windows desktop app that captures system audio and sends it to a HomePod over AirPlay 2 with low latency.

⚠️ Status: pre-alpha.

Installation

Download the latest release:

SmartScreen warning: the app is not signed with an EV code-signing certificate (~€200/year), so the first run shows a warning. Workaround: "More info" → "Run anyway". EV signing is under consideration post-MVP.

Comparison with alternatives

This table summarizes the main differences between AirSend and some popular alternatives. AirSend prioritizes being free, auditable and compatible with HomePod over AirPlay 2 — it is still a young project and does not aim to cover screen mirroring or multi-target streaming.

Feature	AirSend	TuneBlade	AirParrot
Platform	Windows	Windows	Windows + macOS
License / price	GPL-2.0, free	Freeware, closed-source	Commercial (~€15)
AirPlay 2 with HomePod	✅	⚠️ Unstable / often fails to pair	✅
Pair-setup transient + verify	✅	❌, reliable only on AirPlay 1	✅
Codec	ALAC + ChaCha20-Poly1305	ALAC	ALAC
Capture	WASAPI loopback (system audio)	WASAPI loopback	WASAPI loopback + per-app picker
Tray + close-to-tray	✅	✅	✅
Auto-reconnect to last device	✅	✅	✅
Manual IP when mDNS fails	✅	❌	⚠️ Limited
Stable HomePod latency	500 ms – 3 s, configurable	Variable	High, occasional desync
Windows jitter in release builds	✅ MMCSS Pro Audio + HIGH_PRIORITY	❌	✅
Active development	✅	❌, stalled for years	✅
Auditable source	✅	❌	❌
Tested on hardware	⚠️ 1 setup (HomePod gen 2)	✅ Years, broad hw	✅ Years, broad hw

Project status

AirSend is in an early stage. The current version already streams system audio from Windows to a HomePod over AirPlay 2, but does not yet aim to fully replace more mature commercial solutions.

The main goal of the project is to offer a free, open and auditable alternative for users who want to stream audio from Windows to AirPlay-compatible devices.

Roadmap

Current version: 0.1.4

• System audio capture via WASAPI loopback
• AirPlay 2 streaming (ALAC + ChaCha20-Poly1305 + RTSP/RTP)
• HomePod pair-setup transient + pair-verify
• RTSP heartbeat to keep the session alive (~10 s without it, the HomePod drops it)
• mDNS discovery with cache replay on rescan
• Add device by manual IP (networks with broken mDNS: Movistar HGU routers, VLANs)
• Auto-reconnect to the last device on startup
• Persistent volume across sessions
• System tray + close-to-tray (app keeps running in the background)
• Daily-rotated log files + UI toast for async errors
• Signed auto-update via minisign + GitHub Releases
• Windows jitter fix: HIGH_PRIORITY_CLASS + MMCSS "Pro Audio" + THREAD_PRIORITY_TIME_CRITICAL

Next improvements

• Auto-generated release notes from git log in the workflow
• Minimal unit tests in crates/airplay-core (probe parser, stream config builder, pump-loop smoke)
• Validation on more hardware (HomePod gen 1, mini, Apple TV, AirPort Express)
• Technical docs on AirPlay 2 and pairing under /docs
• EV code-signing certificate to drop the SmartScreen warning (~€200/year, budget decision)

Future

• Simultaneous multi-target (group streaming to multiple HomePods)
• Per-application audio capture (WASAPI process-loopback, Win10 1903+)
• Preset latency profiles (Music / Video / Gaming)
• Upstream PR to lmcgartland/airplay2-rs with the two Windows patches
• Stable support for other AirPlay 2 receivers (Apple TV, AirPort Express, third-party speakers)

Stack

• Rust + Tauri v2 (native Windows webview UI, no Electron)
• mdns-sd for AirPlay device discovery on the local network
• WASAPI loopback for system audio capture (Windows only)
• ALAC + encrypted RTP (ChaCha20-Poly1305) for HomePod streaming
• NSIS installer and signed auto-updater (minisign) via GitHub Releases

Contributing

Release instructions and maintainer notes live in CONTRIBUTING.md.

License

GPL-2.0 (compatible with airplay2-rs, used as upstream base).