iPod and iTunes Hacks

Stream Music with AirPort Express

Using Apple’s AirPort Express to free your music’s collection from your computer and play your music on any stereo.

The more you get into your iPod and iTunes, the more your computer will become the center of your musical universe. All those ripped CDs and iTunes Music Store purchases add up. At some point, you will scratch your head and think, “Hmm, how can I get all that music to play on my stereo without burning a CD?”

“Stream Music Around Your House” [Hack #25] is one option. Apple’s AirPort Express (http://www.apple.com/airportexpress/; $129.00) is another.

AirPort Express is a small, self-contained unit that you plug into your wall. Its size betrays its power. Using AirPort Express, you can stream music from your computer to anywhere within your house (within 150 feet), share a USB printer, and extend your Apple AirPort network. For iTunes users, AirPort Express liberates your music from your computer, allowing you to play it anywhere in your house.

Apple calls AirPort Express’s music streaming capability AirTunes (http://www.apple.com/airportexpress/airtunes.html). To use it, all you need is a Mac running Mac OS 10.3 and an AirPort or AirPort Extreme Card. On the Windows side, you need Windows 2000 or XP and a Wi-Fi–certified IEEE 802.11b or 802.11g wireless card.

Connect your powered speakers or stereo to AirPort Express’s audio port. You can ...