AirPlay Android Videos & Music To Apple TV, Mac, PC

Mr A

Would you like to Airplay media content like music and videos from your Android mobile device to your Apple TV, Mac or Pc? There are a handful of software that lets you do just that. The guys over at Android Central have taken the time to break it down. Read on..

It isn't inconceivable that you own both an Android phone or tablet and an Apple TV. Sure, we're fans of Chromecast in these parts, but the Apple TV still has a lot to offer, especially if you're heavily involved in the iTunes content ecosystem.

One party piece that the Apple TV offers to iPhone and iPad owners is AirPlay. Wireless streaming of music and video, mirroring the display on your iOS device or Mac, it's a tremendously handy thing to have. But just because you've got an Android phone or tablet doesn't mean you can't join in with some of the AirPlay action. Head on past the break to see a couple of ways to AirPlay your locally stored music and video from your Android device to your Apple TV.

Using DoubleTwist

We've covered DoubleTwist many times before, including as a pretty slick method of getting your iTunes music library onto your Android device. But it can also be used to AirPlay music you've got stored on your phone or tablet to your Apple TV – or a set of AirPlay and Wifi enabled speakers for that matter. The basic app doesn't have the functionality built in, you need the AirSync plug in to do it.

AirSync is the same thing you use to wirelessly sync your music from your iTunes library to your Android device. Built into it is AirTwist, which is what DoubleTwist uses to send your music to your Apple TV. Once you enable it in the main DoubleTwist settings menu putting it to work is extremely easy.

All you need to ensure is that your Apple TV is turned on and connected to the same Wifi network as your Android device. If that's all OK, with AirTwist enabled you'll see a Wifi symbol above the music controls in the Now Playing view for music, and to the right for video. Tapping on that will give you the option to select your Apple TV and presto!

DoubleTwist mimics perfectly Apple's own AirPlay for music, in so much as it lets you continue to browse through other apps on the Apple TV while the track keeps playing in the background. You also get all track/album information and album art presented, too.

So, dropping a little bit of money on DoubleTwist is one of, if not the best way to AirPlay your music and video from your Android phone or tablet to your Apple TV.

Download: DoubleTwist Music Player (Free)
Download: AirSync ($4.99)

Using Allcast

There is another popular way to do this, too. Clockworkmod's Allcast is a newer app than DoubleTwist, but it will do the same job. Again, so long as your Apple TV is on the same Wifi network as your Android device, Allcast will do the rest.

You first choose your preferred streaming device, the specific Apple TV – or in Allcast's case, other devices – you wish to broadcast to. From there all you need to do is choose the music or video you want to play on the big screen and you're done.

The biggest difference between Allcast and DoubleTwist is that Allcast doesn't let you keep music playing in the background on your Apple TV while you navigate through other apps and menus. You also don't get the album art or track information, just a blank screen with the music playing. If you hit back on the Apple TV remote, the track will stop playing.

Allcast is a free download, but to remove ads and unlock the full featureset you'll need to upgrade to the premium version.

Download: Allcast (Free)
Download: Allcast Premium ($4.99)
That's it. I hope this guide showed you how to airplay content from your android device to your Apple TV.