This blog post is about how to configure the audio output of the Raspberry Pi to allow you to play audio files from your computer, which is very similar to the way you would connect a normal speaker to a normal sound card. I’ll assume you have a working Raspberry Pi, and either Raspbian OS installed or whatever OS you prefer to run on your Pi.
The Pi officially does not have a speaker. It sounds silly to say this, but I have been asked this question a lot over the last year. It’s not as if they will just suddenly make one, but there is a possibility that you could purchase an extra speaker for the Pi at some point in the future.
This is a question that has been asked around the web the last few years, but it has always been a mystery. The Raspberry Pi has an audio connector, but it appears to only take digital information, rather than analog, so how does sound come out of that?
If you know how to use a Raspberry Pi, it’s a fantastic machine. They are an excellent teaching tool for individuals learning to program, and they have a wide range of features. They do not, however, have all of the functions of other computers, so it is crucial to understand what they can do.
The Raspberry Pi lacks a speaker. However, you can connect a speaker to a variety of audio output options. Raspberry Pi can be physically connected to a speaker via an audio connector or a USB port, or wirelessly via Bluetooth.
Although the Raspberry Pi lacks a built-in speaker, attaching one to the computer is simple. Audio can be connected in a variety of ways.
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How to Make a Speaker Connection with a Raspberry Pi
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It’s simple to connect a Raspberry Pi to a speaker. You can use USB ports or jack ports to physically attach a speaker to your Raspberry Pi board.
USB
Because the Raspberry Pi has a USB connector, you can connect any USB-capable speaker to it. You should be able to utilize USB headphones (such as this one from Logitech) or USB computer speakers, for example (like this one).
Because of potential incompatibilities with your Linux operating system, this may not be the ideal solution if you need to buy a speaker or headset. Most of the time, it should function directly, however some devices may not be recognized by your system.
In any way, you can test USB devices on your Raspberry Pi if you already have them. It should, hopefully, work.
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Jack Port
If you don’t have a USB speaker or simply wish to hear the sound through another device, the Raspberry Pi also has a jack connector.
The advantage of using a Jack port is that the Raspberry Pi will recognize the plug-in as a device to play audio over on its own, so no additional setting is required.
You can easily connect your preferred headphones or earbuds to a Raspberry Pi. If a speaker has a jack port, an aux cord can be connected from the speaker to the Raspberry Pi, and audio will come through the speaker instead of headphones.
To connect the speaker in this manner, make sure the correct output is selected so that the audio is sent to the desired speakers rather than the monitor.
HDMI
In addition, most Raspberry Pi versions offer HDMI output, which can be used to play audio as well. If your monitor comes with built-in speakers, it may be the simplest method to get this to work. Your sound settings has HDMI chosen by default, so it should work right away.
It won’t be the best audio quality in general, but it might suffice in specific circumstances.
Is it possible to connect a Bluetooth speaker to a Raspberry Pi?
Bluetooth speakers are simple to utilize with the Raspberry Pi.
The Raspberry Pi includes Bluetooth capabilities, which makes setting up the connection a breeze. This is an important function, especially since many speakers and earphones are now wireless.
The process of connecting a Bluetooth speaker to a Raspberry Pi is the same as attaching any other Bluetooth device. To set up your Bluetooth connection, follow the instructions below:
- Make sure your speaker is powered on and in pairing mode before proceeding.
- Go to the top-right corner of the screen and select the Bluetooth icon.
- Select “Add Device” and locate your speaker.
- If your speaker does not have a name, you may have to use its MAC address, which is a six-octet hexadecimal number, to identify it. This code is normally found on the device, and it can be found there. You should receive a notification that the pairing was successful after clicking on the speaker.
- The Raspberry Pi should now be linked to the speaker, but you’ll need to click on the volume control applet and then choose the device from there to get it to output audio.
- When your device is connected, a pop-up will appear to confirm that it is connected, and you will be able to hear sounds from it.
While connecting a Bluetooth speaker is more difficult than just putting one into a jack port, it is worthwhile to take the effort to do it once. You should not have to go through the pairing and trusting of the device again after the first connection, but you will have to reconnect when your Raspberry Pi device is restarted.
Using the Raspberry Pi to Play Music
If you’re confused by all the new terms and acronyms, get my free Raspberry Pi glossary (PDF format)!
Now that you know how to connect a speaker to a Raspberry Pi in a variety of ways, you’ll want to know how to play music through those freshly connected speakers. Kodi and VLC are two of the top music-playing software for Raspberry Pi.
Kodi
Kodi is a free media player software that can be installed on the Raspberry Pi. This player can be installed on any Raspberry Pi version, but the most recent versions provide the highest quality. Kodi is simple to install on a Raspberry Pi, and it allows the user to do other things with the Raspberry Pi while it is open, which is something that not many apps offer.
Kodi may be installed on Raspberry Pi OS like any other app (by following this approach), but you can alternatively use a lightweight OS designed specifically for this, such as LibreElec or OSMC.
If you’re interested, I have a few tutorials about it on this website, which you can check out:
VLC
VLC is one of the greatest open-source media players for most devices, and it works with the Raspberry Pi as well. VLC is very simple to set up. VLC will work smoothly and play music over the connected speaker as long as you have an up-to-date Raspberry Pi.
VLC is probably pre-installed on any Raspberry Pi OS version with Desktop, but you can easily add it with the “Recommend Software” tool, or with your package manager if you’re using another Raspberry Pi distribution.
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Plex
Plex is a multi-media streaming service that is simple to use and offers a wide range of features. This program is Raspberry Pi compatible and simple to set up and install. A USB mouse, keyboard, and monitor, as well as a USB storage device, are required to install Plex on your device. Once you have all of these materials, make sure your device is up to current, that HTTPS transfer is enabled during downloads, and that you are using the dev2day repository as your package source.
After you’ve completed all of the prerequisites, install Plex Media Services and configure it to stream and play music, movies, games, and other media on your monitor.
Resources for the Raspberry Pi
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This website also contains all of my tool and hardware suggestions.
This week I decided to give the Raspberry Pi a listen. For those who don’t know, the Raspberry Pi is a credit-card sized computer, and you can buy it for about £15.00 from your favourite online retailer. It’s a great little device, and has a massive community behind it.. Read more about raspberry pi audio output quality and let us know what you think.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do I use my Raspberry Pi as a speaker?
You can use a Raspberry Pi to play music on your computer. The easiest way to do this is by using the command line tool called alsamixer which you can find in the raspbian repository.
Does the Raspberry Pi have a speaker?
The Raspberry Pi does not have a speaker.
How do I add sound to my Raspberry Pi?
The easiest way to add sound to your Raspberry Pi is by using a USB microphone.
Related Tags
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- raspberry pi audio jack
- raspberry pi audio input
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- raspberry pi no sound from audio jack
- raspberry pi usb audio