Anyone else notice this?

Didn't we have a multiple Airport Express user complaining about this limitation here not long ago? Asking whether it's a hardware or software limit? It looks like Apple addressed this, unexpectedly, in an easy-to-overlook addition in the updated iTunes. Looks like it's now possible to stream to more than one destination from one source, by enabling the newly-named "multiple speakers" option in the drop down menu. Right on, Apple. Wishes do come true. No longer required to find a hack to achieve this. It can now be done easily from within iTunes.

that sounds cool. But to keep on wishing, how about the ability to send multiple unique streams out to different destinations?

This could make it possible to preview one song while another is presently being played, without having the two overlap.

Multiple instances of iTunes running on the same mac perhaps?

Considering that just to do the CURRENT "multiple speakers" dream scenario requires one to own multiple Airport Express units--something very, very few Airport Express/iTunes users do--I don't imagine fulfilling this even more advanced dream scenario is a high priority. I wouldn't rule it out. But I wouldn't exactly hold my breath.

How many users out there own multiple Airport Expresses? (couple hundred bucks) Each connected to unique sets of speakers? (another couple hundred bucks) And have them all in use on a network at the same time? Apple caters to affluent niche consumers, but not that small!

Oh I know the chances are slim, heck- I don't even own one airport express yet, but I did say "to keep on wishing".

I welcome this change though, and hope to exploit or rather, utilize it in the future.

Will it do an Airtunes on an Airport Express while at the same time doing the standard audio out?

This would be nice for playing music in my study and on the patio at the same time. I don't need an AExpress in my study. the speakers are connected.

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Don't ask who the bell's for, dude. It's you.

I agree sscutchen... we should have the ability to hear local and wireless at the same time, not have to choose one or the other.

Sounds like I am in the minority, but I do have two AEX units. One for the living room and one for the family room, so this is a welcome addition. Both rooms have their own AV receiver. While not cheap ($99 a piece refurb), it was cheaper than installing in-ceiling speakers in my case.

My wife has asked me a couple of times - can't we play the same music to both places? My answer till now has been - no. She'll be more excited about the change than I am since she is home more than I. I'll check it out tonight when I get home.

Gilbert

To answer sscutchen's question. It looks like it will output to your computer at the same time as your AEX boxes. I just VNC'd into my machine and when I selected "Multiple Speakers", it presented me with a window with a list of my two AEX units and "Computer". You just check which one's you want to receive the music. Pretty cool!

Very cool, Gilbert!

There is prolly still an issue with lag, though. The AirTunes stream lags real time by a few seconds (At least with 3rd party software. Which makes streaming movie audio a pain) If this is still the case, you'd want the computer speakers out of earshot from the AirTunes speakers.

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Don't ask who the bell's for, dude. It's you.

Gilbert, be sure to report back how this works since I am curious (and my computer speakers are next door to one set of my stereo speakers, so lag would not work for me).

I definitely check it out tonight and respond. My office is next to the family room, so a lag would be weird if it exists.

One note, I also own Airfoil, [www.rogueamoeba.com], a shareware by Rogue Amoeba, that can stream a source to multiple AEXs from not only iTunes, but any program. In my limited testing, the lag (if any) was not detectable. We'll see if Apple is able to do as good.

I'll report back later tonight.

Here is my promised update. It works AWESOME. No lag between any of the speakers and my computer speakers (Soundsticks). When you first select "Multiple Speakers", only Computer is selected by default. I then checked the names of my two AEX boxes. I selected a song and after a second, the music began to play to all speakers simultaneously. I jumped forward between songs and it continued without introducing any lag.

For kicks, I tried playing one of the videos I have from iTMS hoping the audio would be transmitted, but as before the update, the audio from videos (at least those from Apple) only plays on the speakers connected to the computer. Don't know if that is also the case for videos that one adds on their own.

When I showed my wife that we finally can play music to both receivers as she had asked, her first reaction was - let's buy another one of those things (her way to say an AEX box) for upstairs! More proof that I married the right woman.