A speaker’s “Streaming Services” spec lists the protocols it can pull audio from directly over Wi-Fi, rather than needing a phone connected the whole time over Bluetooth. Of the 23 ranked speakers where we’ve checked, 14 support AirPlay and 9 support Chromecast or Google Cast; most of these speakers support several protocols at once rather than just one.
AirPlay 2, Chromecast, And Spotify/Tidal Connect
AirPlay 2 is Apple’s own casting protocol. Tap the AirPlay icon in an app on an iPhone, iPad or Mac and the speaker starts playing that stream directly, with your phone free to lock, switch apps, or leave the room once playback starts. It’s the primary, often only, way to stream to a HomePod, and most other Wi-Fi speakers support it too.
Chromecast built-in (also called Google Cast) is Google’s equivalent: cast from a compatible app on Android, iOS, or desktop Chrome, and the speaker pulls the stream itself rather than relaying it through your phone’s Bluetooth radio. It’s built into every Google Assistant speaker and licensed into many third-party Wi-Fi speakers as well.
Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect work the same way but are tied to one music service each: open Spotify or Tidal’s own app, pick the speaker as the output device, and the app hands off playback to the speaker directly. Unlike AirPlay or Chromecast, these only work for that one service, not anything else installed on your phone.
App-Bundled Streaming: Sonos, HEOS, And Alexa
Some ecosystems skip individual per-service protocols and instead bundle several streaming services into one manufacturer app. Sonos speakers use the Sonos app for Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and others; Denon and Marantz speakers use the same approach through the HEOS app; Amazon’s Echo line streams through the Alexa app, or by voice through its built-in Alexa. The tradeoff for the reader is the same one covered in companion apps explained: which services are actually supported depends entirely on that one app, not a universal standard like AirPlay or Chromecast.
Roon And Hi-Res Network Streaming
A smaller number of higher-end speakers, the Denon Home 350 among them, support Roon, a paid, dedicated streaming platform built for a home network library and hi-res files rather than a phone-first app. It’s a niche feature aimed specifically at listeners already running a Roon server, not something most buyers will use.
Why This Only Shows Up On Wi-Fi Speakers
Every protocol here, AirPlay, Chromecast, Spotify Connect, Sonos or HEOS streaming, and Roon, depends on the speaker holding its own network connection rather than relaying audio through a phone’s Bluetooth radio; see Wi-Fi explained for what else that connection unlocks. A Bluetooth-only speaker has no equivalent: it always needs a paired device playing the audio and staying in range.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between AirPlay and Chromecast? AirPlay 2 is Apple’s casting protocol, built into every Apple device and most Wi-Fi speakers. Chromecast (Google Cast) is Google’s equivalent, built into every Google Assistant speaker and widely licensed elsewhere. Both let an app hand playback off to the speaker directly instead of relaying audio over Bluetooth.
Does Spotify Connect only work with Spotify? Yes. Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect are each tied to their own service; picking the speaker as an output device only works from that service’s own app, unlike AirPlay or Chromecast which work from any compatible app.
Why do Sonos and Denon speakers use their own app instead of AirPlay or Chromecast? Their app bundles several streaming services, Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and others, under one control surface with multi-room grouping built in. Most of these speakers support AirPlay 2 as well, as an additional option alongside the manufacturer app.
How common is Wi-Fi streaming support on the speakers you rank? Of the 23 ranked speakers where we’ve checked, 14 support AirPlay and 9 support Chromecast or Google Cast, usually alongside other protocols on the same speaker.
Product prices and availability were last checked September 22, 2026 at 5:11 AM UTC and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.