Turn Your Raspberry Pi Into The Ultimate Music Player With Volumio

Hey there! Let me tell you about Volumio. It’s not just your average music player. It’s a music operating system that can turn your PC or a small device like a Raspberry Pi into an amazing custom audio player. Perfect for enjoying all your favorite tunes!

Unlike other media operating systems, like Kodi, Volumio is designed to be the brain of your stereo system. It can help you manage your music library, play Internet radio, import music from networked sources, and all of this is done through a sleek web interface.

One of the best things about Volumio is that it can be accessed by anyone on your local network. This makes it super convenient for everyday use and even for parties. With Volumio, anyone with access to your WiFi can pick the next song, just like a communal jukebox. Plus, since Volumio supports wireless controls, you can control your music from anywhere in your house, or even from outside if your WiFi reaches that far.

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Now, if you’re worried about audio quality, don’t be. Volumio is designed with audiophiles in mind. Although the Raspberry Pi may not have the best onboard sound, you can easily connect it to a high-quality DAC to enhance the audio experience. In fact, Volumio expects you to do just that!

What You’ll Need

Before we dive into the setup, let’s go over what you’ll need to get started with Volumio:

• A Raspberry Pi (preferably version 3)
• A MicroSD card for the operating system
• An Ethernet cable
• Speakers and an auxiliary cable
• Optional: A DAC
• A power cable compatible with Raspberry Pi

Flash The Image

Once you have all the necessary ingredients, it’s time to download the Volumio disk image and flash it onto your MicroSD card. Head over to the Volumio download page and grab the latest release for the Raspberry Pi.

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After the download is complete, unzip the image. It might take a few minutes since the file is quite large. Make sure you have the raw image ending in the .img extension.

Next, you’ll need a tool to flash the image onto your SD card. I recommend using Etcher, a great cross-platform tool. Go ahead and download the latest release for your operating system, then install it.

Insert your SD card into your computer and open up Etcher. Choose the Volumio image you just unpacked and select your SD card. Double-check everything and when you’re ready, hit the final button to write the image to the card. Once Etcher is done, safely remove the card from your computer.

Put It Together

Volumio is designed to be used over a network, so the initial setup will require a wired connection. Once it’s up and running, you can switch to WiFi. Here’s what you need to do:

First, insert your SD card into the Raspberry Pi. Then, connect your speakers and any other audio components you have for the setup. During the setup, Volumio will ask if you’re using a DAC. If you are, make sure to connect it as well. Now, it’s time to connect your Pi to the network by plugging in the Ethernet cable. Finally, plug in the Pi to power it up.

Be patient, as it will take a few minutes for the Raspberry Pi to set itself up and resize its partitions. While you wait, open a web browser on your computer and go to your router’s admin interface. Look for the list of devices on your network and keep an eye out for a Volumio entry. It may take a couple of refreshes before it shows up. Once it appears, open a new tab in your browser and enter the IP address of your Pi.

Setting Up Volumio

As we embark on the journey of setting up Volumio, we encounter a crucial moment – choosing our preferred language. Take a moment to select the language that suits you best.

Welcome to the next step! Now, I’m going to ask you to choose a name for your Raspberry Pi. The default name is Volumio, but you can pick any name you like. This name will also be used as the web address for your Pi on the network, so make sure to remember it. Just a little heads-up: you’ll need to set up this name on your other devices if you want to use it instead of the IP address.

First things first, we need to talk about setting up your default audio output. Volumio wants to know if you’re using a DAC. Whether you are or not, you’ll need to choose your preferred default output. Don’t stress if you want to make changes down the line, because it’s super easy to do. Trust me, you got this.

Now, let’s get your network all set up. If you’re using a Raspberry Pi 3, you should see a nifty option to get your WiFi up and running. Go ahead and connect to your WiFi network, and make sure to save all the settings. This way, you won’t have to bother with wires again once you’re done with the initial setup.

When it comes to storing your music, Volumio expects that you’ll use either a networked drive or a USB device. If you have a NAS or any other type of music share, you’ll need to provide the necessary details in this section. Don’t forget to click on the “Advanced Options” button, as it gives you the ability to specify the specific type of share you’re connecting to.

Once you’ve successfully connected to a music share, you’ll receive a notification letting you know that your database is being updated. As a result, you’ll be able to see your music share listed.

Finally, when you’re all set up, I’ll let you know with a nice little success message, and then you can finish the setup and start using Volumio.

Getting Started with Volumio

When you first set up Volumio, you’ll notice that it consists of three main sections. The first section you’ll come across is the playback screen, which shows you the song currently playing and allows you to adjust the volume.

To the left of the playback screen, you’ll find the browse button, which allows you to explore more music. Although Volumio primarily focuses on your own music library, it also offers internet radio capabilities, giving you access to a wide variety of streaming sources.

When you click on different views for your music library, Volumio presents you with a listing of your music along with accompanying graphics. The artist layout displays pictures of your favorite bands, while the album view shows you the album art.

The button on the far right displays your queue, where selected songs are added for playback. At any point, you can save your queue as a playlist. You can also add songs to your queue without immediately playing them by clicking the three stacked dots next to the track listing.

Settings

To access Volumio’s settings menu, simply click on the gear icon. From there, you can reconfigure anything you initially set up, all within the web interface.

Take a look around the settings menu, most of it is pretty straightforward. The “System” tab is particularly important as it allows you to update your Volumio installation, ensuring it stays up to date.

The “Network” tab is also significant as it allows you to connect to a new WiFi network if needed. You can also modify your device’s network settings from here.

The “Playback” tab enables you to change your audio output. So if you make any modifications to your sound system, remember to update Volumio in this section.

You also have the option to add new music sources. That’s what the “My Music” tab is there for. You can manage your music sources and get information about your music library from this section.

Closing Thoughts

Volumio truly offers a fantastic solution for managing and playing your music collection over your network. With Volumio, you’re not tied to your computer or burdened with carrying around a laptop just to enjoy your favorite tunes. Instead, you can conveniently take advantage of any sound system you prefer, all through your network. Thanks to Volumio and your Raspberry Pi, your music player becomes incredibly smart.