Built a Category-leading Wireless Multi-room Audio System & Sustained a 12+ Year Partnership

The customer identified clear pain points in the market pertaining to the lack of synchronisation in playing music from different rooms. The wired connections offered limited functionality, were operated by a remote device and only supported limited music sources. Our customer realised this opportunity and needed a smart solution that could address the limitations of traditional wired audio systems without hampering the audio quality.

The customer approached Media Magic (which got acquired by Symv), considering our domain expertise in multimedia and mobile app development, to embark on their digital journey in 2011. The aim was to build a category-leading wireless audio technology that could offer wireless audio streaming across different devices and platforms, support multiple audio formats, and enable features like multi-room music, surround sound, and Hi-Res audio. They wanted to allow their partners to create differentiated products that elevate the user experience.

In the project initiation discussion, we identified the possible features of the sample desktop application. We then studied a lot about the customer’s business model and offerings to understand the scope of the app and the functionalities it can offer.

The customer wanted to tackle multiple challenges while simultaneously planning to broaden their offerings.

• The requirement was to build an android & iOS application that would download audio, process & stream to a wifi speaker. However, Android and iOS supported only limited audio formats & audio sources, and the customer needed all sources to be supported.
• They wanted GStreamer as a framework for integrating music capability into their product. However, GStreamer was not ported for various platforms, including Android & IOS.

Another key requirement was to support multiple connected speakers streaming from the same source. This would enable users to create groups or zones of speakers and play music from different sources in each zone. To achieve this, we needed to develop a custom protocol for inter-speaker communication and synchronization.

Additionally, we needed to develop an intuitive and user-friendly mobile app that could handle complex audio configurations and settings. This included configuring speakers in a group or zone, selecting different audio sources, adjusting volume and equalizer settings, and managing playlists and queues.

This partnership that began in the PoC phase has been long-standing for more than a decade now. The customer approached us with an idea, and together, through a shared vision, ambition and aligned business ethos, we were able to bring their idea to reality.

Starting with a single-member team - a developer, we scaled up to 22 members. And over the span of 12 years, the team assigned to the project has been flexible and adaptable based on the changing business requirement and evolving needs of the industry. And our team has been solely responsible for designing, developing, maintaining, and enhancing all things related to audio processing.  

• We began by using open-source GStreamer frameworks to develop scalable and futuristic solutions. We ported it to Android and iOS to decrease dependence on third-party solutions and reduce costs.
• We integrated FFmpeg to develop audio codecs as it supported a wide range of formats - from the most obscure to the cutting-edge ones.
• We optimized Gstreamer & codecs for lower CPU, memory & package size
• We developed cross-platform C++based SDK for various streaming services like Pandora, Sirisuxm, Amazon music etc. This ensured the reusability of the same code across Android, iOS, Embedded and Linux platforms. These SDKs were also developed using open-source software like Libupnp, Libcurl.
• We proactively upgraded GStreamer, FFmpeg, and the SDKs for improved performance, stability, and security.
• Over the period we upgraded Gstreamer, FFmpeg, C++ SDK to their latest versions.
• We ensure that the mobile app is redesigned over a period of time according to the latest design principles and security measures from Android and iOS. Through this, we could continue to provide a modern and intuitive user experience while also protecting user data and privacy.
• We conducted regular testing and quality checks, to identify and fix any issues before they could impact the end-users.
• An elegant zone management system was developed that allows users to add or remove devices from each zone dynamically. This provides greater flexibility and convenience for users.
• The solution has the ability to support certified speakers from different companies, which enables users to expand and customize their audio setup easily.
• We developed a native application for iOS, and Android which allows users to control their audio setup from their mobile devices easily.
• The multi-user support and intelligent locking system are also added to prevent conflicts and ensure a better user experience.
• Listed below are some of the key features that were added:
  - Wireless Stereo Playback
  - Wireless Surround Sound Playback
  - Multi-Zone Playback from a Single Device
  - Multi-Room Playback: Expandable System (Synchronous)
  - Gapless Playback
  - Critical Listening: Lossless High-Resolution (24bit/192kHz)
  - Surround Sound Setup
  - Software Presets (Scenes)
  - Hardware Presets
  - Sling Transfer

We successfully released this futuristic digital solution that addressed the limitations of traditional wired audio systems and provided users with a more immersive audio experience. As the market for wireless audio systems continues to evolve, we continue to help them stay up-to-date with the latest technologies and their users’ needs.