Since October, OSMC has been developing and testing Bluetooth streaming capabilities. Although it has been possible to stream audio to an OSMC device via Bluetooth for some time, we wanted to develop an officially supported method that works well and has a wealth of features.

Bluetooth streaming capabilities are welcome as new versions of iOS continue to break AirPlay compatibility and offers greater streaming options than just iOS.

We are hoping to add Bluetooth support to our App Store soon, with support for the following capabilities:

  • Streaming from OSMC to a Bluetooth device such as headphones or a speaker
  • Streaming to OSMC from a Bluetooth device such as a mobile phone or tablet
  • Playback information on screen when streaming from a Bluetooth device to OSMC, including playback progress.
  • Volume control when streaming from a device to OSMC.

We have been developing a Bluetooth player, named btplayer for enhanced integration with Kodi. This will bring playback information to the Kodi interface, as well as make the transition between switching from Bluetooth streaming to local content more smooth.