How can I stream audio from the target computer?

If your target computer plays audio, TinyPilot can stream the remote system's audio through your browser. This page explains how to configure your TinyPilot for audio streaming and how to troubleshoot issues when audio isn't working.

Enabling audio streaming

Audio streaming is only available when TinyPilot is in H.264 streaming mode. You can check your TinyPilot's current streaming mode using the streaming mode indicator on the bottom left-hand corner of the TinyPilot web interface:

To enable audio, configure your video settings to use H.264 streaming mode:

1. Go to System > Video Settings in the TinyPilot web interface.
2. Click the "Streaming Mode" dropdown.
3. Set the streaming mode to H.264.
4. Click "Apply".

If you purchased before Feb. 11th

If you purchased your TinyPilot Voyager 2a before Feb. 11th, 2023, you need to factory reset your device with the latest image to enable audio streaming.

Why do pre-Feb. 11th customers need to factory reset?

TinyPilot runs on the Raspberry Pi OS. TinyPilot originally shipped with Pi OS 10, Buster. To enable audio, we had to switch to Pi OS 11, Bullseye.

Raspberry Pi OS unfortunately doesn't support major version upgrades, so the only way to move from a Buster system to a Bullseye system is to factory reset using TinyPilot Pro 2.5.3 or higher.

We understand that factory resetting your device is a burden on you, so we didn't take this decision lightly. We're currently working on tools in TinyPilot Pro 2.5.4 to make this transition easier, so you may choose to wait until that release to upgrade.

If you're unable to re-flash your microSD card, contact us for assistance.

Troubleshooting audio issues

If you can't hear any audio after switching to H.264 streaming, try the following troubleshooting steps:

Check your target machine's output device

For TinyPilot to capture audio, your target machine must output sound via HDMI. Check that your target machine is using HDMI as its sound output device.

The process of changing the output device varies by operating system, but you can usually find the sound output options in your computer's system settings under "Sound".

Go to your sound settings, select "Output", and then select "HDMI".

Verify that your target machine plays audio

If you're unable to hear sound through TinyPilot's web interface, it could be because the target machine isn't producing audio at all.

To test whether the target machine is producing audio:

1. Disconnect your TinyPilot from your target machine.
2. Verify that audio is unmuted on your target machine.
3. Verify that volume is turned to an audible level on your target machine.
4. Open a video or music file on the target machine.

If you can hear sound on your target machine with TinyPilot disconnected, reconnect TinyPilot and re-verify muting and volume settings.

Verify that your client machine plays audio

TinyPilot may fail to produce audio due to volume settings on your client system, the device from which you're viewing TinyPilot in the browser.

To test audio on your client sytem:

1. Verify that audio is unmuted on your client system.
2. Verify that volume is turned to an audible level on your client system.
3. Open a video or music file on your client system.

Check for muting in your browser

If your browser tab shows a speaker icon with a line through it, it means that the tab is muted:

Unmute by right-clicking on the tab for the tab's menu, then click "Unmute".

Check TinyPilot's streaming mode

If you configured TinyPilot to use H.264 streaming mode, it's possible that H.264 streaming will fail over to MJPEG mode, which will prevent audio from streaming.

Check for a warning in TinyPilot's status bar about an H.264 streaming failure:

If you see an H.264 failure, refreshing the browser page may fix the issue.

Still having issues?

Create a new thread in our help forum with the following details:

• Make and model of your target device
• Operating system of your target device
• Model of your TinyPilot

• A log URL from your TinyPilot

  • On the TinyPilot web interface, go to System > Logs, then click Get Shareable URL.