autostream tracks playback hours for each input and uses this to manage turntable maintenance reminders — including stylus replacement, belt replacement, and oiling. Reminders can be triggered by hours of use, time since last maintenance, or both, with thresholds configured in the web app. When a threshold is approaching — for example, 495 hours against a 500-hour stylus life — a reminder appears in the web app.

Yes. autostream includes two equaliser stages. Each input has a three-band EQ — useful for correcting the typically weak bass or treble from older Hi-Fi sources. A separate six-band output EQ lets you tune the overall tone to your speakers. Both are accessible from the web app.

Not at all. autostream includes a built-in update function accessible directly from the web app — no command line required.

autostream is an independent product from Lo-tech Systems Limited designed for AirPlay audio streaming using Owntone. It works with a wide range of AirPlay-compatible speakers, including HomePod and HomePod mini, Apple TV, and many third-party products.

autostream is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Apple Inc. HomePod, HomePod mini, AirPlay, AirPlay 2, and Apple TV are trademarks of Apple Inc.

autostream uses OwnTone as its AirPlay streaming engine. OwnTone is a mature, open-source media server with excellent AirPlay 2 support, and autostream installs and manages it automatically — you never need to interact with it directly. We’re grateful to the OwnTone contributors for their work.

Yes. Apple TV appears as an AirPlay target on your network, so autostream can stream directly to it. This is particularly useful when your Apple TV is configured to output audio to a HomePod or stereo HomePod pair — autostream will stream through the Apple TV to those speakers, giving you another flexible path to getting your turntable or CD player playing through your HomePod setup.

Yes. If you have two HomePods configured as a stereo pair in the Home app, autostream sees them as a single stereo output and streams to them just as it would any other AirPlay speaker. Your vinyl or CD plays in proper left/right stereo through the pair. This also works when a stereo HomePod pair is configured as the audio output for an Apple TV — see below.

The autostream Discussions page on GitHub is the place to ask questions, share feedback, and discuss feature ideas. Bug reports and issues can be filed in the issue tracker.

autostream is free for personal, non-commercial use. The hardware you’ll need (Raspberry Pi + USB audio adapter) costs roughly £35–£50 in total. Pre-imaged microSD cards will also be available soon for a fully turnkey setup.

Yes! Using Raspberry Pi Zero 2W, it can be fitted inside many turntables and CD players, creating a single-power-cord streaming appliance with no external box. See this worked example with a vintage CD player and this Technics turntable build.