Where to Get AirPlay for Windows

Stream music, photos, podcasts, and videos throughout your home or office

iTunes on Windows 10 PC
by Sam Costello
Sam Costello has been writing about tech since 2000. His writing has appeared in publications such as CNN.com, PC World, InfoWord, and many others.
Updated April 14, 2019

AirPlay is Apple's technology for wireless media streaming and it lets your computer or iOS device send music, photos, podcasts, and videos to other devices in your house or office. For instance, if you want to stream music from an iPhone X to a Wi-Fi speaker, you use AirPlay. Same for mirroring your Mac's screen to an HDTV.

But some of Apple's best features only work with the company's own products (there's no FaceTime on Windows, for instance), which may leave PC owners wondering: can you use AirPlay on Windows?

Here's the good news: Yes, you can use AirPlay on Windows. Just make sure you have at least two AirPlay-compatible devices (one needs to be the computer or iOS device) on the same Wi-Fi network and you're good to go. To use some advanced Airplay features, you'll need to get extra software.

Read on to learn all about your options for using AirPlay on Windows.

AirPlay Streaming From iTunes on Windows? Yes.

There are two different parts of AirPlay: streaming and mirroring. Streaming is the basic AirPlay functionality of sending music from your computer or iPhone to a Wi-Fi-connected speaker. Mirroring uses AirPlay to display everything on your device's screen on another device, such as a TV.

Basic AirPlay audio streaming comes built into the Windows version of iTunes. Just install iTunes on your PC, connect the computer to the same Wi-Fi network that a speaker is connected to, and you're ready to stream music to compatible audio devices.

Streaming Any Media Over AirPlay on Windows? Yes, With Extra Software.

Airfoil for Windows download website

One of the features of AirPlay that Apple only supports on Macs is the ability to stream content other than music to AirPlay devices. With that feature, you can stream media from virtually any program – even ones that don't support AirPlay – because AirPlay is embedded in the macOS operating system.

For example, if you're running the desktop version of a streaming music app that doesn't support AirPlay, you can use AirPlay built into the macOS to send music to your wireless speakers.

This won't work for PC users because AirPlay on Windows only exists as part of iTunes, not as part of the operating system. But you can download extra software to add this feature to Windows. There is a pair of third-party programs that can help:

AirPlay Mirroring on Windows? Yes, With Extra Software.

AirServer trial on Windows 10 PC

One of the coolest features of AirPlay is available to Apple TV owners: mirroring. AirPlay Mirroring lets you show whatever is on your Mac or iOS device's screen on your HDTV using the Apple TV. This is another OS-level feature that's not available as part of Windows, but you can add it with these programs:

  • AirMyPC. This $15 program lets you use AirPlay to mirror to an Apple TV or Chromecast connected to a TV. Add-on software for Windows let you use the mirrored screen like a virtual whiteboard. Download AirMyPC
  • AirParrot. A $12.99 download that enables mirroring to Apple TV (and Chromecast). It also allows you to mirror one program to the Apple TV while showing something else on your PC, which is not possible on Macs. Download AirParrot
  • AirServer. A powerful tool designed for educators (but applicable to many uses) that allows a PC to receive video over AirPlay. It includes a free trial and costs anywhere $19.99. Download AirServer
  • X-Mirage. This $16 program supports AirPlay Mirroring to any Mac or PC and adds the ability to record what's on your screen and audio. It also lets you mirror more than one device at a time onto the same screen. It doesn't seem compatible with the Apple TV, though. Download X-Mirage  

AirPlay Receiver on Windows? Yes, With Extra Software.

AirPlay Client for Windows Media Server

Another Mac-only feature of AirPlay is the ability for computers to receive AirPlay streams, not just send them. Some Macs running recent versions of macOS X can function like speakers or an Apple TV. Just send audio or video from an iPhone or iPad to that Mac and it can play the content.

Again, that's possible because AirPlay is built into the macOS. There are a few third-party programs that give your Windows PC this feature: