PSA: You cannot stream audio from Mac system to paired HomePod Mini in stereo, but there is a workaround

If you are planning to buy two HomePod mini speakers to use as a stereo pair with your Mac, you might want to think again. As some users have no doubt found with the original HomePod, it is not possible to stream AirPlay to multiple speakers from the menu bar of a Mac.

The inability to select paired “ HomePod ” speakers in stereo as the Mac audio output device is a glaring omission in Apple’s “ AirPlay ” rollout, and the situation unfortunately remains the same in macOS 11 Big. Sure. You can only use them with certain Apple apps like Music and TV – all other Mac audio files need to be streamed to one speaker or the other, but not both at the same time.

While it’s frustrating that Apple’s own apps allow users to select paired HomePods in stereo as a single device, it does provide a workaround, albeit a sludge that has its drawbacks. The following steps show you how to do this.

1. Launch the The music app on your Mac and select your stereo paired ‌HomePod‌ minis as audio output.
   
2. Now minimize the Music app (don’t close it) and then launch the Audio and MIDI configuration app located in the Applications -> Utilities folder.
   
3. In the Audio MIDI Setup application, click the + button in the lower left corner of the interface and select Create an aggregated device from the drop-down list.
   
4. Select the Aggregate device in the sidebar and check the use box next to AirPlay.
   
5. Close the Audio MIDI Setup application, then select the Aggregate device from the volume drop-down menu in the menu bar.
   

As for the caveats to this workaround, using it means you can only change the volume by pressing the physical “ HomePod ” controls themselves – you won’t be able to adjust it from there. from your Mac’s menu bar. You should also keep the Music app open at all times otherwise you will lose your audio and you will have to repeat the steps.

Another thing to consider is that this is only ‌AirPlay‌ 1, so there is a delay in audio output between play / pause, and the audio will be slightly out of sync when watching videos, while checking the Drift correction The option (circled in green above) in the Audio MIDI Setup application can compensate for this.

As mentioned, the solution is far from ideal, but until Apple brings system-wide support for ‌AirPlay‌ 2 to Macs, this is the only way to channel your audio. Mac via stereo paired HomePods, unless you buy a third-party app like Airfoil.

Update: As MacRumors B4rbelith player points out, if you play something in the Music app, then you can right click AirPlay in the sidebar of the Audio MIDI Setup application and select Use this unit for audio output. This allows you to control the volume from the menu bar, but the other caveats still apply.