Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I ask my own questions and get further support?

You can discuss features and problems on the forum. Please search before creating a new topic as your question may have already been answered. You can also try the #mopidy channel on Freenode. For more general Raspberry Pi questions you may find better answers on the official Raspberry Pi forum.

What hardware is supported?

All Raspberry Pi models are supported but you’ll find the system is noticeably faster and more responsive on a Raspberry Pi 2 or 3.

What are the default login credentials?

Username: root, password: musicbox You should change this password as soon as possible.

Can I use the free version of Spotify?

No, you must have a Spotify Premium account. Spotify does not allow free users to stream using third party clients.

Can I use Spotify Connect?

YES! There is support for Spotify Connect in the latest release provided by the brilliant librespot software. This reverse engineered implementation provides most Connect functionality but should still be considered experimental. Please direct any frustrations regarding the state of affairs at Spotify as they are responsible for not making the Connect API available.

Can I use Spotify radio?

Unfortunately Spotify’s current libspotify SDK does not support this functionality.

Is there a way to upgrade the system?

There is currently no real upgrade path. The only way to upgrade is to download the latest image and copy over your settings.ini file.

I tried to upgrade my installation with apt-get/pip and now I’m having issues. what should I do?

This is not supported (see above) and it’s not advisable unless you know what you are doing. If you don’t know what you are doing then reinstall the latest version and then try to ask for support on the forum where someone may be able and willing to help you.

What happened to streamuris.js? How do I change the saved stream list?

Radio stations are now stored in /music/playlists/[Radio Streams].m3u and will appear in a playlist called ‘Musicbox Favourites’. You can modify this playlist using the webclient’s Streams page or by editing the underlying playlist file. Any modifications you make will be visible to all clients.

Can I edit my playlists from Pi Musicbox?

You can save the current track queue as a ‘local’ playlist but note it will only be available on your Pi Musicbox system. Some webclients, such as mopidy-mobile, also provide an interface to edit these local playlists. For now, Spotify playlists can only be modified using the official Spotify apps/website.

Can I use my HiFiBerry/IQAudio/PhatDAC/USB/JustBoom soundcard?

Yes, but you must specify the particular soundcard in settings.ini or the settings webpage. Most soundcards are supported but if you find yours isn’t then please request it on the forum.

Can I use my Bluetooth speaker?

No, unfortunately we don’t support this (yet). If you are able to get it working please share your findings on the forum.

How do I make my random USB device work with Pi Musicbox?

Pi Musicbox is based on Raspbian Wheezy but includes all drivers from the very latest Raspbian Jessie release. Any USB device that works with a regular Raspbian installation should also work with Pi Musicbox. If you encounter any problems then search the forum for help.

Can I use a different user interface?

Yes, you can use your favourite MPD client or choose from any of the available webclients. Note that webclients generally perform better than MPD clients and provide a richer user experience. A list of installed webclients can be found at http://musicbox/mopidy/ and the default webclient can be specified on the settings webpage.

Can I have several Pi Musicbox systems streaming content to one another?

Not yet, but I’m hoping to get it implemented one day.

Can I access the Pi remotely via terminal/command line?

Yes, enable SSH access in settings.ini or the settings webpage.

Where can I find the source files and submit improvements to Pi Musicbox?

Can Pi Musicbox stream to my Airplay device?

No, this functionality is not supported.

Can Pi Musicbox output to several devices via a multi-channel USB audio device?

No, this functionality is not supported.

Can I use my Spotify account on several different Musicboxes at once?

No, this is a Spotify restriction.

Can I get Pi Musicbox to play a song, playlist or radio station on startup?

Yes, configure the autoplay functionality in settings.ini or the settings webpage. Search the forum for examples.

Will you add support for XYZ streaming service?

Support for additional streaming services in Pi MusicBox depends on support in Mopidy which may or may not be available yet. Please search the forum for more information regarding the streaming service you’re interested in.

Why isn’t http://musicbox.local working on my Android device?

Even the very latest version of Android does not have support for using .local names on your home network. Most home routers should allow you to access http://musicbox instead. Alternatively, you’ll need to configure an IP address reservation (or similar) on your router to ensure the IP address of your Pi Musicbox system does not change between reboots and simply bookmark that particular IP address.