Flexible Multi-Group Audio Zone Management

[Okosisi]

Related: to https://forum.wiimhome.com/threads/multiroom-api-limitations-and-feature-request.5967/ but it focused on platform.
Context and why: People want this but it's not easy to do ANYWHERE except on very expensive gear and even then. This would make WiiM Audio very sticky in multiple-zone situations
Prior art & acknowledgments: the latest firmware brings persistent groups. Very good! Suggests most of the code for this is in place. Hopefully the first steps can be low effort.

Details:
Background:WiiM's current implementation allows basic grouping of audio devices but lacks the ability to create and manage overlapping logical groups, limiting the system's flexibility for whole-home audio management.
Feature Description:
Implement a multi-group (optionally hierarchical) management system that allows:

• Amps & Audio devices to belong to multiple persistent logical groups simultaneously
• Priority-based stream management between overlapping groups
• Flexible grouping patterns (e.g., "Dining Areas", "Entertainment Spaces", "Whole House")
• Group-level stream conflict resolution ie if an amp belongs to two groups and they are being streamed to simultaneously which membership should it respect?

Benefits:

• More intuitive whole-home audio management
• Better support for different use cases (daily routines vs parties)
• Enhanced control over audio zones without requiring external automation platforms (most don't even support this or do it poorly).
• Improved family-friendly usage with priority settings

Here is a quick and dirty spec that should be almost complete. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1D-6vTC7kkjq1n-o3iRWb2uSpfxJXuEBaHCCBLHqfXmw/edit?usp=sharing
Feel free to reach out if WiiM wants to implement this. I have a system with 15 WiiM amps and am testing integrations all the time.

 

[slartibartfast]

Related: to https://forum.wiimhome.com/threads/multiroom-api-limitations-and-feature-request.5967/ but it focused on platform.
Context and why: People want this but it's not easy to do ANYWHERE except on very expensive gear and even then. This would make WiiM Audio very sticky in multiple-zone situations
Prior art & acknowledgments: the latest firmware brings persistent groups. Very good! Suggests most of the code for this is in place. Hopefully the first steps can be low effort.

Details:
Background:WiiM's current implementation allows basic grouping of audio devices but lacks the ability to create and manage overlapping logical groups, limiting the system's flexibility for whole-home audio management.
Feature Description:
Implement a multi-group (optionally hierarchical) management system that allows:

• Amps & Audio devices to belong to multiple persistent logical groups simultaneously
• Priority-based stream management between overlapping groups
• Flexible grouping patterns (e.g., "Dining Areas", "Entertainment Spaces", "Whole House")
• Group-level stream conflict resolution ie if an amp belongs to two groups and they are being streamed to simultaneously which membership should it respect?

Benefits:

• More intuitive whole-home audio management
• Better support for different use cases (daily routines vs parties)
• Enhanced control over audio zones without requiring external automation platforms (most don't even support this or do it poorly).
• Improved family-friendly usage with priority settings

Here is a quick and dirty spec that should be almost complete. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1D-6vTC7kkjq1n-o3iRWb2uSpfxJXuEBaHCCBLHqfXmw/edit?usp=sharing
Feel free to reach out if WiiM wants to implement this. I have a system with 15 WiiM amps and am testing integrations all the time.

LMS (Lyrion) can probably do this with the "Group Player" plugin installed. All WiiM players with Squeezelite are fully compatible with it.

 

[Burnside]

You can already define persistent groups whose members overlap and priority is already given to the most recent playback request. I could see issues though if the overlap was with the main device in the group as starting another group would then kill playback in the first.