Wiim home app for Mac OS

[Geoff Hammond]

Looking for advice on controlling a Wiim Mini from a MacBook with an M1 chip running Sonoma OS 14.1.2. I've tried the apps for both Mac OS and iOS (for iPad).

Version 0.1.5 of the Home app for the Mac OS displays my music files correctly in My Music but they don't play. Selecting a file and clicking the 'play' icon toggles to the 'pause' icon but nothing happens: the progress bar stays stuck on 00.00 and there is nothing in the queue.

Version 2.7.3 of the iPad app loads OK on the Mac but doesn't show my music files in 'My Music' and I can't drag and drop the folder with my music files as I can with the Home app for Mac.

Grateful for any advice.

 

[jfbuk]

How were the media files on your Mac created ?
if via iTunes and they are digital rights protected then I doubt the Wiim will be able to play them.
what is the file extension of the files, is it m4p ?

 

[Geoff Hammond]

They are a mix of M4a and MP3 files, not created by iTunes (or Music) and kept in a seperate directory.

The issue seems to be with the Apps on a MacBook. I can play the files with iiina and send them wirelessly to the Wiim Mini (and then to a preamp).

 

[jfbuk]

Have you made the files visible to your Wiim with a uPnp/DLNA server running on your Mac ?

 

[Geoff Hammond]

Thanks jfbuk--that sounds exactly what I want to do, but as a new user I don't know how to do it. I'll see if I can find out how.

 

[Doublej]

Thanks jfbuk--that sounds exactly what I want to do, but as a new user I don't know how to do it. I'll see if I can find out how.

This should help get you started:

18 Best Open-source Free UPnP and DLNA Media Servers for building Home Entertainment Systems

If you want to view certain media files, such as photos and videos from your computer, or mobile on your TV, then you need to have enabled UPnP and DLNA-compliant devices, as well as, to set up a media server. In this article we will give brief explanations about DLNA,

medevel.com

 

[simbun]

I haven't tried many of those options (only the well known ones) but MinimServer is probably a better choice. You'll get much better support too if that's important to you.

 

[Doublej]

I am not convinced that your issue is the lack of a DLNA server. The music on my Macbook shows up and plays under My Music in the WiiM Home app. I don't think I have a DLNA server running as if I click on Home Music Server in the WiiM Home app it just keeps searching for a server.

I do have a few songs that have no time associated with them in the WiiM Home App and they play fine.

 

[Geoff Hammond]

I installed Serviio on my Mac and that worked--the Wiim app on my iPhone now shows the music stored on my Mac. (Are there better options than Serviio?)

Unlike Doublej the Wiim Home app on my Mac doesn't show the music stored on the Mac. Perhaps I have to wait until a Wiim app built specifically for the Mac OS is available.

 

[Doublej]

IMHO there are no better options than something that is working for you. I am running macOS Sonoma and have installed the latest version of WiiM Home for macOS, though it is still considered a beta release. When I first installed it, I did have to manually point WiiM Home to my music folder.

 

[Geoff Hammond]

Ummm ... must have been something I was doing wrong. I just reinstalled the beta release of the home app for the Mac and it sees the music files on the Mac. Thx for all the replies.

 

[Geoff Hammond]

Spoke too soon. The Home app on my Mac sees the files stored on the Mac when I go to 'My Music', but they don't play. When I go to 'Home Music Server' I get the attached screen which just keeps on searching ...

 

[simbun]

I installed Serviio on my Mac and that worked--the Wiim app on my iPhone now shows the music stored on my Mac. (Are there better options than Serviio?)

MinimServer is probably a better choice. You'll get much better support too if that's important to you.

Is there anything you're looking for that Serviio doesn't give you? I know it doesn't support UPnP search and has a strange genre implementation (takes you straight to tracks).

 

[jfbuk]

@Geoff Hammond
Apologies, I may well have sent you down a rabbit hole by bringing uPnp/DLNA. The Wiim app, as Doublej says, does not need DLNA, when accessing and playing back audio files local to the device you are running the app on using the My Music functionality.
When you initiate playback does the app show any evidence that playback has started,
e.g. the control icon changing to || or the moving bar chart audio visualizer appearing againt the device in the device list?

 

[Doublej]

At this point I would open the System Logs on the Mac and watch what happens when I open the WiiM Home and try to play a local music file.

 

[Geoff Hammond]

@Geoff Hammond
Apologies, I may well have sent you down a rabbit hole by bringing uPnp/DLNA. The Wiim app, as Doublej says, does not need DLNA, when accessing and playing back audio files local to the device you are running the app on using the My Music functionality.
When you initiate playback does the app show any evidence that playback has started,
e.g. the control icon changing to || or the moving bar chart audio visualizer appearing againt the device in the device list?

Thanks for your reply.

Initiating playback on the app changes the play icon to the pause icon (II) but the moving bars chart indicator doesn't advance, and if it's dragged along the bar chart it immediately snaps back to the start (and the numeric indicator always reads 00.00).

I tried MinimServer following simbun's suggestion but the Home Music Server didn't recognise it after installing it, activating a trial licence, and installing MiniStrreamer. Maybe back to Serviio.

 

[whodiini]

I just got the Wiim Pro plus today and setting up was rather straightforward but playing music on my mac is not. I installed the mac OS app on my M1 mac v2.7.4 by downloading wiim home from the apple app store. When I hit "Browse" and choose "My Music" there is nothing shown for my music files that itunes/Apple Music has on my mac. I am running Ventura 13.6.1. When I use the mac app "Music" I see my files. How do I get Wiim Home to recognize that there are music files on my mac and play them on the Wiim? Thanks!

 

[Geoff Hammond]

I have a similar problem with the Wiim Home app on an M1 MacBook running the most recent Mac OS (Sonoma 14.1.2).

No problem though with the Home app on my iPhone. Home Music Share shows and plays via Serviio or MinimShare (if active) and even the music files on a USB memory stick in my router (without any third-party software required).

 

[whodiini]

I see the issue, which was hard to understand at first. For macs, there are 2 versions of wiim home, a native mac os version, currently at 0.1.5 beta and an IOS version 2.7.4. M1/M2 macs can run either version whereas intel macs can only run the native mac version. But the versions have different functionalty. The ioS version works like on iphone and ipads and has streaming services except it cannot play music files located on your mac. The native version supposedly can play music files on your mac but cannot stream. So if you have a M1/M2 mac, you have to download both versions. I say supposedly because when I ran the native version, I dropped my music folder into My Music and all it does is spin the circular busy icon for the last half an hour. I will wait a few hours and see if it recognizes my music.

 

[simbun]

I tried MinimServer following simbun's suggestion but the Home Music Server didn't recognise it after installing it, activating a trial licence, and installing MiniStrreamer. Maybe back to Serviio.

No problem though with the Home app on my . Home Music Share shows and plays via Serviio or MinimShare (if active)

Am I right in thinking you got there in the end?

I don't have macos but if you're still having problems just post in the MinimServer forum and you'll no doubt get excellent support.