Ubuntu Tips n Tricks: TechSource: How to Stream Music and Videos from Android to PC (and Vice Versa)

Thursday, August 2, 2012

TechSource: How to Stream Music and Videos from Android to PC (and Vice Versa)

How to Stream Music and Videos from Android to PC (and Vice Versa)

Posted: 01 Aug 2012 09:56 PM PDT

I have a lot of MP3s lying around on my phone. I love those songs but with my Droid's poor speakers, the whole experience seems kind of insipid. Coming to movies, I never download movies on my phone, but I have TubeMate, which lets me download YouTube videos and watch them later.

But sometimes, there are days when I want to watch videos on my desktop rather than my tiny little smartphone screen. Also, for movie lovers who download flicks from torrents on their Android devices, watching a 120 minute movie on a miniscule screen becomes quite an ordeal. In cases like these, streaming comes in handy. Thanks to some amazing developers, you can now stream videos and music from your PC to your Android device and vice versa. If you didn't know how to do that, read on as we'll teach you how.

Use Dropbox

Dropbox is one of the best file storage solutions out there. The freemium service lets you store all your important documents and files safely in the cloud. As surprising as it may seem, Dropbox can also be used as a streaming service to stream music from your computer to Android. Simply create a folder named Music in your Dropbox account and store all your favorite music files in there. Now, on your mobile you can install the official Dropbox Android app and access those music files any time you want. This also works the other way around as you can download music on your phone, upload it to Dropbox and listen to those songs on your desktop.

Subsonic

Subsonic is quite simply the best music streaming application for Android. The service is designed to handle very large music collections and can stream multiple players simultaneously. Licensed under GPL v3, this application lets you stream all your music to your Android phone. The Subsonic application works on Ubuntu, Windows, and Mac OS X.

You may download Subsonic HERE.

Streaming from Android to PC using VLC Direct Pro

The best way to get started streaming music and videos from your Android device to your computer is by using VLC Direct Pro. This free application not only lets you control your VLC player from your phone, it also streams content from PC to Android. With support for subtitles, this app is a bit tricky to get started with. However, with the help of a nicely written manual, we're pretty sure you'll get it working.

Emit

Emit lets you watch videos from your computer on your Android device. You can stream videos to your phone via Wi-Fi or 3G. With support for subtitles, the app is perfect for leaning back quietly and watching your favorite movie on your smartphone.

Written by: Abhishek, a regular TechSource contributor and a long-time FOSS advocate.