Installing AirPlay on a Raspberry Pi + Pi Amp

I recently set up a Raspberry Pi with an IQaudio DigiAMP+ hat as a wireless AirPlay speaker for the patio. Here’s the whole process, start to finish. I didn’t want all the features of Volumnio or any of the other pre-built images.

1. Enable the DigiAMP+ overlay

The DigiAMP+ needs a device tree overlay enabled before it’ll show up as an audio device. Edit the boot config:

sudo nano /boot/firmware/config.txt

Add this line:

dtoverlay=iqaudio-digiampplus,unmute_amp

Reboot for the change to take effect.

2. Confirm the amp hat is detected

After rebooting, check the available playback devices:

aplay -l

You should see the DigiAMP+ listed alongside the Pi’s built-in outputs:

card 0: Headphones [bcm2835 Headphones]
card 1: IQaudIODAC [IQaudIODAC]
card 2: vc4hdmi [vc4-hdmi]

In this case, the DigiAMP+ is card 1, device 0 — so its ALSA identifier is hw:1,0. Make a note of this; you’ll need it in a moment.

3. Install Shairport Sync

Shairport Sync turns the Pi into an AirPlay receiver:

sudo apt install shairport-sync

Open the config file:

4. Point it at the DigiAMP+

sudo nano /etc/shairport-sync.conf

Find the alsa section and set it to use the card you identified earlier:

alsa =
{
  output_device = "hw:1,0";
  mixer_control_name = "Digital";
};

5. Enable and start the service

sudo systemctl enable shairport-sync
sudo systemctl start shairport-sync

That’s it — the Pi should now show up as an AirPlay device, streaming straight out through the DigiAMP+ to your speakers.