Audio Hero for Android

Audio Hero brings device selection, playback, music browsing, favorites, queues, and groups together on your phone or tablet.

What you need

• An Android phone or tablet running Android 8.0 or later.
• Compatible audio equipment connected to your home network.
• Your phone connected to that same local network, usually through Wi-Fi.
• Internet access for online music, radio search, track information, optional OneDrive sync, and Google Play.

A Windows PC is optional for direct control and required for the Windows Companion features described below.

Your first listening session

1. Install when available. The public Google Play link will appear on the Android page when version 1.0.0 is released. It is forthcoming, not publicly available yet.
2. Connect to your home network. Make sure the phone and audio equipment can communicate.
3. Select a player. Start on Devices and tap the device you want to control. The app opens its Playing screen.
4. Enable another family if needed. HEOS and Sonos are on by default. Use Settings > Devices to enable other families, then return to Devices and tap Discover.
5. Choose music. Open Browse, choose a music source, and select a playable item. A service may need its existing account or subscription.
6. Control playback. Return to Playing for playback and volume, or use Queue and Groups for the tasks below.

Every new installation includes 90 days of Pro features free. See Audio Hero Pro for what stays free afterward.

If no device appears, try Add by IP on Devices. See Network setup and Troubleshooting.

Use the navigation bar at the bottom in portrait, or the rail at the side in landscape. You can also swipe left or right to move between screens. Select the intended device before browsing or sending playback commands.

The selected player's name appears at the top of Playing. Check it before changing volume, power, or the music source.

After the free trial, Browse, Queue, and Groups show a lock until you have Audio Hero Pro. Devices, Playing, and Settings stay free.

Discover or add a player

Tap the refresh icon labeled Discover on Devices, or pull the list down and release, to scan. The plus icon labeled Add by IP opens a local IP address field. Enter the address shown by the device or your router, then tap Add.

Choose device families under Settings > Devices > Audio device support selection. Changes take effect immediately. HEOS and Sonos are enabled for new installations; other families are off by default. Existing choices are remembered.

Select, rename, and reorder

• Tap a player to select it and open Playing.
• Drag its reorder handle to change its position. The handle menu also offers Move to top and Move to bottom.
• Use the handle menu's Rename action, or the player's gear icon and Friendly name field, to change its name in Audio Hero. Tap Save.
• Choose Hide to remove a row from your normal list. Restore it with Show all on its family's header, or under Settings > Devices using Show.
• Choose Volume presets to save volume levels for that device. See Playback.
• Tap a device family's header to collapse or expand that family. The phone remembers your choice.

A loading indicator means status is still being checked. Players that stop responding can disappear from the available list and reappear when they respond again. Their remembered settings are retained.

Group and playback indicators identify group membership and active playback. A Companion indicator identifies audio supplied by a Companion. Controls depend on the device's reported capabilities.

This table follows the current Android settings. Families marked experimental in Android may have a different classification in Windows. Discovery does not guarantee every control on every model.

Android provides the controls described here. Do not assume every Windows receiver panel, streaming service, or automation feature is available on the phone.

Open Playing after selecting a device. It displays artwork, the music source (such as Pandora, Spotify, or an input) above the title, then title, artist, album, station, and reported audio format. When a HEOS device switches to a physical input, the input name replaces the old song details. Artist biographies and song information appear when available.

Transport and power

• Use Previous, Play / Pause, Next, and Stop where the player and source support them.
• Drag the progress slider to seek when a duration is available. Live radio and physical inputs may not support seeking or skipping.
• Repeat and shuffle controls appear where the device or source supports them, such as HEOS, a Sonos playing its own queue, and YouTube Music.
• Use the power control when supported. On devices with no network power-off, such as many HEOS wireless devices, Sonos, DLNA, and AirPlay, the power button stops or pauses playback and resumes it instead. Legacy Denon / Marantz devices show their limited-control message.

Volume and mute

Adjust the slider, use Volume down or Volume up, or toggle mute. See Groups for member and group volume.

Volume presets

Preset buttons appear beneath the volume controls and set the volume in one tap. To edit them, open the device's handle menu on Devices and choose Volume presets. Enter up to six levels from 0 to 100, separated by commas, and tap Save. Playing shows the first five as buttons.

Presets work like Audio Hero for Windows. A device can have its own presets or use a shared set for every device. When a shared set exists, leave a device's field blank to go back to it. Presets sync with Windows through OneDrive.

Audio Hero acts on the selected player's volume. A control that the player cannot report or apply may be unavailable or return a status message.

Artwork and information

When both album and service artwork are available, tap the artwork to change faces. Use Settings > Appearance to choose the display, animation, and timing. Missing track information can reflect what the player or music source reports.

Roku remote

Selecting a Roku exposes its on-screen remote in Playing, with Home, Back, directional buttons, OK, and Info. Audio playback requires the Media Assistant channel. Power and volume support depend on the Roku model.

These controls are off by default. Enable Settings > Audio and volume > Show notification and lock-screen controls to expose selected-device playback through the phone's media controls.

This also enables supported headset and media-button actions. If notifications are not visible, check Audio Hero's notification permission and notification settings in Android.

Turning the setting off removes the phone's media controls without stopping music on the selected player. This preference stays on the phone and is excluded from OneDrive sync.

The phone still needs to reach the player to send commands. Keep it on the home network and available while it is serving audio files. Closing or stopping the phone app can affect phone-hosted playback.

1. Select your intended player on Devices.
2. Open Browse and choose an entry under Music Sources.
3. Tap a folder to open it, and use the back arrow to return to its parent.
4. Tap a playable item to start it, or use its three-dot menu for the available playback choices.

The menu can offer Replace queue and play, Play now, Play next, and Add to end. Availability and results depend on the source, item, and queue support. Albums or playlists exposed as playable containers can have their own play actions.

Find and organize music

Use the Search icon where available, enter your query, choose an offered category if needed, and submit it. Paging and search results depend on the device and service.

Drag a source's reorder handle, or use its menu to move it to the top or bottom, rename it, or hide it. Show all hidden sources appears when the selected device has a hidden source and restores hidden entries. A friendly name changes the source's label in Audio Hero.

Accounts and services

HEOS includes supported music-service browsing, favorites, inputs, and queues. Connect a HEOS device, then use Settings > Companion and accounts > HEOS account to sign in with your HEOS email and password if needed. Use Sign out there to end that HEOS account session.

Sonos exposes supported favorites, playlists, and music-library folders. Music availability depends on the device, region, account, and subscription. Companion browser services have separate Android limits.

YouTube Music

YouTube Music appears in Music Sources for every device except legacy Denon / Marantz devices. Open it to browse Home, Liked songs, Playlists, Albums, and Artists, or use Search YouTube Music. Tap a song to play it on the selected device; a song tapped inside a playlist keeps the rest of the playlist queued. Use an item's menu and Star for this device to save it to Starred Favorites.

YouTube Music plays through a Windows Companion signed in to YouTube Music. If the Companion is older, the app asks you to update it.

Onkyo NET menus

Supported Onkyo sources open a receiver-menu dialog. Tap a row or use Up, Down, and Select. Use Back to return, Refresh to request the current menu, and Load more items when shown. A row's star button saves a supported menu path to Starred Favorites. Availability follows the receiver and its service.

Find and save a station

1. Select a player, then open Browse > Internet Radio.
2. Use Search to find stations through Radio Browser.
3. Tap a station to play it. Use its three-dot menu and Save station to retain it.
4. Use Remove saved station in the same menu to remove a saved entry.

Add a direct stream

Use the plus icon labeled Add radio URL. Enter a Station name and Stream URL, then tap Save. Use a direct audio address that the player can decode, rather than a webpage containing a player. Some URLs expire, require authorization, or use unsupported formats.

Physical inputs

Where the device exposes inputs, Browse shows an Inputs section. Choose an available optical, line-in, or other receiver input. The choices come from the device. Native HEOS groups can offer Play a member input on this group when supported.

Work with a queue

Open Queue. Tap Refresh queue to request the selected player's supported native queue. HEOS and Sonos provide native queue access. A phone playlist can remain the active queue until explicitly cleared.

• Tap an item's play button to play it.
• Use Move up or Move down to change its position.
• Use Remove to remove one item.
• Open Queue options > Clear queue and confirm Clear to remove the queue's items.

Clear removes queue entries, not the original audio files. Native queue edits are sent to the player; check any reported failure and refresh to see its current contents.

Play files from the phone

1. Select a playback device.
2. Open Queue and tap the plus icon labeled Add phone audio.
3. Choose accessible audio files in Android's file picker. The app adds readable files to its phone playlist.
4. Tap a queue item's play button to send it to the player.

The phone serves local audio over the network, so it must remain reachable. Push receivers use Windows Companion. Playback depends on supported audio formats; moving or deleting a file, or revoking access, can prevent replay.

Load or save M3U playlists

Open Queue options > Load playlist and choose a readable M3U or M3U8 file. Importing a playlist with playable entries replaces the app's phone playlist. Use Save playlist to choose a location for the current playlist.

A playlist stores audio references rather than copying files. Phone references and Windows file paths are not interchangeable. If a file cannot be opened, select it again or choose an accessible location.

Add and replay a favorite

1. Select the intended player and browse to the item you want to save.
2. Open its three-dot menu and choose Add to starred favorites.
3. Return to Browse's Music Sources and open Starred Favorites.
4. Tap a compatible favorite to replay it on the selected player.

Favorites can be scoped to a device or device family. Changing the selected player can change which entries you see. A Windows-only recipe may say Open this favorite in Windows; unsupported recipes cannot be played by Android.

Organize and share

Drag the favorite's handle to reorder it. Its three-dot menu provides the available rename, move, and remove actions. You can also use Remove from starred favorites in the original item's menu.

With a compatible Companion, favorites synchronize with Windows. Use Refresh in Starred Favorites to request another refresh. Cached favorites remain available offline, while pending edits are retained for later synchronization. OneDrive provides optional sharing of supported records.

Starred Favorites save a playback choice, such as a station, album, playlist, or supported receiver-menu path. Liked Tracks save individual song likes and their replay information.

Like and replay songs

1. While a song plays, open Playing and tap thumbs-up when available.
2. Open Browse > Liked Tracks for the selected device.
3. Tap a replayable song to play it, or tap Play all tracks to play supported entries.

A like belongs to the device, source, and song. Liked Tracks shows the selected device's replayable likes. Supported replay includes HEOS on-demand tracks, accessible phone files, and YouTube Music tracks through a compatible Windows Companion.

Station songs and physical-input audio can be liked for reference, but cannot be replayed from Liked Tracks. The app can report Liked, but not added to Liked Tracks: this track can't be replayed. Synced Windows-only file references can show Replay is unavailable on this phone.

Sort and remove

Use Sort to choose Title, Artist, Album, or Newest first. Song options include Move up, Move down, Move to top, and Remove like. Tapping an already selected thumbs-up removes that like.

Thumbs-down

Thumbs-down choices are remembered. Enable Settings > Audio and volume > Automatically skip tracks previously thumbed down for automatic skipping where supported. Tapping an already selected thumbs-down removes the dislike.

Ratings require usable song information and are unavailable on some devices or streams. A local Audio Hero rating does not necessarily submit a rating to the music service.

Create or edit a group

1. Open Groups and tap the plus icon labeled New group.
2. Select at least two playback devices.
3. Drag to reorder the list. The first selected device in the displayed order is the Leader.
4. Tap Create. Use Edit and Apply on an existing editable group to change membership.

HEOS-only and Sonos-only groups use native grouping where possible, including groups created in their own ecosystem apps. Legacy Denon / Marantz devices are limited-control endpoints and cannot be playback targets.

Play a mixed-brand group

Saved mixed-brand groups share a playable HTTP audio stream. Use Choose source to select an active Companion stream or enter a Direct audio stream URL, then tap Play URL. Check the per-member results to see which devices started.

Where offered, use Retry playback to retry, Stop to stop playback while retaining the saved group, and Rename to change its saved name. Removing a group changes the grouping arrangement; review the displayed result.

Volume and timing

Adjust member sliders or Group volume. Mute controls group mute, Match aligns volumes, and Lock retains relative volume differences when changing group volume. These controls require usable member volume information.

Enable Settings > Audio and volume > Use native same-brand groups inside mixed groups for native HEOS or Sonos subgroups when possible. This is on by default.

Mixed-brand playback is not guaranteed to be sample synchronized. Players can have different delays. Native HEOS and Sonos groups are the appropriate choice for tightly synchronized playback within those ecosystems.

Windows Companion is an optional helper on a PC on your home network. It provides supported streaming sessions, YouTube Music, shared household favorites, scheduled automations, and track information for music it hosts. Many players work directly without it.

Pair the phone

1. Install and start the current Windows Companion on the PC you want to use, and note its address and four-digit PIN. The Windows guide contains the setup reference.
2. On Android, open Settings > Companion and accounts > Audio Hero Companion.
3. Tap Auto-find, or enter the PC's connection address in Companion address.
4. Enter its 4-digit Companion PIN and tap Save.
5. Check the connection status displayed beneath these controls.

The PC must remain reachable and Companion must be running. An address or PIN mismatch, a sleeping PC, or a firewall blocking local access can prevent connection.

When Companion is required

Push streaming to AirPlay, Sendspin, and Snapcast uses Windows Companion. Other supported players can pull playable network streams directly. Companion-hosted audio needs that PC to remain available.

Shared YouTube Music

1. Use a current Windows Companion.
2. Sign in to YouTube Music through Audio Hero for Windows using that Companion.
3. On Android, select the intended device and open Browse > YouTube Music, or tap a starred YouTube Music playlist in Starred Favorites.
4. Companion hosts the service and Android routes its ready stream to the device. Play, pause, and skip go through the Companion.

Compatible YouTube Music likes can also be replayed from Liked Tracks. An older Companion can show an update message for this feature. YouTube Music is a Pro feature after the free trial.

Service sign-ins are shared across controllers using that Windows Companion. Signing out or switching accounts affects the household. Other Companion browser music services and the general phone browser-control interface remain deferred from the first Android release.

Automations play music, stop playback, or power a device on or off at set times. Audio Hero Companion runs them at its PC's local time, even when your phone is off or away. The list is shared with Audio Hero for Windows: every PC and phone connected to that Companion sees and edits the same automations. Automations are a Pro feature after the free trial.

Create an automation

1. Pair the phone with a current Windows Companion.
2. Open Settings > Automations and tap New automation.
3. Enter a Name. Under When, set the time and choose Every day, Weekdays, Weekends, or specific days. Turn on Only during part of the year to limit it to a date range.
4. Under What, choose a Device and an Action: Play source, Stop playback, Power on, or Power off.
5. For Play source, choose a Source to play from that device's starred favorites. Optionally turn on Set volume or Set shuffle and repeat.
6. Tap Save.

Power on and off are offered only for devices that take network power commands, such as AV receivers.

Manage automations

• Tap an automation to edit it. Turn off Enabled to keep it without running it.
• Use its menu for Run now, Move to top, Move to bottom, or Delete, or drag its handle to reorder. Delete removes it from every PC and phone.
• Run now runs the saved version once, even if it is turned off.
• If an automation fails, a problem card shows the reason. Dismiss it once you have checked it.

Smart plug automations and automations that only a Windows PC can run show their device and action read-only; change those in Audio Hero for Windows. If the Companion cannot be reached, the phone shows the automations saved on it and lets you make changes when the Companion is back.

Every new installation includes 90 days of Pro features free, with no card or sign-up. Settings > Audio Hero Pro shows how many trial days are left. Reinstalling the app on the same phone does not restart the trial.

Get Pro

After the trial, Pro screens show a lock and an Unlock Audio Hero Pro button. Pro is a yearly subscription through Google Play, which shows the current price and handles payment. Manage or cancel it with Manage subscription in Google Play under Settings > Audio Hero Pro.

Use Restore purchase after reinstalling or moving to a new phone signed in to the same Google account.

Windows Pro owners

If you own Audio Hero Pro for Windows, you get Android Pro lifetime access free. In Audio Hero for Windows, open Settings and choose Claim free Android lifetime license. Redeem the code in Google Play (or tap I have a code on the unlock screen), then tap Restore purchase. Lifetime owners keep Pro with no subscription and see a PRO badge.

Sign in and choose categories

1. Open Settings > Companion and accounts > OneDrive.
2. Tap Sign in to OneDrive and complete Microsoft's sign-in page using the same personal Microsoft account as Audio Hero for Windows.
3. Open Choose what to sync to select categories.
4. Use Sync now for a manual sync. Review the status and Last synced time.

Categories include Likes and dislikes, Starred favorites, Saved radio streams, Music sources, Devices and rooms, Device volume presets, Device volume limits, Artwork, Theme and brightness, and Other Android preferences. Theme and brightness sharing is off by default.

What sharing means

Likes from the phone and OneDrive are combined. Removals travel with their records so an older copy does not restore a deleted like. Offline edits remain available and pending for retry. Windows-only fields are preserved.

If Windows has a settings master, Android can show Following settings from.... Likes still sync both ways. Sharing records does not make every Windows favorite or file playable on Android.

Credentials, discovered addresses, and phone notification controls are excluded. Local-file likes share playback references, not uploaded audio. Companion favorites sharing is separate from signing in to OneDrive.

Sign out

Use Sign out in the OneDrive section. This ends the phone's connection and keeps its local library. It does not delete your music files or the copy in OneDrive.

Appearance choices

• Theme: Medium, Darker, Black, Light, or Use phone setting.
• Brightness: separate controls for text and the background.
• Artwork display: Album and service art, Album art only, Service art only, Stock Audio Hero art, or Hide artwork.
• Artwork animation: Artwork wobble, plus Page turn, Fade, Instant swap, or Do not flip.
• Flip interval: 5 seconds, 10 seconds, 30 seconds, 1 minute, or 5 minutes.

Portrait and landscape layouts adapt automatically. Appearance can be shared through selected OneDrive categories; phone media-control preferences remain local.

Detailed logging is always on and records device and playback events locally. Nothing is submitted as a bug report until you choose to send it.

1. Open Settings > Diagnostics and bug reports.
2. Tap Create bug report.
3. In What happened?, describe the selected device, source, what you did, and what you expected. Include enough detail to reproduce the problem.
4. Optionally enter Contact email for updates and the tracking link.
5. Read the consent statement and check its box.
6. Tap Send, then review the result. Use View report status when a tracking link is provided.

Send requires a description, consent, and a valid email if entered. Shorten the description if asked. Cancel before sending if you do not want to submit it.

The report includes app and Android versions, device-family counts, your description, optional email, and detailed sanitized logs. It excludes passwords, account data, settings files, media, and browser history. Log redaction removes common secret and network-address patterns; your written description is supplied as entered.

Keep the tracking link private. If submission fails, check the displayed message and internet connection before retrying.

Device commands travel across your local network. Music services, radio search, artwork and track information, optional OneDrive sync, Google Play, and reports you choose to send can use the internet and contact their respective providers.

• Local network: network and Wi-Fi access enable discovery and control commands.
• Audio files: Android's file picker grants access to files you choose. Playlists and synced likes contain references rather than copies of your music.
• Phone media controls: optional media-service and notification features expose selected-device playback. Android's notification settings can affect visibility.
• Accounts: OneDrive tokens are protected using Android Keystore. Companion music-service sessions remain on the PC hosting them.
• Audio Hero Pro: Google Play handles payment. The app sends purchase details to the Audio Hero license service to verify them, and a one-way hashed identifier for this app on this phone so a reinstall does not restart the free trial.
• Automations: automations you create are stored on your Companion PC so it can run them.
• Diagnostics: logs stay local unless you consent to a report. Review your description and optional email before sending.

This section explains Android's features and permissions. Full Android release privacy disclosures will be linked when finalized. The existing Windows privacy policy describes the Windows application.

Keep your phone and players on a local network that allows them to communicate. Guest Wi-Fi isolation, blocked multicast traffic, separate network ranges, or a VPN can prevent discovery or direct control.

A player connected by Ethernet can be controlled from a phone on Wi-Fi when the router connects both networks. If discovery is blocked but the device is reachable, try Devices > Add by IP. An address does not bypass isolation or a firewall.

OneDrive shares supported settings over the internet, but does not provide remote access to devices. Leaving the home network can make local players and Companion unreachable.

Native device playback can continue independently of the phone. Phone-hosted files require the phone to remain available, while Companion-hosted audio depends on its PC. Returning to the app refreshes device availability and playback state.

No devices found or a remembered player is missing

Check power, home Wi-Fi, the enabled family under Settings > Devices, and whether the player is hidden. Tap Discover, then try Add by IP. Check guest-network isolation, VPN, and router access. Unavailable remembered players can reappear when they respond.

Nothing to browse or a service will not play

Confirm the intended player is selected and exposes that source. Check service sign-in and subscription. A volume-only legacy device has no normal playback library. General Companion browser services are deferred; YouTube Music needs a current Companion signed in to YouTube Music.

Browse, Queue, Groups, or Automations shows a lock

The free trial has ended. See Audio Hero Pro. If you already subscribed or redeemed a Windows Pro code, tap Restore purchase under Settings > Audio Hero Pro.

An automation did not run

Check that the Companion PC was on and Companion was running at that time, that the automation is enabled, and that the device was on the network. Open Settings > Automations to read any failure alert, then try Run now. Times follow the Companion PC's clock.

A favorite or like is missing or will not replay

Check the selected device, since entries can be scoped to it. Refresh Starred Favorites and check Companion or OneDrive status. Windows-only recipes and paths may be unavailable. Station and input likes cannot be replayed from Liked Tracks.

No sound or the wrong device responds

Check the selected player's name, volume, mute, power, and source. Confirm a direct URL points to playable audio in a supported format. On Roku, check Media Assistant. On AirPlay, Sendspin, or Snapcast, check Windows Companion.

A phone file or playlist cannot be read

Choose the file again through Android's picker and keep it accessible. A reference can become invalid after a file moves or access is revoked. Importing a playlist does not copy its music onto the phone.

A group starts only some members or sounds out of time

Read member status, check network and format support, and use Retry playback where offered. Mixed-brand streams have variable delays. Use native HEOS or Sonos grouping for synchronized playback within that ecosystem.

Companion will not connect

Check that its PC is awake, Companion is running, the address and four-digit PIN match, and the firewall allows local access. Try Auto-find and Save again. Update an older Companion when a required capability is missing.

OneDrive is not syncing

Review status, internet access, your personal Microsoft account, and enabled categories. Try Sync now. Theme and brightness sharing is off by default. Offline changes remain pending; you do not need to delete your library.

Lock-screen controls are missing

Enable Show notification and lock-screen controls under Settings > Audio and volume. Check Android's app notification settings and select a player.

If the issue remains, create a bug report with the device, source, and steps that led to it.

Audio Hero for Android version 1.0.0 is forthcoming on Google Play and is not yet publicly released. A public release date has not been announced. Beta and internal testing access are separate from the upcoming public release.

The Android page will provide the public Google Play link at launch. Updates for the Google Play edition are delivered through Google Play. When Settings > About > Automatically check for updates is on (the default), the top of Devices shows Update available, tap here when Google Play has a newer version; tap it to update. There is no in-app beta download checker.

Find your installed version under Settings > About. This guide describes the current implementation in preparation for 1.0.0; final release details will be confirmed when it launches.