Google just gave music lovers an excellent reason to buy a Chromecast.
In addition to a new Chromecast for televisions, the company unveiled Chromecast Audio, a new $35 device dedicated to streaming music and audio through your home speakers.
[seealso URL= "best-songs-of-2015-playlist"]
Chromecast Audio has a very similar form factor to the new Chromecast streaming dongle. The small disc-shaped device connects to your home Wi-FI network and plugs into your existing speakers. Like a regular Chromecast, once it's set up you can "cast" audio from apps on your smartphone to your speakers via the music apps on your phone.
Chromecast users were already able to stream music through their televisions but Google says the audio version of Chromecast is meant to make it easier for people to stream music through the speakers they already using.
"People who are serious about enjoying their music at home have a system that they're not anxious to replace overnight just to adopt the latest feature," Micah Collins, the senior product manager for Chromecast, told Mashable. " What Chromecast Audio will enable them to do is to make their existing speaker smart."
The device supports AUX, RCA and optical digital input, which should make it compatible with the vast majority of the speakers people have in their homes. The Chromecast Audio ships with a standard auxiliary cable, though you'll have to pick up your own connector to use the other jacks.
For developers who already support Chromecast, adding support for Chromecast Audio consists of "literally a check box," says Collins, so expect support from most major streaming apps. Pandora, Spotify, Rdio, Songza, Google Play Music and Vevo all support Chromecast already and the lineup of compatible music apps is likely to keep growing.
Because it relies on Wi-Fi, you aren't limited to streaming music via your smartphone or tablet alone. You can also cast audio playing through Chrome on your computer.