During the ongoing CES 2015 event, Google has announced Google Cast for Audio, which will allow users to stream audio wirelessly from a selection of apps to Google Cast supported speakers, receivers, and sound bars. The interesting thing about Google Cast supported speakers is that it will pull contently directly from the cloud, allowing users to multitask on their devices without chugging battery out of their devices. As of now the company has tied up with apps such as Deezer, Google Play Music, iHearRadio, NPR One, Pandora, Rdio, TuneIn, among others. Here's a list of all the music and audio apps which support Google Chromecast.
Surprisingly, none of the Indian music streaming apps such as Saavn, Gaana, or others support audio streaming through Chromecast. Google has also announced that the first Google Cast supported speakers will be first launched in the US this spring from Sony, LG and HEOS by Denon, and claims that more brands will be coming on board later with support of chip makers Broadcom, Marvell, MediaTek, and system integrator Libre Wireless.
Google's Cast for audio competitors include Apple's AirPlay, which supports music streaming. Launching Google Cast for Audio isn't surprising, considering that Google's Chromecast which streams media to TV through their stick is hugely successful. Today, Google has announced that Chromecast is now available in 27 countries and its usage per device has increased by 60% since its launch. The Google Chromecast was launched in India last month during GOSF 2014, exclusively through Snapdeal for Rs. 2,990.
Check out the promotional video by Google, which shows how Google Cast for Audio works with Android-powered devices and Google Cast supported speakers.