Chromecast Audio is a small device that plugs into your traditional speakers. It allows the speakers to wirelessly stream music and audio programming from various devices and various online sources.

Some speakers are “smart” and connect directly and wirelessly to the internet to stream audio and music content. Older speakers, of course, aren’t as smart and need a little help. That’s where Chromecast Audio comes in.

So if you have traditional (older) speakers, but want to be able to wirelessly play audio programs and music streamed from your internet-connected smartphone, tablet or computer, simply connect a Chromecast Audio device to the speaker(s). The device will then be controlled using the Google Home app installed on your mobile device.

Audio speakers have come a long way in recent years. While the sound quality they provide has generally improved, the cost of high-end speakers has dropped significantly. More recently, the ability to wirelessly stream audio from a computer or mobile device (via Bluetooth or Apple AirPlay) has been added to many newer speakers. Meanwhile, a new category of internet-connected “smart speakers” has also become popular, such as Google Home, Amazon Echo, and Apple HomePod.