Ask Slashdot: Can You Convert Old iPods Into A Home Music-Streaming Solution?

Slashdot reader zhennian wants to stream music throughout his entire house, "and was hoping that with three old iPods I might be able to put together a centrally managed house-wide audio system." Ideally it would be possible to control what's playing from a central web interface using an app on an IOS or Android device. With the iPods already plugged into docking stations and on the home wifi network, I assume it should be possible.

A search of the Apple app store didn't bring up much and forking out $AUS400 for a Sonos One or equivalent seems wasted when I've already purchased iPod docks. Can anyone recommend an App that will still be compatible with old (ie. 2007) iPods and might do this?
Or is there a better cheap alternative? Leave your best answers in the comments. Can you convert old iPods into a home music-streaming solution?

Comments

I'm sure you can

[thegarbz]

Just like you can convert and old car into a bicycle I'm sure you can turn iPods into a Frankenstein's monster example of what technology was not supposed to do. The result will nearly always be inelegant, frustrating and I'll bet you a Mars bar you'll throw it away soon after you finish and buy an of the shelf solution anyway.

Speaking of buying these DIY solutions often end up costing fat more than you estimate as you find repeated shortcomings in what you create.

Take it from me, don't proceed unless you're a hobby tinkerer or a bored engineer who enjoys the busy work.

Re: What site do you think this is?

[guruevi]

Then you realize an ESP8266 can do all that in a footprint about 1/100th of the router at a price which is about the difference in energy costs to run the router another year.