Playing my own MP3s or M4a's on Google's speakers

[Xootgeist]

I have 5 different google speakers: kitchen nest hub, fireplace speaker, sunroom speaker, bedroom node, and upstairs hallway node. I have created a group of three speakers containing the kitchen, fireplace, and sunroom. I also have my own MP3s/M4a's of songs I copied from old CDs, and I'd like to hear some of those music files on my various Google speakers. So how do I do that?  I was going to upload music to Youtube Music, but apparently that's not what YouTube Music uploads is for.  (At the very least, I wasn't able to get it done.) 

I don't subscribe to Apple's Music or Google or Spotify or any other such service. So how do I broadcast the recordings through my speaker/speaker groups? There's got to be a way, but I'm not finding instructions for doing it online. 

[sicsacol]

Hi @Xootgeist,

Thanks for posting in the community. I understand you'd like to play your own MP3 and M4A media files, which you copied from old CDs, on your Nest Speaker, specifically within a speaker group. I know this must be challenging since you couldn't upload those files to the YouTube Music app, and you are looking for an alternative solution. I appreciate the detailed information you've shared so far and the time you've taken trying to figure this out. No worries, let's work together to find a solution for you.

While uploading files to a music streaming app often requires a subscription, since you already have the media files saved locally on your phone, you can try playing them via Bluetooth using a third-party media player. Please follow the steps below to do this:

• Connect your Nest speaker to your phone via Bluetooth. If you are using your devices in a Speaker group, you can still add the speaker or display that's connected to the Bluetooth source to the group. Please check out the following article for detailed instructions on how to play media on your Google Nest speaker or display using Bluetooth.
• Check if your phone has a third-party media player app that supports playing local files, or download one if you don't have one installed.
• Play the media files in the media player app. The audio should automatically be routed and played through your Nest speaker since the devices are actively connected via Bluetooth.

I hope these steps help you find a solution. Please keep me updated on how it goes after trying them!

Cheers,
Jonathan