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How to stream music from your PC to Android remotely

Instead of hogging storage on your Android phone or tablet with music and movies, use this guide to stream media remotely from your computer.

Sharon Profis Vice President of Content, CNET Studios
As the Vice President of CNET Studios, Sharon leads the video, social, editorial design, and branded content teams. Before this role, Sharon led content development and launched new verticals for CNET, including Wellness, Money, and How To. A tech expert herself, she's reviewed and covered countless products, hosted hundreds of videos, and appeared on shows like Good Morning America, CBS Mornings, and the Today Show. An industry expert, Sharon is a recurring Best of Beauty Awards judge for Allure. Sharon is an avid chef and hosts the cooking segment 'Farm to Fork' on PBS nationwide. She's developed and published hundreds of recipes.
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  • Webby Award ("How To, Explainer, and DIY Video"); Folio Changemaker Award, 2020
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Sharon Profis
2 min read

Cloud services like Amazon Cloud and Google Music are all the rage right now, but why bother uploading all your media to another service when you can use your computer as your own cloud drive? With a few tweaks, you can remotely stream music and movies from your computer to your phone.

Skifta, a free Android app and desktop program, allows you to access your home library of music and movies while you're on the go.

Watch the video to learn how. 

Watch this: Remotely stream media from PC to Android device

On your computer
Step 1: Go to Skifta.com and download the desktop application, available for Mac and Windows.

Step 2: Install it. You'll be asked to create a Skifta username and password. Sign up, give your computer a name, and complete the installation.

Step 3: Go to Windows Media Player 12. Add media to your library by going to "Organize" > Manage Libraries... and select the type of media you want to add. If all your music is organized into an iTunes folder, add that.

Step 4: Now head to the "Stream" menu and select "Turn on media streaming." If you don't see that option, it means you already have it enabled. Select "Allow remote control of my computer," approve it, and "Automatically allow devices to play my media." You can also go to "More streaming options" to give your library a name.

Step 5: Go to the Network and Sharing Center, then head over to "Change advanced Sharing settings." Turn on network discovery. This will let your Android to see your computer.

To set up Skifta for Mac, go here.

On your Android device
Step 1: Download and install Skifta from the Android Market.

Step 2: Select "Choose media source" and head over to "Remote." Enter the username/pass you set up when installing Skifta desktop program. Once signed in, you'll see the name of your comouter show up. Select it, then the name of your library.

Step 3: Go to "Choose a Player" and select your phone. It'll establish a connection.

Step 4: Finally, go to "Browse and play your media." You'll see your music, videos, and playlists.