8 Of The Best DLNA Streaming Apps For Android

DLNA is a convenient moniker for something altogether more scary sounding - Digital Living Network Alliance. What it does, however, is anything but scary, allowing you to connect DLNA-compatible devices to each other and seamlessly stream data between them over the air - photos, videos, your Android homescreen, you name it. There are several good (and a lot of bad) Android apps that offer DLNA streaming, so we’ve picked out some of the best. No article about streaming apps can ever really avoid mentioning the most famous (or infamous,) one of them all. Kodi is a media center app that isn’t designed exclusively with DLNA streaming in mind (it’s more for DLNA’s parent tech, UPnP), but you can set it up that way if you so wish. Kodi’s biggest perk for Android users is that it’s heaving with add-ons, from official ones like YouTube and the major sports channels, to repositories that give you access to channels all around the world. Naturally, it’s fantastic for streaming locally-stored media, too.

Kodi’s specialty is video, and its UI is tailored towards that, but you can also use it to view pictures and listen to the radio. If you’re looking to stream music, then there are better options available. DLNA is dedicated to music and supports playing most common music file formats - MP3, AAC, FLAC, WAV - to Google Home devices, as well as other devices that support DLNA streaming. You can set up all kinds of shuffling for your music, whether it’s individual tracks, artists, or albums, and you can play music from either your Android device or other DLNA devices containing the music. If it’s just music you want to stream, then this is your best choice. MediaMonkey does a whole lot more than DLNA, allowing you to sync and stream media across multiple devices via WiFi, UPnP, Bluetooth and of course DLNA. What makes it stand out is the neat interface and plethora of media management tools to keep your library organized - playlist management, multiple file editing, and bookmarks, just to name a few.

You’ll need to pay for extra features like unlimited DLNA usage, but coughing up a few bucks for one of the most complete streaming apps is worth it in our eyes. One of the best-rated DLNA apps on the Play Store, Airwire, is a good choice for any discerning Android owner looking to stream their media to the big screen. It discovers devices quickly and streams with great consistency and quality. Despite not being updated in quite a while, AirWire remains one of the most reliable DLNA streaming options around. AirWire is compatible with a wide array of devices including the latest consoles and many older big-brand Smart TVs. BubbleUPnP UPnP/DLNA lets you broadcast your content right from your device to your compatible DLNA device. It supports Chromecast, any DLNA-enabled TV, and the latest generation of gaming consoles. Other than basic streaming, it also comes with features like playback queue, editable playlists, scrobbling, sleep timer and various shuffle modes.

It has a full-screen image viewer and a remote-control function. Best of all, it costs nothing! If you like to have apps with plenty of features, check out MediaHouse UPnP/DLNA Browser. It has a number of DLNA streaming features that help you stream your videos and music the way you want. For example, it auto scans your WiFi network to see if there are any DLNA-enabled devices so you can then connect to them. It divides the scanned devices into two categories: the first being the devices you can stream your content to and the second being the devices you can stream content from. It supports creating playlists for your music files, has an image viewer, and works in landscape mode. If you want a DLNA app with an awesome interface, give iMediaShare Personal a try. The app lets you stream your digital media right from your Android device to your large TV without needing any cables. While your media is being played on your TV, the app acts as a remote for you to control the media.

It allows you to control the play such as pause, next, and so on using your hand gestures. While all the apps listed up to this point stream content to any device, AllCast offers the most compatibility. It can stream media to Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Xbox 360 and Xbox One, PS4 and other DLNA-enabled devices. It also lets you stream from your Dropbox, letting you directly stream content without having to download it first. Why use shoddy old hard drives when you can do so many wonderful things wirelessly, Setting yourself up for DLNA streaming may sound kind of complicated because it involves an acronym for a long and complicated tech term, but it’s really quite easy. All the apps above are great, so it’s just a matter of finding which one works best for you, then following the simple on-screen instructions to move a step closer to having a wireless media centre.