Radio Caster

Play public radio stations on a Google Home or Nest Hub on a cron schedule, using the Cast protocol.

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Prerequisites

• Node.js 18+ — check with node --version
• Your computer and Google Home device must be on the same WiFi network

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Install

npm install

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Setup

Open src/config.ts — it's the only file you need to edit.

1. Add your stations — fill in the stations map with friendly names and direct stream URLs:

export const stations: Record<string, string> = {
  "OPB News": "https://opb-news.streamguys1.com/opb-news-mp3",
  "KEXP":     "https://kexp-mp3-128.streamguys1.com/kexp128.mp3",
};

To find a stream URL: search [Station name] direct stream MP3 URL, or check the station's website. You need a URL that ends in .mp3 or .aac — not a playlist (.m3u, .pls).

2. Set your schedule — add entries to the schedule array:

export const schedule: ScheduleEntry[] = [
  {
    cron: "0 7 * * 1-5",       // 7:00am Monday–Friday
    station: "OPB News",
    deviceName: "Living Room display",  // as shown in the Google Home app
    volume: 60,
  },
];

To find your device name: open the Google Home app, tap the device, and copy the name shown at the top.

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Test it works

Before waiting for the cron schedule, cast a station right now:

npm run cast-now "OPB News"

You can also specify the device name as a second argument:

npm run cast-now "KEXP" "Bedroom speaker"

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Run the scheduler

npm start

This starts the process and keeps it running. Cron jobs fire at the times you set in config.ts. Press Ctrl+C to stop.

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Keep it running on Mac

The simplest option is to leave the terminal window open with npm start running.

For a more permanent setup, you can use launchd to start it automatically at login — search "launchd plist Mac" for guides. A minimal plist would run npx ts-node /path/to/src/index.ts and set RunAtLoad to true.

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Troubleshooting

Device not found (mDNS flakiness)

mDNS discovery occasionally fails, especially if your router is strict about multicast traffic. If you see a "not found" error:

1. Make sure the device name in config.ts exactly matches the name in the Google Home app.
2. Try connecting by IP instead — find the device's IP address in your router's device list or in the Google Home app under device settings, then add deviceIp: "192.168.x.x" to the schedule entry:

{
  cron: "0 7 * * 1-5",
  station: "OPB News",
  deviceName: "Living Room display",
  deviceIp: "192.168.1.42",   // <-- add this
  volume: 60,
},

Stream doesn't play

• Make sure the URL is a direct audio stream, not a playlist file.
• Try opening the URL in a browser or VLC to confirm it works.
• Some streams use AAC (.aac). If a station won't play, try finding its MP3 stream instead.

npm install errors on macOS

If you see errors about native binaries, run:

xcode-select --install

Then retry npm install. The bonjour-service package used for device discovery is pure JavaScript and shouldn't need this, but some transitive dependencies might.