Stream audio from iPod touch/iPhone over bluetooth to computer

[Ric123]

It works! Thanks everyone! jackflap's link worked perfectly! http://jprvita.wordpress.com/2009/12...4-a2dp-stream/
I've upgraded to Ubuntu 10.04 by now; I have bluez 4.60 and pulseaudio 0.9.21.
Here's how I did it for my iPod touch (3.1.3) on my Dell Inspiron 1720:
1. I skipped step one, it was already loaded.
2. Add "Enable=Source" right under "#Disable=Control,Source" in the "[General]" section.
3. Restart the computer (to restart all the bluetooth 'stuff')
4. Pair the iPod touch and the computer by clicking the bluetooth icon -> Set up new device -> Forward. Click PIN options and select '1234', Close. Enable bluetooth on the iPod; on the computer select it in the list, Forward. Type the PIN (1234) on the iPod, Connect.
5. Install d-feet (from Synaptic) and run it (Applications -> Programming -> D-Feet). Then File -> Connect to System Bus. Under Bus Name select org.bluez and a tree will appear on the right. Under Object Paths, expand the /org/bluez/1464/hci0/dev's until you find the one with Interfaces that have org.bluez.AudioSource. Expand the AudioSource and double-click on Methods -> Connect(). A dialog will appear; just click Execute. It should say 'This method did not return anything' (I had to do it twice the first time.)
6. Open a terminal (Accessories -> Terminal) and type pacmd and press enter.
6a. Then type list-sources and press enter. Find the one with device.description = "Name of your iPod" then scroll up to where it says 'name: ' (under 'index: ') and copy the name somewhere without the < and >(mine was bluez_source.00_...)
6b. Then type list-sinks and press enter. I only had one (ALSA) and copy the name just as before (mine was alsa.output.pci-000_00...)
6c. Type exit and press enter.
7. Now type 'pactl load-module module-loopback source=YOURSOURCE sink=YOURSINK' (for me, it was pactl load-module module-loopback source=bluez_source.00_... sink=alsa.output.pci-000_00...) and press enter! Viola! Now the iPod should play through the computer as if it were a headset!

Note: Save the number that returns after pactl. When you disconnect your iPod, type pactl unload-module YOURNUMBER and press enter (it changes everytime; for example: pactl unload-module 25)

megamanexent, you have to connect AudioSource, not Audio.

Tell me if it works with the iPhone 4

[megamanexent]

Thank you thank you Thank you! Ric123, jackflap

It works for me perfectly on iPhone 3G ( no iPhone 4 till july ). I moved Enable=Source after [General] and AudioSource appeared, I had it at the very top of audio.conf!

[jbeamz]

Did it and it works for me... thanks!

Now if only I could get it working on my xbmc live!

[adityavpratap]

Hi,
Thanks for such a informative post! However I have a Nokia mobile instead of an Ipod. Will the steps remain the same?
Ric123, I have reached step 5, but am stuck up at step 6.
list-sources in pacmd does not show my mobile.
Any suggestions,
Thanking in advance,

[megamanexent]

The steps should remain the same. Did you list your list-sources while your phone was connected? Look for a source that has the same address as your phone did in d-feet. It should start like bluez_source.xx_xx_xx_xx_xx_xx where the xx are the Bluetooth address for the phone. Some where in that section also there should be device.description = 'xxx' where the xxx is the bluetooth name of the phone. If you never changed it, the name should have Nokia in it.

I hope this helps!

[adityavpratap]

I seem to be missing something. The Nokia mobile is not listed in pacmd. It's mac number is nowhere to be seen in the output of list-sources. Can you share your /etc/bluetooth/audio.conf? I tried these steps in Ubuntu 10.04 aswell as in Linux Mint 8. In Ubuntu, AudioServer itself was missing from d-feet. In Linux Mint 8, I am unable to proceed beyond the 5th step. However audio streaming via bluetooth work in Windoze.

[megamanexent]

I'm currently not in front of my computer, but I will post it once I am able to.

[megamanexent]

I seem to be missing something. The Nokia mobile is not listed in pacmd. It's mac number is nowhere to be seen in the output of list-sources. Can you share your /etc/bluetooth/audio.conf? I tried these steps in Ubuntu 10.04 aswell as in Linux Mint 8. In Ubuntu, AudioServer itself was missing from d-feet. In Linux Mint 8, I am unable to proceed beyond the 5th step. However audio streaming via bluetooth work in Windoze.

Don't get frustrated, I had the same problem, I couldn't find AudioSource in d-feet either. What solved it was to move Enable=Source to right after [General] . I am on Ubuntu 10.04

Heres my audio.conf

# Configuration file for the audio service

# This section contains options which are not specific to any
# particular interface
[General]
Enable=Source
# Switch to master role for incoming connections (defaults to true)
#Master=true

# If we want to disable support for specific services
# Defaults to supporting all implemented services
#Disable=Control,Source

# SCO routing. Either PCM or HCI (in which case audio is routed to/from ALSA)
# Defaults to HCI
#SCORouting=PCM

# Automatically connect both A2DP and HFP/HSP profiles for incoming
# connections. Some headsets that support both profiles will only connect the
# other one automatically so the default setting of true is usually a good
# idea.
AutoConnect=true

# Headset interface specific options (i.e. options which affect how the audio
# service interacts with remote headset devices)
[Headset]

# Set to true to support HFP, false means only HSP is supported
# Defaults to true
HFP=true

# Maximum number of connected HSP/HFP devices per adapter. Defaults to 1
MaxConnected=1

# Just an example of potential config options for the other interfaces
#[A2DP]
#SBCSources=1
#MPEG12Sources=0

[adityavpratap]

Hi!
Thanks for the prompt reply.
My audio.conf is exactly the same as yours. I can find an entry corresponding to my Nokia mobiles bluetooth mac address in d-feet->org.bluez->"Object Path. However, in the corresponding "Interfaces", I fail to see AudioSource. There is only Audio. This is very frustrating!

[Ashen001]

Even I had the same problem with my iPod touch, but I got it fixed now. Thank you for your help. The steps which you have mentioned are so simple, it does not take much time also. It can be done without any issues. Now I am able to connect my iPod touch over Bluetooth and have the audio playing.