AirPlay
AirPlay carries audio, video or screen sharing to compatible receivers. Discovery and media behavior differ between infrastructure, peer-to-peer and receiver/OS generations; identify the exact mode before approving network rules.
Scope: AirPlay — requirements depend on the selected profile.
protocol · Catalog reviewed 2026-10-22
Related requirements
Review these entries for the services used in your design.
By Apple
Infrastructure Requirements
- Compatible sender and receiver
- selected discovery mode, access policy and media path
- suitable Wi-Fi coverage for peer-to-peer operation.
Network & Physical Requirements
| Port / allocation | Transport | Connection / signal flow | Feature and requirement | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7000 (default) | TCP | AirPlay sender → AirPlay receiver | Profile requirement · Core AirPlay receiver service Apple published AirPlay service mapping | Source checked 2026-09-27 TCP/UDP port table: AirPlay |
| 5353 | UDP Multicast: 224.0.0.251; ff02::fb | Local discovery participant → Local discovery peers | Optional · mDNS discovery Local mDNS discovery Infrastructure AirPlay Bonjour discovery; peer-to-peer mode differs Queries and responses in both directions; design any cross-subnet discovery gateway explicitly. | Source checked 2026-09-27 Sections 5, 6 and 18 |
Physical, link and configuration requirements
configuration · Profile requirement · Core
Select infrastructure or peer-to-peer AirPlay and its discovery method.
Apple TV AirPlay deployment; third-party receivers require their own profile
Bonjour gateways must advertise airplay.tcp and raop.tcp. Bluetooth discovery can lead to an infrastructure connection; peer-to-peer mode creates a direct wireless network. Obtain the receiver’s complete media/control schedule; 7000 alone is not sufficient.
Source checked 2026-09-27
Bonjour overview; discovery; peer-to-peer discoveryconfiguration · Optional · Receiver-specific service schedule
Select the receiver and connection mode before adding further AirPlay service rules.
AirPlay infrastructure and peer-to-peer modes; receiver/OS-specific services
Select the actual receiver, OS and connection mode, then obtain its service schedule. Apple's general inventory (https://support.apple.com/en-ca/103229) lists possible AirPlay ports without complete endpoint direction. Seven broad numeric allowances were withdrawn; they are not approved firewall rules.
Source checked 2026-10-22
Overview; Bonjour overview; Bluetooth IP address advertisement; peer-to-peer discoveryApple Platform Deployment, checked 2026-10-22
Gotchas & IT Notes
- ⚠Bonjour visibility does not prove media reachability. Routed discovery and client isolation need deliberate configuration.
- ⚠Peer-to-peer AirPlay can use Bluetooth-assisted discovery and a direct wireless path; it is different from ordinary LAN AirPlay.