Skip to content
All projects
  • ESP32
  • Streaming
  • FreeRTOS

ESP32 Background Music System

Embedded background audio on ESP32 — web control, multi-source playback and real-time behaviour on constrained hardware.

ESP32-based audio device with multi-source playback, browser control and resource-aware real-time behaviour — in daily use for two years.

ESP32-A1S audio development board

Built as a small product rather than an audio demo — startup behaviour, recovery and everyday usability mattered as much as playback.

Project overview

A compact background music system on ESP32: streamed and local playback, persistent configuration and control from any browser. Version 1 has run every day for two years; version 2 broadens the concept.

Design approach

On constrained hardware, playback, networking and configuration compete for CPU time and memory. I used real hardware behaviour to drive decisions — revisiting task separation, startup flow, buffering and subsystem responsibilities until the system stayed responsive under load.

What this project demonstrates

Embedded engineering with a product mindset: shaping not only how the system works internally, but how it behaves for the person using it.

Outcomes

  • Two years in daily use; version 2 extends the concept.
  • Improved stability through iterative refactoring of buffering and subsystem boundaries.
  • Reusable foundation for a more refined product.