MZAP Remote (Mobile App)

MZAP Remote is an Android app that controls an MZAP host over your local network. It finds MZAP automatically, pairs by scanning a QR code, and gives you the players, zones, and jingles with live level meters.

Get MZAP Remote on Google Play →

Before you start

On the MZAP PC:

1. Turn on Settings → Network Access → Allow control from other devices on this network and restart MZAP when asked. See Network Access.
2. Click Add Windows Firewall rule in the same section, so phones can reach and discover the PC.
3. If authentication is on, make sure the user you want to pair as is enabled. The phone gets exactly that user's role and assignments.

The phone must be on the same network as the PC.

Connecting

Open the app and choose Connect to MZAP. There are three ways to find your host:

• Scan QR code (quickest) — scan the code from Settings → Pair mobile device, or from the QR icon next to a user on the Users tab. The code carries the address and, when authentication is on, the user's API key, so there is nothing to type.
• Nearby hosts — lists MZAP hosts the app finds on the network by name. If none appear, check that network access is on and the firewall rule is in place. See Mobile discovery.
• Enter address — type the PC's address, for example 192.168.1.20:5000.

When you connect through Nearby hosts or Enter address to a host that requires sign-in, the app asks for a username and password.

A paired phone keeps working if the PC's network address changes, and renaming the host on the PC does not require pairing again.

Using the app

The app has four tabs:

• Players — transport, volume, mute, playback mode, playlist and track selection, and which zones each player feeds.
• Zones — each zone's live meter, volume, and mute, and which players are routed to it.
• Jingles — a soundboard. Tap a tile to play a jingle, tap it again to stop.
• More — the connected host, who you are signed in as, the level-meter rate, the app language, and Appearance.

On a tablet in landscape, the tabs sit on the left and the selected player, zone, or jingle opens in a detail pane on the right.

Users with the Viewer role see everything assigned to them with a View only badge, and the controls are hidden.

Player and zone cards

Every player card has the same three lines at the top, so meters and controls line up:

• Name
• Title — the current song; "Live Audio Input" for a live input, "System Audio Capture" for a loopback, or a muted "No audio loaded" when nothing is playing.
• Source — a playlist player shows its playlist name (or the station when it is streaming); other players show their source.

Every player type has Play/Pause and Stop on its card and player screen, including inputs, system and app audio capture, and AirPlay.

Cards are all the same height. The bottom line lists what is routed — the first two names, then +N for the rest (for example "Lobby, Terrace +3"); "No zones" or "No players" when nothing is. A speaker icon marks a player's zones, a notes icon a zone's players. A zone card also has one line under its name for a stream error (in red), or the stream state and listener count. Tap a card for the full routing.

Favorites

The player and zone screens have a star next to the name: tap it to add the player or zone to favorites, tap again to remove it. Favorites are shared with the desktop app and every other phone, and the Favorites filter on the Players and Zones tabs uses them. The star on the lists only shows which items are favorites, so scrolling past it can't change anything.

Operators can change favorites for the players and zones assigned to them. Viewers can't change favorites and only see the star on items that already are.

SoundMachine players

SoundMachine players have Like, Play/Pause, Stop and Next on the card, plus Dislike on the player screen. The card shows the source (for example "Station · 70s-80s ROCK"), the song and the cover, and a Message tag while an announcement plays; Like, Next and Dislike are disabled then.

When another device takes over the SoundMachine account, or is already using it, the player screen offers Play here to take it back. A player in Standby shows a short reason in the title line ("Nothing scheduled", "Waiting for network", "Service unreachable"), with the full explanation on the player screen.

When a session needs attention, the card's badge names the problem: "Taken over", "Sign-in failed", "In use elsewhere", "License", "Unavailable" or "Error". A failed sign-in has to be fixed on the PC under Settings → SoundMachine. Changing the source and adding accounts are also done on the PC.

Appearance

The app has a light and a dark theme. By default it follows the phone's light/dark setting; More → Appearance lets you choose System, Light or Dark. The choice is saved on the phone.

Level meters on slower devices

Live meters can be heavy on older tablets. Under More → Audio level meters you can lower the meter rate or turn meters off. Track position keeps updating either way.

A muted zone or player keeps a live, dimmed meter, so you can see that signal is arriving even though nothing is going out.

Connection status

The app shows its connection state at the top of the screen:

• Connecting… / Reconnecting — the app is (re)establishing the connection. Retry is available at any time.
• Cannot reach host — the host did not respond after repeated attempts. Check that the PC is on, MZAP is running, and the phone is on the same network.
• Sign-in needed — the host no longer accepts the phone's credentials, typically because an admin regenerated the user's API key. Tap Re-pair and scan a fresh code.
• License problem on host — the host is reachable but its licence needs attention. See License Troubleshooting.

Revoking a phone

A phone paired with authentication on uses that user's API key. To cut it off, open the Users tab on the PC and regenerate that user's API key. The phone switches to Sign-in needed straight away. Disabling or deleting the user also revokes access.

When authentication is off, pairing carries no credentials — anyone on the network can already control MZAP. Turn on authentication before exposing MZAP on a network you don't fully trust.

Security

• Scanned codes grant access. Anyone who scans a pairing code gets the paired user's level of access. Don't leave a code on screen where others can photograph it.
• The app checks who it is talking to. Before sending a username and password, the app confirms the host at that address is the MZAP you chose. If it isn't, sign-in stops with "… is not the MZAP you picked" and asks you to choose the host again. This protects against a crafted link that tries to collect your password.
• Invalid codes are rejected with "That is not an MZAP pairing code."