Google opens up Chromecast to developers, releases Cast SDK for Android, iOS, Chrome apps, and websites

Google today launched the Google Cast Software Development Kit (SDK), bringing the tool out of preview. The SDK lets developers build Chromecast support into their apps for Android, iOS, and Chrome, as well as websites.

Google announced the developer preview of the Google Cast SDK back in July, showing off the underlying Chromecast technology that brings content from phones, tablet, and laptops to the big screen. The Google Cast SDK is simple to use because it doesn’t require writing a new app: developers can just incorporate it into their existing projects.

Developers control when they publish their cast-ready apps through the Google Cast developer console. The SDK is available on Android and iOS as you might expect, but it also works on Chrome through the Google Cast browser extension.

Here is what you need to know about receiver support:

You have many options for displaying content on Chromecast. For simple media applications, you can use the default media player that can play back HTML5 media content. You can also customize it with your own branding and style using CSS.

For non-media applications, or for more flexibility and design options, you can build your own custom receiver application using standard web technologies. With a custom receiver you can build virtually any application while including support for many streaming protocols, including MPEG-DASH, HLS, and Microsoft Smooth Streaming, all of which are available in the Media Player Library.

Google says all its Chromecast devices have been updated to the latest software with support for the SDK. If you’re a developer, you can get started by heading to the Google Cast Developers site and checking out the sample apps on GitHub.

While the SDK is obviously aimed at developers, this is still good news for users. If you own a Chromecast, you should expect to get access to even more movies, TV shows, and music via cast buttons in your favorite apps and websites.

Top Image Credit: Google