Synchronizing playback of digital media content

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions for synchronizing playback of guest media content played by a guest digital device with playback of host audio media content played on a host digital device, the instructions when executed causing a processor to perform steps including:

• determining a time delta representing an offset between a local system clock of the guest digital device and a reference clock;
• receiving playback information specifying media content being played by the host digital device, a media playback start time representing a start time of the media playback on the host digital device relative to the reference clock, and a media playback session script, the media playback session script comprising a media sequence indicating a sequence of frames of the media content;
• determining, based on the media playback start time, a current time of the local system dock of the guest digital device, and the media playback session script, an estimated playback position of the host digital device within a current media sequence;
• determining a latency of the guest digital device representing a time between initializing playback of a media sequence and outputting the media sequence;
• adjusting the estimated playback position of the guest digital device to compensate for the time delta and the latency to generate a time-adjusted playback position;
• and outputting the media content according to the playback session script and the time-adjusted playback position.

A computing device for synchronizing playback of guest media content with playback of host media content played on a host digital device, the computing device comprising:

• an audio playback device;
• a processor;
• and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed cause the processor to perform steps including:
• determining a time delta representing an offset between a local system clock of the guest digital device and a reference clock;
• receiving playback information specifying media content being played by the host digital device, a media playback start time representing a start time of the media playback on the host digital device relative to the reference dock, and a media playback session script, the media playback session script comprising a media sequence indicating a sequence of frames of the media content;
• determining, based on the media playback start time, a current time of the local system clock of the guest digital device, and the media playback session script, an estimated playback position of the host digital device within a current media sequence;
• determining a latency of the guest digital device representing a time between initializing playback of a media sequence and outputting the media sequence;
• adjusting the estimated playback position of the guest digital device to compensate for the time delta and the latency to generate a time-adjusted playback position;
• and outputting the media content to the audio playback device according to the playback session script and the time-adjusted playback position.