Techniques for flexible control of playback devices

A non-transitory computer-readable medium, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is provisioned with program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause a computing device to:

• establish a first network connection to a playback device that supports a first communication protocol, wherein the computing device comprises at least one communication interface configured to facilitate communication using the first communication protocol, a second communication protocol that is different from the first communication protocol, and a third communication protocol that is different from the first and second communication protocols;
• send, via the first network connection using the first communication protocol, audio content for playback to the playback device;
• detect, via at least one user interface of the computing device, user input indicating a modification to the playback of the audio content by the playback device;
• while (i) the first network connection is established and (ii) the computing device and the playback device are connected to a common data network that supports the second communication protocol, transmit, via the common data network using the second communication protocol, at least one command to modify playback of the audio content by the playback device based on the detected user input;
• and
• while (i) the first network connection is established and (ii) at least one of the computing device or the playback device are not connected to a common data network that supports the second communication protocol, (i) establish a second network connection to the playback device that supports the third communication protocol, and (ii) transmit, via the second network connection using the third communication protocol, at least one command to modify playback of the audio content by the playback device based on the detected user input.

A method carried out by a computing device, the method comprising:

• establishing a first network connection to a playback device that supports a first communication protocol, wherein the computing device comprises at least one communication interface configured to facilitate communication using the first communication protocol, a second communication protocol that is different from the first communication protocol, and a third communication protocol that is different from the first and second communication protocols;
• sending, via the first network connection using the first communication protocol, audio content for playback to the playback device;
• detecting, via at least one user interface of the computing device, user input indicating a modification to the playback of the audio content by the playback device;
• while (i) the first network connection is established and (ii) the computing device and the playback device are connected to a common data network that supports the second communication protocol, transmitting, via the common data network using the second communication protocol, at least one command to modify playback of the audio content by the playback device based on the detected user input;
• and
• while (i) the first network connection is established and (ii) at least one of the computing device or the playback device are not connected to a common data network that supports the second communication protocol, (i) establishing a second network connection to the playback device that supports the third communication protocol, and (ii) transmitting, via the second network connection using the third communication protocol, at least one command to modify playback of the audio content by the playback device based on the detected user input.