Q-sys Plugin Adds Native Control for Multi Zone Audio Player

In Short

Multi Zone Audio Player (MZAP 7), previously Multi Room Audio Player, has released a native control plugin for Q-SYS.

What Happened

Multi Zone Audio Player (MZAP 7) has launched a native Q-SYS control plugin that lets Q-SYS Designer users control the player from inside a Q-SYS design. Q-SYS is an audio, video, and control platform used to run buildings like hotels, restaurants, offices, and event venues.

With the plugin, integrators can drop the component into a Q-SYS project, point it to the PC running the player, and expose music zones, sources, and announcements as standard Q-SYS controls. That means one Q-SYS touch panel can handle both the building controls and the background music system.

The plugin supports zone controls like volume in dB (a loudness unit), mute, source selection, and a “now playing” line with artist and track title. It also supports player controls such as play, pause, skip, playlist selection, playback mode, and per-player volume.

For announcements, staff can trigger pre-built jingles, including text-to-speech messages (typed text that is spoken aloud), to selected zones or all zones. The plugin also reports connection status through a standard Q-SYS status pin, so it can appear in system health monitoring.

A key technical detail is that the plugin uses the player’s live event stream. That means Q-SYS updates in near real time when something changes, instead of constantly polling (repeatedly asking for updates on a timer). The publisher says the plugin can also reconnect automatically after network or PC restarts.

The company says the plugin requires MZAP 7.2 or newer and has been tested with Q-SYS Designer 10.4. It is currently distributed from the company’s website, and the team says it is working with Q-SYS to publish it in the Q-SYS Asset Manager.

Why It Matters

For AV and facility teams, tighter Q-SYS integration reduces the need for a separate music control app. It can also speed up deployments in multi-zone venues by letting integrators use Q-SYS snapshots and Lua scripts for consistent “Lunch” and “Evening” presets.

In markets across Africa where hospitality and mixed-use real estate are growing, fewer control surfaces and fewer apps can mean simpler staff training and fewer support calls for venue operators.