Amp up the musical catalog of your home stereo by connecting it to your smartphone—either wired or via hardware. It’s easier than most people realize and the rewards are numerous, adding the flexibility of music-streaming apps, cloud-based album collections, local MP3s, and more.

To connect to a stereo receiver, smartphone users can choose between a hard-wired solution or a wireless Bluetooth link with the help of easy-to-find and relatively inexpensive tools.

The Wired Option
One of the advantages of using a wired connection is it can be accomplished with a connector that costs as little as $10. Available at many major electronics stores, ask for a connector with a 3.5-millimeter prong that plugs into your phone’s headphone jack and two RCA connectors that plug into to your stereo’s audio inputs. The downside? Your smartphone needs to remain right next to your home stereo.

The Wireless Option
For a wireless solution, many electronics retailers sell wireless adapters that receive a Bluetooth signal from your smartphone—from up to 30 feet away—and connect to your home stereo’s audio inputs. With prices starting at around $30, this wireless solution allows you to control your music from the comfort of your couch. You can change music tracks, skip songs, select new music and more without interrupting the flow of tunes.

The Infinite Collection
Streaming music through Internet services is a great way to discover new music and revisit old favorites. Nearly every artist in history can now be found on the major music apps. In many cases, the services are supported by ads, so your costs are limited to the data used when downloading a streaming service’s app and listening via your smartphone. Several of the music-streaming services also offer premium subscriptions for a monthly fee to users who prefer to listen without advertisements.

Beyond Music
No matter how you link your smartphone to your home stereo system, it’s a union that opens up possibilities that go beyond music. For example, you can stream video on your smartphone and amp up the action by playing the movie’s soundtrack through your home speakers. There are also several methods to watch smartphone videos on your television, wired or wirelessly.

As you can imagine, gaming on your smartphone can also be taken to a whole new level if sound effects are connected to your local speaker system.