Digiarty Software Inc has launched the first public beta of an Android client of AirPlay It, its free media-streaming solution. The set of tools, which includes AirPlayit Server for Windows and Mac, allows users to stream media content from their computer to compatible mobile devices over wi-fi, 3G and 4G networks.

Digiarty has also updated its iOS clients. Air Playit 1.8.0 for iPhone/iPod touch and Air Playit HD 1.8.0 for iPad both add support for CUDA hardware encoding on Air Playit Server to reduce CPU usage and reduce the server’s load on the host computer. The clients also now support multi-tasking background playback of music and allows the user to download music tracks directly to the mobile for playback later while offline.

Other feature improvements for iPhone and iPad users include faster H.264 and AAC encoding and improved image quality. A fix has also been released for the Bonjour discovery service to ensure the server can always be found, while other various performance and encoding improvements have also been added to this new release.

Air Playit 0.9 Beta for Android isn’t yet available on the Android app market, but must be downloaded directly from the Air Playit website. It contains most of the functionality of the iOS version, although as yet no local download of media files is possible.

The Air Playit collection of server and client software is completely free: AirPlayit Server is a free download for Mac and Windows, while Air Playit for iPhone 1.8.0, Air Playit HD for iPad 1.8.0 and Air Playit 0.9 Beta for Android are also available completely free of charge.