New Year's Eve is the ultimate opportunity to welcome the turn of the year with friends and loved ones, celebrating the year that's passed while looking forward to what the next will bring.
It's also the perfect time to get some dancing done, shimmying away the gluttony of Christmas dinners and lunches, boogying to a playlist of your collective favourites.
But coming up with the perfect music setup for a party isn't the easiest thing in the world, as you probably know.
From layout to track choices, there are a lot of variables to keep track of, and plenty of pitfalls to watch out for. We thought we'd look at the planning process with a little help from the Libratone ZIPP 2, one of our very favourite multi-room speakers, and run you through some key ideas for how to set up the ideal party.
1. Get that layout right
The Libratone ZIPP 2 is a brilliant multi-room speaker, with amazing 360-degree sound that's more than capable of filling a room on its own. This means that you can rely on a set of speakers to fill your house with brilliant sound.
Why not place one in the living room, one in the kitchen, and even one in your hallway so that people are greeted by tunes as they arrive?
By linking the speakers together, you can make sure that everyone at the party is getting the same amazing audio experience - and if you want one room to be a bit quieter to allow for chilled conversation, that's no trouble at all. You can connect up to 10 Libratone ZIPP 2 speakers together in your setup a and it's really easy to get everything working together.
And, with the room-correcting EQ feature, you can optimise the sound to match your space, meaning it'll sound good in any room.
Plus, with its beautiful design and distinctive sleeves, placing the ZIPP 2 front and centre is a surefire way to attract some compliments.
2. But you don't have to stick to it
The thing that makes the ZIPP 2 stand apart, though, is its portability. If you're an hour into your party and realise people are doing all the dancing in one room, the solution couldn't be easier - unplug your ZIPP 2's and pop them into that room to give it the volume boost it deserves.
With 12 hours of battery life, you won't have to worry about sound cutting out halfway through the night. The ZIPP 2 frees you up to adapt your speaker layout on the fly without any technical tinkering, so that you can concentrate on keeping the drinks and good times flowing.
3. Get your presets ready
The ZIPP 2 is perfect for those who want to plan a few different possible moods for their party. You can create up to five presets for the speaker, each of which will quick-play a playlist, song or radio station of your choosing. You can select them with a voice command to the built-in Alexa smart assistant, or through a quick tap on top of the speaker.
That means you could switch the vibe up at a moment's notice if you think people want a smoother tracklist, or activate that all-important post-midnight playlist, all without fiddling with your phone.
4. Let people connect
If you're a particularly relaxed host, though, why not let your guests take control themselves? There's nothing like a little democracy to make sure that your party has a unique mix of musical influences. The ZIPP 2 has a range of connection options that you could open up to your friends, including Wi-Fi, AirPlay 2, Bluetooth and Spotify Connect, meaning there are a host of ways that you can let other people have a say over the party's songs.
If you're happy to share your Wi-Fi password, you're already most of the way to an open and happy collaborative party playlist.
5. Take things outdoors
Finally, when it comes time to get outside and wait for the fireworks, why leave the music behind? The ZIPP 2's portability means that you don't just get to move it around within the confines of your home. This is a speaker that's at home in the outdoors, and can take a bit of rough and tumble. So bring it out with you, so that your midnight countdown doesn't have a silent backdrop, and you can really let the beat drop when the clock strikes 12.
Get a great bundle deal on the ZIPP 2
For a limited time, Libratone is offering a special bundle deal on a pair of Libratone ZIPP 2 speakers at Amazon.co.uk. Costing £312.79 for two instead of £229 each, you'll save around £146!