Roon bills itself as a whole house solution. It is, if you live alone.
Tidal has family, as do other services.
Roon, like the other services, has one library for all users but unlike the other services user accounts, Roon’s profiles come for free. So yes, pretty much sounds like a “whole house solution”.
It’s not that I don’t understand the wish to have separate libraries. I don’t understand why users point at other services, creating the impression that these services provide separate libraries per user, when it’s not true.
I see your point - and I’m not disagreeing if people present other solutions as more complete in terms of profiles if they are not, but Tidal, Amazon Prime, and some other streaming providers (Netflix I believe, I’m not a subscriber currently) do have very well separated libraries under a single plan.
I disagree that profiles makes Roon a whole house solution. From a data transport it absolutely is a whole house solution, and the best in the world. But when you add other people to the house, you’re using a single library which can tend to be like reaching for your last craft ale in the fridge and pulling out a Mountain Dew instead!
As far as I’m aware of, they have the same catalogue, the equivalent to Roon’s library, for all users. Respectively their catalogues may differ, but depending on content licensing region and not users.
The point really is that each person’s favorites (their “collection”) can be completely different for each user. As for Amazon Prime you get the same catalog, sure, but I don’t see my what my wife has watched or is in the middle of watching and she doesn’t see mine - the interface is customized completely for each user.
I didn’t see this thread originally but did anyone suggest or try the following
Watch folder A (boyfriend)
Watch folder B (girlfriend)
When you want to ONLY see folder A then go to setting/storage and disable folder B. The girlfriend’s albums will disappear and not feature in any search for radio/swim.
Reverse that process as and when needed.
No tags needed.
I get that, but there are already several feature request for Roon to make better use of profiles. It’s also fair to refer to other services when it comes down to discussing what Roon profiles offer in comparison to these other services. But here it’s about having more than one library (or Core), something one can’t get from any of these other services too. So creating the impression that one can is just wrong in my opinion.
Guys, just read the whole thread before answering.
I have been told to wait one year so next month I shall ask for an update.
I really wished someone looked at this because I know this is a solo hobby but other persons in a household should not be prevented to use Roon, without separated libraries. Many services are doing it, what’s so different that makes it impossible for Roon? I mean nothing new since last year so not possible?
Did you try the suggestion I made above ?
Yes I did and it’s not optimum. All libraries are scanned every time I switch from gf to bf library.
I don’t think 2 core is needed but I’m limited by my knowledge of how works Roon or lack of clear position on this feature request by the Roon Team.
I don’t think 2 libraries = 2 cores. I’d say it needs to be one core, database segmented by user, including separate storage location settings for each user, separate Tidal/qobuz account/login for each user, etc. Each user has their own collection, not their own core. Sure that is somewhat complex, but if you’re going to have a whole house solution for library management software, the whole house simply doesn’t have a single library.
Case in point. I installed Roon on both my kids’ computers so they could listen to my collection. They did that for a while but as soon as I bought Tidal family and gave them each a login for their own Tidal accounts/collections, they immediately stopped using Roon and just use their own Tidal account. They don’t want to see what their Dad just listened to, etc., and this way they can have an interface that only shows what they have recently played or favorited, etc.
So sure, you can beam data anywhere in the house. And that is POWERFUL. Definitely a great network transport system. But in terms of it really being whole house, only if you live alone.
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I’d just comment that this workaround doesn’t pass the WAF (wife acceptance factor). What I don’t get is that if it’s that easy to do it in terms of code, why can’t Roon just create groupings of storage locations specific to each profile?
This discussion has been going on a long time, well before August '19. This is where I understand why users get fed up…there are obvious things that would really enhance Roon and these requests just seem to sit there for long periods.
I’m fine having Roon to myself in the house since the kids can get whatever they like from Tidal (except Metallica, but that’s improving), but I think billing as a whole house solution is a stretch. The network transport is whole house. The library is not.
Ok … just trying to help. Seems a whole lot more WAF than deleting her music.
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Sorry to sound crabby! I do appreciate the suggestions and I am always suggesting workarounds too.
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Plex manages this really well and it’s not that complex for the most part. The hard part will be the streaming services part, endpoint management
and playlists. Playlistt for one would be problematic if for instance you have a people over and either one of you wants to start adding music each from your own library. Roons playlists are tied to the library. This situation is something that we always do. I may start the proceedings and then she will add some tracks, we also have a playlist game we start when have quite a few over so everyone joins in adding tracks. I’m not a fan of loosing this collaborative approach. I’m not that touchy about the family adding their own music as I can find my own easily.
Interesting. I had a similar thought. Just because I am in one library and my wife is in another, it doesn’t mean our remotes cannot be logged into the same endpoint to put files in the queue. Of course that’s hypothetical.
It would need a full reworking though as it’s not built that way currently. It’s all possible of course with some reworking. Perhaps how Spotify manages it in party mode or something similar.
I just want to add that this functionality is a huge omission. Cross pollination, (or contamination depending on ones point of view) really does not work for some. I used all of the tools available to separate mine and my wife’s music but get suggestions and features based on her listening and the contents of her library. Not at all what I want or like.
For me, it’s a deal breaker and once my free trial is over I will be done with Roon. It has a lot to offer and I love everything about it, except this. For it’s not insignificant price, I feel it is a huge omission.
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Given this topic has been spoken about a good few times; it seems to me a serious omission to expect families to pay for separate licensing to use their own files and have them separate on a household network.
Although not specifically related, having been on a number of sporting Committees (largish) it has irked me and members if or when a given Club has not offered some sort of family tiered membership at the very least.
So, whilst Roon’s business model says another individual user must buy a separate license to have ‘proper’ access, I would imagine that few would take this option up. If that is the case; it is only for those where money is of no object. And of course there are such people. However, if there were changes to this system for families/households; I’d suggest Roon subscription would increase and certainly not diminish.
Music is shared by many families & a lack of thought to this fact strikes me as either miserly or just mean spirited. Similarly, I would say those words during my Committee work.
The difference is however, that on a Committee I would get a response, but here we know that Roon devs have agreed to not comment on developments, so we are left in the dark.
We may get reasons why this has not occurred or reasons any negative thoughts regarding this are unfounded typically by way of an analogy that to me generally don’t address Roon itself, but just look to mask the said issue.
To be clear, I do not need such a function, but I do get irked when a business model does not support family needs. I guess I tend to speak out for those who do not have voices (the children) & any alienation from their family.
Cheers.
The lack of true profiles is a real drawback, but users should also be able to share parts of their unique profiles, e.g. storage, if they wish.
OTOH, no one should base their subscription on the assumption of a comprehensive profiles strategy.