Any updates to what happens with Lifetime subscriptions should Roon fold?

Roon Software Discussion
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Back when Roon was getting started, the question was asked about what happens with “Lifers” should Roon close up shop. This is what @danny said in response;

Danny Dulai, Roon Labs COO Oct '25, 2015
"Obviously I can’t tell what will happen in the future, but it would leave a very poor taste in my mouth if our lifetimers were not taken care of… for life.

In the unlikely event that we could not maintain those services, we would release one last build that would kill those dependencies, so you could continue to use the application without our infrastructure as a requirement. Obviously the functionality would be reduced, but it would work."

There was a post in 2018 where Danny reaffirmed this stance.

Based on the release of 2.0 and it’s full time internet dependency, and various statements from Roon, it seems clear Roon plans to move core functions off of subscribers’ cores and into the cloud to facilitate Roon’s future plans.

I’m no expert, but it seems moving functions to the cloud makes it harder for Roon to fulfill it’s intention as stated in 2015 (and reaffirmed in 2018). It seems it would require an extensive rewrite of Roon to place functions back onto subscibers’ cores. If true, I don’t see Roon spending the resources to do this if they close up shop.

Does the statement made in 2015 still hold true? Or have Roon plans changed in a way that would make it impractical or impossible?

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Not at all. Your lack of expertise has nothing to do with this, it’s all about your lack of understanding of what the commitment was in the first place.

What you claim is becoming more difficult w/ 2.0 has been true from day one… all metadata comes from the cloud, as does Roon Radio, as does search, as does Live Radio listings, as do Audeze DSP profiles, etc.

Nothing actually changed here. Things have been added to Roon from 1.0, and all of them in the cloud.

If you feel at risk in your investment, don’t buy the lifetime.

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Thank you for the response.

So, are you saying that it’s still true that if Roon closed shop (but let’s hope not :+1:) that a final update would be released nixing internet dependencies and Roon would continue to work in some basic form for Lifers?

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Absolutely.

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All things must come to an end, if Roon closes up shop. It was a good run. Nothing is guaranteed. I am a lifetime subscriber, but I don’t expect Roon to be working 30 years from now. It is nice if they are still in business, but I don’t expect it. A lifetime in IT is about 10 years or so.

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Thank you the clarification and affirmation of the original statement. :+1:

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I’ve been using Harmony Remotes since the 90’s. They’ve discontinued them but are keeping the web programming alive (so far). Still using them. Probably 25 years.

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I don’t know why people worry about this. If your biggest worry in life is losing $500 or $700 for an expenditure that becomes worthless, consider yourself extremely lucky. As far as listening to music, you’ll find something else.

If you have a $50,000 car it depreciates more than this every month.

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Who said anything about this being their biggest worry in life? :roll_eyes: And what may be “pennies” to you is a significant sum to others.

It was a simple question, and Danny answered it.

A Mod can close this thread. The question has been answered.

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No one know what will happen to Roon or myself tomorrow.

Simply enjoy my music and rich metadata and new features over time. Do not think too far. I am a lifetime subscriber as well.

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