I just wanted to jump in here and acknowledge that we appreciate your feedback and that you share your ideas with us. We can’t always respond to each of these threads, you send a lot of stuff our way!
The key here to adding additional streaming services in Roon is that it takes interest from both sides. The streaming service has to see the value in the partnership as well.
We can sing Roon’s praises, it’s features, benefits to our customers, etc, all we want. And believe me we do, but we’re Roon. It’s going to sound like a pitch to a potential streaming partner, because it is one. It you’re a business and you’re trying to reach a partnership or make a sale using persuasive language, that’s a pitch.
However, if all of you were to contact the streaming service you’d like to see integrated in Roon that could make a difference. You’re their customers. If you say ‘Hey, we use your service, and we also use Roon. It would be great if you were available in Roon. Is that possible?’ Then we’d all have a better chance of seeing this happen.
I sent my feedback to Apple as well. I’m not overly optimistic given Apple’s lackadaisical approach their development of Apple Music; for years they’ve clung to their lossy AAC format like a security blanket. I hope the rollout of lossless audio is Apple turning over a new leaf.
Apple’s lackadaisical approach
I do not think this is fair, Apple has done a lot of good things for music, if it wasn’t for original iPod, we all might still be using CDs.
For years, everybody has been clinging to lossy formats for streaming, it is only in the recent couple of years that Qobuz and Tidal started streaming lossless, with Apple joining in last year. Spotify is still not there.
As far as your own files, you could encode in Apple Lossless since 2004. Roon is great, but iTunes/Apple Music on desktop saved me from LPs/CDs/Cassettes since 2001
Apple introduced the AAC format in 2003. I can’t argue that the iPod did some great things for the music industry, and I used (and liked) iTunes too. Definitely some nostalgia there.
However, I think the fact that we are looking back to the iPod as Apple’s last most significant innovation in music kinda proves my point. I’d argue they missed the mark in the move to lossless by at least 10 years.
Thank goodness Tidal came along to advance the ball down the field, otherwise I doubt Apple would have changed.
Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to see Apple Music integrated with Roon. I’d love to see a high end Apple Music streamer. But, I’ve also seen what they’ve done with music for the past 10 years, and I just don’t think they’re going that direction. I think the only reason they rolled out lossless music was because they were losing market share, not because they were trying to be innovative.
There’s a difference between being reactive, and proactive. In the chip space, they’re proactive — in music, they’re reactive. That said, I understand reasonable minds can differ on whether that means they’ve been “lackadaisical.” Maybe a better characterization is that their development priorities have been elsewhere.
I think there is an intangible benefit - a pedigree, if you will - that Apple can gain by partnering with Roon. It won’t be huge numbers, but having a stamp of approval from the HiFi community can only help. Not to mention, I would ditch Spotify for good if Apple integrates; I’m not likely to continue past my trial otherwise.
It gives you no hope, Roons integrations doesn’t rely on APIs alone. If Apple won’t share their database in the way Roon needs it it’s never happening.
Not harsh just a realist. Roon just could not do what it does with just APIs. I mean the bottom section of that link shows what the the webapi is designed for
I am guessing someone from Roon would have checked the spec here Apple Developer Documentation
If that is not enough, then Roon has to make a request for what they need.
It’s already been said it’s not enough and Apple won’t play ball with what they need. They won’t share the data, this has been discussed too many times, same goes for Spotify. Unless the streaming service wants to play ball with Roon it just won’t happen.
I’m pretty sure Roon could provide a search box and play button conduit for Apple Music, but they don’t want to as the integration would suck, and the Roon experience would be completely compromised. So, at this point, I fully understand why it ain’t going to happen. Though, anything is probably possible.
