Downloads not part of library?

[kitt]

Is it true that downloads are not part of the library when offline? So I can only access downloads by manually playing it from the downloads tab?

Also it is not possible to use Siri?
Is it only playing downloaded music when online?

[Moonshiner (Thomas)]

@kitt

Is it true that downloads are not part of the library when offline? So I can only access downloads by manually playing it from the downloads tab?

What do you mean with downloads is not part of the library when offline? When I play albums from library I can see by the icon next to the track if the song is downloaded or not

[Suedkiez (Just a fellow user like you)]

@kitt

So I can only access downloads by manually playing it from the downloads tab?

If you are offline, you can still go to My Albums and tap the button to show only offline albums. (And if you enable ARC’s offline mode in Settings, this button is enabled by default).

@kitt

Is it only playing downloaded music when online?

No, you can listen to downloaded albums for 14 days without any network connection. However, the phone needs to be able to make a license check with Roon servers once in 14 days. But this is a low-bandwidth check only.

Is there a time limit for Roon ARC disconnected use?

ARC lets you play your downloads for 14 days with no internet connection. To reset that 14 day clock, it needs to talk to our cloud servers to confirm your license. All you would need to do to reset the 14 day clock is start the app with an internet connection briefly so it can talk to our servers. The core is not required.

However, there was a bug that caused older downloads not to play until you played them once while being online. I don’t know if this was fixed:

[Ticket In] B377 ARC download tracks missing in offline mode until revisited while online

Hi Suedkiez, I was able to reproduce the issue on my side, and I’ve created a ticket for it. The development team is now reviewing the case. Thanks again for bringing it to our attention!

@kitt

Also it is not possible to use Siri?

Not true, it works. (I just tried). However, you need to tell Siri to play something “in the Roon ARC app”. Otherwise it will try to use another app you may have installed, like the Qobuz app. After doing this several times, it should learn that you always want to use ARC, so you don’t have to repeat it forever.

This has worked since 2024:

@vova

Voice Assistant Support

You can now use Siri and Google Assistant to search for and control your music in the car. Voice assistant works with tracks, albums, artists, playlists, and genres. Dig through your Roon library, search through your favorite streaming catalogs, and fully control your music without lifting a finger from the steering wheel. For more info on how to set up Voice Assistant for ARC read here.

[kitt]

Thanks, I found the issue.
I have to be connected to the server otherwise it won’t work using Siri. I was hoping to use ARC without VPN enabled.

Does the 14 day limit apply to my own music as well?

[Suedkiez (Just a fellow user like you)]

@kitt

I have to be connected to the server otherwise it won’t work using Siri.

Isn’t that more a case of Siri not working when offline? I just tried and when I’m offline Siri CSV be summoned but it doesn’t seem to be able to do much - it won’t attempt to play anything from the Qobuz app either, but it doesn’t say anything like “can’t do this, you are offline”. It just sits there.

@kitt

Does the 14 day limit apply to my own music as well?

Yes, unfortunately. In any case, downloads are always your own music in the first place

[kitt]

I do have internet, but no connection to Roon.

[Suedkiez (Just a fellow user like you)]

@kitt

I do have internet, but no connection to Roon.

If “to Roon” means to your own RoonServer, it doesn’t seen to be necessary, as quoted further up:

@brian

To reset that 14 day clock, it needs to talk to our cloud servers to confirm your license. All you would need to do to reset the 14 day clock is start the app with an internet connection briefly so it can talk to our servers. The core is not required.

[kitt]

Yes, but Siri somehow doesn’t work if it isn’t connected.