Error message „Tidal media is loading slowly“

[Karsten_Thiem]

Roon Server Machine

Nucleus +

Operating System

OK

Version 1.0 (build 259) production

Running 9 days, 3 hours, 23 minutes, 11 seconds.

Roon Labs Software

OK

Version 1.0 (build 15) production.

Running 9 days, 3 hours, 23 minutes, 8 seconds.

Roon Server Software

OK

Version 2.56 (build 1583) earlyaccess

Running 5 days, 23 hours, 16 minutes, 29 seconds.

Roon Database & Settings

OK

90% of 55 GB available.

Internal Music Storage

OK

4000GB, Samsung SSD 860 26% of 3696 GB available.

Networking Gear & Setup Details

Asus Newifi AX over cat8 Lan

Connected Audio Devices

Raspberry Pi 5 8GB running Roopie over cat8 Lan Cable
PS Audio Direct Stream over Cat8 LAN cable

Number of Tracks in Library

36453 tracks

Description of Issue

Unable to play Tidal via roon as every so g skips after about 20sec with the error message „Tidal media is loading slowly. This may indicate a networking or connectivity problem.“

I have multiple other devices on this network running without problem at rhe same time (eg. Video calls, streaming video) but the network is nowhere near using full capacity. All routers and devices are on latest firmware. The problem persists theoughout the day. Clearing cache, restarting modem and router and logging in/out of Tidal does not help.

Streaming directly from Tidal (ie using Tidal Connect instead of via Roon) is possible without problems at the same tine (ie streaming via Tidal Connect without problem on another device on the exact same network while experiencing the problem trying to stream Tidal through Roon at the same time) - so the issue is not with Tidal or the network but with Roon.

[vadim]

Hi @Karsten_Thiem,

Thank you for the detailed information.

From what you’ve described, the issue is specifically affecting playback when streaming TIDAL through Roon, while TIDAL Connect works normally on the same network. This distinction is important, because Roon handles streaming differently than apps like TIDAL.

Because of this architecture, Roon is more sensitive to network latency or jitter, particularly between the Nucleus+ and your playback device, than apps that stream directly (such as TIDAL Connect, Spotify Connect, AirPlay, etc.), which only need a stable connection from the device itself, not the server.

Even a network that easily streams 4K video may still have micro-latency, multicast filtering, or QoS behavior that affects Roon more noticeably.

To move forward, we need a bit more detail:

Where is your playback endpoint in this chain, and how is it connected to the network?

Can you please confirm which device is currently being used for playback when the skipping occurs?

Please reproduce the issue one more time and let us know the exact timestamp and track name while the issue occurs.