Executive summary
Roon already allows genre browsing, but it is mainly hierarchical and library-oriented.
I’m suggesting a dedicated, discovery-first “Global Genre Directory” that acts as a gateway into streaming catalogs (Qobuz / TIDAL), allowing users to intentionally explore all genres and start Radio directly from them.
Feature suggestion: Global Genre Directory as a discovery gateway
One of the reasons I use Roon is that it acts as a gateway to the vast amount of music available on streaming services like Qobuz and TIDAL, rather than just a player for my own library. Discovery is a core part of that experience.
The current Genres view is useful, but it is primarily hierarchical and often experienced through drilling down, or through genres already represented in the library. While it is technically possible to explore beyond one’s own collection, genres are not currently presented as a central, discovery-first entry point.
What I would love to see is a global genre directory — a browsable index of all genres and subgenres known to Roon’s metadata graph, independent of my personal library.
Conceptually:
- A view such as “Explore Genres” or “All Genres”
- An alphabetical or filterable list of genres and subgenres
- Selecting a genre opens a genre page with streaming-first actions:
- Start Radio
- Explore representative artists and albums from Qobuz / TIDAL
- Navigate to related or adjacent genres
For me, this would make Roon an even stronger discovery layer on top of streaming platforms: curiosity-driven, intentional, and frictionless. Click a genre I’m unfamiliar with, start Radio, and immediately explore music that mostly lives outside my own library.
Genre discovery is already possible today, but often indirectly. A dedicated genre directory would make it explicit and would better leverage Roon’s strengths in metadata, relationships and Radio.
I’m curious whether this aligns with Roon’s longer-term thinking around discovery, and whether other users would see value in genres as a primary gateway into the wider streaming universe.