How can I stream music from my phone to a Roon endpoint such as a stereo?

Roon Software Discussion
1

I would like to play music from my phone (either mp3 files or Spotify) on my home stereo system. The stereo system is network connected to my Roon Nucleus Core and the phone is on the same network, but via WiFi. How can I do this (without copying files)?

The phone I have is an iPhone, but what I would expect is for any phone, Android or whatever, to work as well. I can bluetooth to speakers that cost $100 but I can’t bluetooth to my Nucleus that costs $3000? That makes no sense.

Note that I have guests in my house that want to do the same thing: play music from their phones on my stereo, but cannot. How can I achieve this?

3

Roon itself can only play what has been added to its own library.
So that would be any local files or anything you have added via a streaming service.
So local files on a phone cannot be streamed via Roon.

4

@John_Chamberlain, welcome to the Community. Roon does not support Spotify, so you are left with Tidal, Qobuz, KKBOX, or local files.

You have not described anything about your home stereo system or what type of mobile phone you use (Android or iPhone). If you are in a Google ecosystem and have Chromecast in your network, then you can use that. Similarly, if you use the Apple ecosystem, if you have an AirPlay receiver in your network then that is an option. Also, does your music system support Spotify Connect or other services?

Barring these, you always can add a Bluetooth receiver to an input on your stereo system and let everyone connect to that.

5

Not with Roon. If you have a streamer that supports Airplay, Chromecast, Tidal Connect, Spotify Connect, or Bluetooth inputs, then you can enable those and friends’ phones can connect to it directly.

If using Spotify Connect, be aware that as soon as the Spotify app on a friend’s phone ever uses Spotify Connect to connect to your streamer, they have access to your system forever, even after they leave and their phones are not in your network anymore. I.e., they can at any time accidentally choose your system as the Spotify output on their phone, turn the volume to max, play music. To prevent that, you need to make a change in the settings of their phone to hide your streamer, and you have to do this as long you have access to their phone; you can’t control this on your streamer. This is what Spotify wants.

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6

Can be done. See RooPlay @ rooExtend - Home

See also rooPlay - From LP, CD and iPhone to Roon

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7

Good point but requires an RPI. If @John_Chamberlain already has a streamer with inputs it’s the cheaper/easier option for the occasional guest

8

I haven’t used Spotify for years, but I never knew this.
Thanks.
I suspect it’s been used in many a prank.
I have a Kef LS50W2 system that would wake up at 2am when a prankster friend (my son probably) decided to play firestarter by the Prodigy .
Thankfully it has BT built in so guests just use that, it’s also pretty good.

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9

Many accidents as well! It’s crazy

10

For the occasional guest it might indeed be an overkill. But there are other possible use scenarios that justify the investment in the RPI and the license, besides the fun of successful tinkering!

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