Integrating streaming services other than Tidal

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24

Soon is obviously not specific, which doesn’t really need to be pointed out in an English speaking forum.

While there are no guarantees, the Roon folk said they expected it 2017 or earlier.

So it’s completely accurate, that this was said.

The thread with this is here.

25

I posted this in the “add Spotify” thread.

I agree that it would be great (and important for the long term) to have additional services such as Spotify, pandora, siriusXM, a podcast streaming manager, and a radio stream service like TuneIn**. None of these have to be integrated like TIDAL**. But these services would allow ROON to replace completely LMS or Sonos. I currently have to use both Roon and lms to get everything I need in my steaming needs.

In addition, I don’t need all these items to be cd quality or better. I have my own library for that or tidal. But my daily streaming is more than just high quality music. I want podcasts (an auto streaming service not something where I have to manually download and delete individual episodes). I also would like Spotify and pandora and siriusXM. I want a single system for all the streaming my wife and I do. (Which is what I essentially have with LMS)

1 Like
26

This is also my view. I have got used to Tidal and the integration is excellent but the catalogue is limited as far as classical and jazz is concerned. These are my main passion. Addition of classical appears to be very slow, very limited and the quality is a concern. Both Spotify and Qobuz offer better. LMS did provide plug ins for each and Ickstream provided some future security. My subscription is up in March and though I admire the Roon approach greatly I’m not sure that I would rather wait until the system matures and can include a greater choice of streaming services before I can fully embrace it as my listening solution.I did originally subscribe believing that Qobuz integration was on the agenda but sadly this has not happened. I’m also keeping an eye on Qobuz development as they appear to have learned from the excellence of Roon. I play little local music and for me, Roon’s value is in its streaming integration. This is a priority for me.

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27

Come to think of it, I think a good solution would be to have some kind of “casting” option that would enable using RoonBridge from non-Roon applications. Seems to me this would be the simplest option, rather than attempt to integrate within the Roon “core” a number of additional services.

Unfortunately, RAAT is proprietary, and it does not seem that Roon Labs would be willing to do this, were it even possible technically.

Unfortunately, also, RoonBridge does not coexist well with other applications on a streamer as they compete for use of the soundcards.

So currently, if you use different applications for streaming (Roon and others), you either need to switch input devices on your amp or deactivate RoonBridge and activate another application in your streamer (something I do with the Android App Raspberry SSH Lite rather than logging into my RaspberryPi)

1 Like
28

I wonder if this could be achieved through Chromecast integration.

29

Probably, but then you would have to rely on the Chromecast for Roon. The Chromecast is an impressive little device, but I have better SQ with my streamer (and my amp’s toslink input is not great).

30

I’d use it for around the house, not as my main streamer.

31

Same here.

32

I have a toslink input in my own amp.A Yamaha. It’s a good little dac for the TV etc but my Dacmagic betters it.

33

Why wouldn’t you use Tidal for your phone? I use Tidal on my phone everyday (They have a great app), as well as at home through Roon, and it’s great to be able to use the same playlists and favourite albums.

This would be the same for Spotify users and I agree it would be great to have the option.

3 Likes
34

Personally I’d like to be able to use Roon to pass on audio from an ASIO input or similar. This would then decouple the management of that stream from Roon but still allow one to switch source and control volume, similar to using Roon as a preamp. It could solve a lot of potential issues by being very flexible
e.g. 1: spotify runs on the same computer and the user uses the spotify interface to control it, but it outputs to Roon which gives the user the ability to switch it on or off, go back to local library music, control the volume etc.
e.g. 2: VLC passing the audio part of a video playing

35

I haven’t tried it, but what about using “Stream What You Hear” with roon. I use it with my LMS install and it works. I install the windows program from here on my laptop:
http://www.streamwhatyouhear.com/download/

Once installed, only a few things to setup

  1. Start the program, then right click on icon in program tray
  2. click on SETTINGS. tick the “use specific HTTP port”. In my case it automatically used 5901 and that works. I think any high number will work here.
  3. set format you want the stream and how to capture. It can be PCM or converted to any number of mp3
    streams.
  4. Right click again on program icon in tray. Choose TOOLS. Then “HTTP LIVE STREAMING”. Copy that URL and add that as a favorite radio stream in your ROON internet radio settings.
  5. Start whatever you want playing on your computer (then mute your computer speakers). Choose the SWYH URL you added as the internet radio stream and it should play.

Again, I’ve have this working with LMS and my squeezeboxes.

36

Good idea, but Roon’s http streaming support is only lossy / SWYH only does mp3 streaming as far as I can see

37

Clarify? you say http is only lossy and SWYH does mp3 only (which is lossy). So would Roon work with SWYH? (I’m away from home and can’t test). And note that SWYH does lossy (mp3) and streams PCM.

(with lossy, I realize that we’re not talking high quality here. I use for some things that I can only get via my computer, podcasts, certain radio streams, etc.).

38

Stephane, that idea sounds absolutely amazing. To me one of the major fortes of Roon is the quality of the data handling (and the resulting sound quality) and the ease to stream to endpoints, not specifically the App. I’m really extremely frustrated with the limited selection on Tidal (its limitations span through all genres really, actually Qobuz has a more complete catalogue than Tidal) so it would really be great if Roon could find a way to open up its core functionality to a larger ecosystem of providers.

39

Apologies, I wasn’t clear. I meant that although they would probably work together, this solution would be lossy and not audiophile standard (and therefore a non-starter imo)

40

Agree. It’s a stop-gap to get something one can’t otherwise get, but certainly no solution to integrating other services.

41

Agreed. I do use Tidal on my phone - including offline downloads which is particularly useful when I am traveling. However this is a completely different experience or purpose to the Roon integration for my Hifi system at home. Btw The rest of my family prefers spotify.

42

Any news on this? Would be great to have google play and or Spotify. Tidal’s library is still lacking

43

the integration of spotify, youtoub etc would be true sdie integration of spotify, youtoub etc really super I would also buy an additional license for it