Output audio to multiple clients in sync?

[hallo_leo]

Just installed Roon with the core on a Synology and two clients: an Mac and an iPad.

In the UI I see both clients:

I can play music on both clients independently, but I usually want either to hand over the music or play the same music on both clients. How can I output the audio to both clients in sync?

[Henry_McLeod (Henry)]

FAQ: How do I link zones so they play the same thing simultaneously?

I don’t know how up to date this guide is, but give this a go.

[Axel_Lesch]

@Henry_McLeod

I don’t know how up to date this guide is, but give this a

@hallo_leo
I can confirm that the article is up to date and that it works great.
Have fun!

[hallo_leo]

@Henry_McLeod @Axel_Lesch Thanks for the link. Have read the guide and will try it out.

One question though:The guide mentioens that “Zones can only be grouped with other zones of the same type”. I guess my Mac creates a RAAT type zone because it’s macOS, but the guide doesn’t say anything about iOS, i.e. my iPad.

Does anybody know whether the app on iOS creates RAAT zones?

[Henry_McLeod (Henry)]

As long as they are all the same type the zone grouping will behave as it should. If some are RAAT and others AirPlay then you will have issues.

[hallo_leo]

Thanks. Where can i find out what zone type my output devices iPad and Mac are?

[Suedkiez (Just a fellow user like you)]

Essentially everything’s a RAAT zone if it’s not Squeezebox, Meridian, or Airplay. I suppose iOS is missing in the bullet point with Android.

I can definitely group my Roon Ready streamer into one zone together with Roon on my Android phone, which then plays over a Bluetooth speaker, for instance.

[Henry_McLeod (Henry)]

@hallo_leo

Thanks. Where can i find out what zone type my output devices iPad and Mac are?

It will tell you what they are where you go in to authorise them. Some like a MAC might present more than one way to authorise, for instance system output and a sound device like a DAC in addition to AirPlay. The one you chose will tell you what it is.

[Beanoir]

If you create a zone with 2 endpoints, can those endpoints still be used independently when desired?

[Axel_Lesch]

@Beanoir
You just have to ungroup them:

[hallo_leo]

@Henry_McLeod I followed the guide - nd at dirst it didn’t work at all.

I had to disable “Private Zone” in the iPad’s device setup:

This setting was strangely enabled by default.

Now it works to sync the two devices outputs.

[Suedkiez (Just a fellow user like you)]

It’s enabled by default on mobile devices because the assumption is that, most likely, playing to those devices will be only controlled when using the device itself (e.g., for headphones) and not as a part of a zone from another device.

Good catch, have fun.