Sync music with Philips Hue

In my Roon Core installed in my MacBook Pro, I can see the Philips Hue Sync app as an endpoint for Roon:

That made me think that if I select it as a zone, merged with an actual audio zone, then my Philips App will also receive the music stream and react accordingly syncing the lights accordingly.

I have tried several times to do so, but so far haven’t been able to do so. Even with merging directly with the MacBook output (which defeats the purpose because I can do that without Roon).

Has anyone tinkered with this function?

Roon segregates zone grouping according to the protocol used to send data to the zone. I suspect that the Hue Sync protocol is distinct from all the others, and thus probably can’t be grouped with any other zone. Can you send music directly to the Hue Sync? And if you do so, do the lights respond appropriately (whatever that is)?

Oh yeah, you are right. Let me do this test and come back with an answer.

Just did the test. Weird thing happened:

  1. As soon as I turned on Hue Sync in the Mac the audio endpoint disappeared from Roon.
  2. So the only way to make it work is using the MacBook audio output and then Hue Sync picks up the signal and does control the lights.

Conclusion: The only way it seems to make it work is to have a computer as an end point with Hue Sync running and get the audio from it using USB to the speakers (or airport, etc.).

Well, maybe. I was focussed on the grouping part; what if you leave the Hue Sync app off? Then it should show up in Roon. Then try playing music to that endpoint with Roon, and only to that endpoint. You won’t hear anything, but will the lights flicker (or whatever it is they do; change color, maybe?)?

If I leave it off it does not transmit data to the HUE bridge.

Well, I’m out of ideas, I’m afraid.