Very few things in the world of hi-fi get used by our staff more than Roon. The music management and playback platform continues to get better with each update and I’m deeply committed to its use at home along with my Roon Nucleus music server (reviewed here). For those unfamiliar with Roon, read our detailed explanation of the Roon platform here.
Roon 1.8 is the current operating system and it would appear that it has been updated with some interesting new features.
Native Control of Roon From Your Phone
In the latest update, one of the Roon community’s most requested features: native control of Roon from your phone, even when the screen is locked has been introduced.
Alongside this, Roon have made it even easier to compare different versions of your favorite albums in Roon and expanded Roon’s exporting functionality.
You can now access essential controls natively from your Android or iOS (*iOS Beta only: to use this feature, go to your Settings in Roon Remote and enable ‘Lock Screen Controls’) device without going into the Roon Remote app.
Now playing information, volume, and pause and skip controls can all be controlled from your phone.
Adjusting volume this way controls the level of your audio gear connected to Roon, and respects the volume limits you’ve already set in different zones. This latest update also includes support for your mobile devices physical volume controls, so you can change the volume of your music without even looking at the screen.
On iOS, Roon have also implemented the much-requested gesture support for navigation so you can now swipe from the left or right edge of your phone screen for easy back and forward navigation.
Compare Versions of Your Favorite Albums
Roon’s album page has always featured a “Versions” tab where you could find other editions of an album, including those from your own music library, TIDAL, and Qobuz.
In the latest update, Roon have completely redesigned this view, making it even easier to compare versions in your library and beyond. Whether you’re looking for an expanded edition with bonus tracks or want to listen to an even higher-quality version, Roon lets you do this in a couple of clicks.
Take Your Roon Content to Services Around the World
Roon has expanded and improved its exporting functionality, so it’s easier to copy media out of Roon, or to export detailed information about your music to Excel.
For those of you who enjoy listening to your playlists on multiple streaming platforms, Soundiiz now makes it easier to export playlists and other content from the platform to various music services.
The new Soundiiz export mode generates a custom CSV file for any playlists, favorites, or library content you select, which can easily be uploaded to Soundiiz and synced to TIDAL, Qobuz, or nearly any other streaming service.
