Our newest software update is guaranteed to be music to your ears: AirPlay 2 streaming support has officially landed in Roon! It’s always thrilling to check off another box on your audio wish lists, especially one that so many of you have been eager to see hear.
Thanks to your feedback, this update also includes a batch of fixes and improvements to ensure Roon always runs at peak performance. You can find more details in our release notes. So, without further introductory verbosity, let’s discuss our main attraction—the benefits AirPlay 2 streaming brings to your Roon experience—so you can jump to your audio setup pages and start enjoying them.
If music be the food of love, AirPlay 2 on
Since Roon’s earliest days, our mission has been to seamlessly integrate with as many devices as possible. This is why “Roon works with all your gear” is one of our most enduring slogans and a guiding principle that underpins everything we do. So, rest assured before we go any further, all your first-generation AirPlay devices will continue to work with Roon. This update is about expanding your options, not replacing them.
We fully understand the flexibility, ease, and simplicity that convenience streaming formats bring to your systems. AirPlay 2 is synonymous with the most popular network receivers, streamers, and wireless speakers on the market. It’s practically ubiquitous across the gear most commonly used with Roon. And since summer is the official season of portable outdoor speaker stereo-paired fun (the internet says so), this seemed like the ideal time to get AirPlay 2 up and running in Roon.
More importantly, some devices rely on AirPlay2 to work their magic. Over 10% of Roon listeners own HomePods because they’re more than just another convenient way to add music around the house. They’re genuinely impressive little speakers that push out thumping bass, full-bodied mids, and remarkably detailed highs. We know because we use them also! And they light up like a miniature psychedelic light show! They’re pretty easy to love.
Starting today, you can enjoy them with Roon as stereo pairs or in a hybrid array, maybe with an Apple TV. Simply create a stereo pair using the Home app, and Roon will treat them as a single stereo device. You can also group them with other AirPlay 2 or AirPlay 1 devices. Have fun, go wild, and create a wall of funky technicolor sound; it’s your music.
Even better, our AirPlay 2 integration is entirely unique. We don’t thread audio through Apple’s restrictive walled sound garden. Instead, Roon talks directly to your devices while delivering all the added benefits, stability, and improved sync reliability of Apple’s updated streaming technology.
This allows you to get the best possible performance from all of the devices around your home or patio and enhance them with Roon’s best features—like customizing your sound to your individual tastes with our MUSE precision sound engine and using Signal Path to view audio as it weaves its way through your gear. You get the best of both worlds because you use Roon, and we’re grateful that you do.
Conclusion
So yeah, that’s it. AirPlay 2 is here! Off you go—we promised not to keep you. Pair your HomePods and turn them up loud! Group all your devices and paint your space with sound, AirPlay 2 style. You have music to enjoy!
Let us know how AirPlay 2 works for you in Roon, or send us pictures of your Signal Path. Please keep sharing your feedback; we’re always happy to hear from you. We’ll keep at it on this end to ensure Roon meets your needs and continues to provide the most engaging and immersive music listening experience available. As always, we thank you for being part of the Roon community!
Not using Roon? Experience the excitement today with a free 14-day Roon trial!