Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Roon (Music Player) VS ncmpcpp

Compare Roon (Music Player) VS ncmpcpp and see what are their differences

Roon (Music Player) logo Roon (Music Player)

Roon is a music playing application for audiophiles

ncmpcpp logo ncmpcpp

Ncurses Music Player Client (Plus Plus)
  • Roon (Music Player) Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-10
  • ncmpcpp Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-22

Roon (Music Player) features and specs

  • Superior User Interface
    Roon's interface is clean, intuitive, and visually appealing, making it easy to navigate through large music libraries.
  • Rich Metadata
    Roon provides extensive metadata, including artist biographies, reviews, lyrics, and concert dates, enriching the listening experience.
  • Multi-Room Support
    Roon enables synchronized playback across multiple devices and rooms, which is ideal for users with extensive home audio setups.
  • High-Quality Sound
    Roon supports high-resolution audio formats and offers built-in DSP (Digital Signal Processing) to enhance sound quality.
  • Integration with Streaming Services
    Roon seamlessly integrates with popular streaming services like Tidal and Qobuz, allowing easy access to a vast range of music.
  • Extensive Device Compatibility
    Roon works well with a wide array of audio devices, including high-end DACs, network streamers, and wireless speakers.
  • Advanced Library Management
    Roon offers robust tools for managing and organizing music libraries, including automatic identification and tagging of tracks.

Possible disadvantages of Roon (Music Player)

  • High Cost
    Roon is relatively expensive, with both annual and lifetime subscription options that may deter casual listeners.
  • Complex Setup
    The initial setup can be complex, requiring a moderate level of technical knowledge, particularly for network configurations.
  • Resource Intensive
    Roon requires a powerful server to run smoothly, which can be a drawback for users with older or less capable hardware.
  • Dependency on Metadata Sources
    Roon’s rich metadata is dependent on external sources, which may sometimes lead to inconsistencies or missing information.
  • Limited Mobile Functionality
    Roon’s mobile app is less feature-rich compared to its desktop counterpart, limiting the user experience on smartphones and tablets.

ncmpcpp features and specs

  • Feature-rich
    ncmpcpp offers a wide range of features including a media library, playlist management, cover art display, and support for Last.fm, allowing users extensive control over their music experience.
  • Customizability
    The application allows users to customize its appearance and behavior extensively, making it adaptable to individual preferences and workflows.
  • Lightweight
    ncmpcpp is lightweight and efficient, using minimal system resources while providing powerful features, making it suitable for use on older hardware.
  • Keyboard-Driven Interface
    Designed for keyboard use, ncmpcpp offers keyboard shortcuts for nearly all of its functions, allowing for fast and efficient control by experienced users.
  • Integration with MPD
    As a client for the Music Player Daemon (MPD), ncmpcpp offers seamless integration, allowing users to control their MPD music servers directly.

Possible disadvantages of ncmpcpp

  • Steep Learning Curve
    New users may find ncmpcpp challenging to learn due to its text-based interface and extensive use of keyboard shortcuts.
  • Limited Support for Non-MPD Contexts
    ncmpcpp is specifically designed as a client for MPD, so it lacks utility and integration features for users not using MPD.
  • Lack of Modern UI
    The text-based interface may be off-putting to users accustomed to graphical interfaces, potentially making it less visually appealing.
  • Configuration Complexity
    While customizable, the process of configuring and fine-tuning ncmpcpp to specific needs can be complex and time-consuming.
  • Dependency on MPD
    Since ncmpcpp is dependent on MPD, issues with MPD or incompatibility with certain versions could affect ncmpcpp's functionality.

Analysis of Roon (Music Player)

Overall verdict

  • Roon is considered a great choice for audiophiles and music enthusiasts who value high-quality audio and advanced library management tools. However, it might not be suitable for those who are looking for a simple, cost-effective music player, as it is a premium product with a corresponding price tag.

Why this product is good

  • Roon is often praised for its powerful capabilities in music management and its ability to provide a rich, immersive listening experience. It offers a seamless and high-quality integration with various streaming services and audio devices, allowing users to enjoy their music with superior sound quality. The software is noted for its user-friendly interface, robust metadata features, and the ability to handle large music libraries efficiently.

Recommended for

    Roon is highly recommended for audiophiles, serious music collectors, and users who value detailed metadata and album information. It's also ideal for those who use multiple audio equipment brands and are looking for a cohesive and premium listening experience across all devices.

Roon (Music Player) videos

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ncmpcpp videos

Ncmpcpp: The Best MPD Client With The Worst Name

More videos:

  • Review - Spotify + Mopidy + ncmpcpp = The most Linux way to listen to Spotify!
  • Review - Linux Language Learning Workflow (Part 1: mpd, ncmpcpp + trans with Assimil)

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Roon (Music Player) and ncmpcpp)
Audio Player
83 83%
17% 17
Media Player
78 78%
22% 22
Music Player
100 100%
0% 0
Media Players And Streaming Platforms

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Roon (Music Player) and ncmpcpp

Roon (Music Player) Reviews

The 7 Best Windows Music Players for Hi-Res Audio
While most examples of hi-res music player software focus on sound quality alone, Roon focuses on something else. The developers say that something has been lost in the transition to digital music. To bring back the feeling of engagement you’d get from poring over liner notes, Roon aims to present a searchable “magazine” of your music.

ncmpcpp Reviews

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Roon (Music Player) seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 47 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Roon (Music Player) mentions (47)

  • What do you guys use to play music on the go?
    I also use Roon, which is a little complicated to describe here. Basically I have my own home server with music on, and then I can use the Roon ARC app to access it on the go, similar to above (and is similar to PlexAmp mentioned elsewhere here). Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Better sound than AppleTV 4K driving KEF LS50Ws?
    You might want to give roon or audirvana a try. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Just bought a house with multi room speakers. Help?
    You may also want to look into Room depending how far down the rabbit hole you want to go https://roonlabs.com/. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Poor schemas, poor cataloguing: why music tagging sucks
    Roon handles metadata and relationships between entities the least bad of anything I’ve tried. It’ll do things like link covers and live performances of the same song together, or let you group multiple issues of the same album and switch between them. It’s not cheap, and it takes some effort to fix some bad source data, but I’ve found it very rewarding and get a ton of enjoyment exploring my library now.... - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • iOS 16.3 Code Reveals Apple Continues to Work on Classical Music App
    Take a look at Roon. It's pricing and mobile limitations are disqualifications for me, but it's tagging is simply phenomenal. Source: over 2 years ago
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ncmpcpp mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of ncmpcpp yet. Tracking of ncmpcpp recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Roon (Music Player) and ncmpcpp, you can also consider the following products

Audirvana Plus - Build for sound quality

MOC - MOC (music on console) is a console audio player for LINUX/UNIX designed to be powerful and easy to...

foobar2000 - An advanced freeware audio player for the Windows platform.

musikCube - A fully functional terminal-based music player

AIMP - AIMP : Free Audio Player : Официальный сайт программы

ncmpc - ncmpc is a fully featured MPD client, which runs in a terminal (using ncurses).