I have my Library of ripped CDs arranged into a few main Folders - Classical, Non-Classical, etc. Within these main folders, I list all my Composers / Artists - maybe 100 in each main folder. I can browse my Classical collection with ease.
Can Roon access my music in this way? In other words can Roon list my Classical collection by Composer without using Search and without my Non-Classical stuff being included? Search is always pretty useless unless you know exactly what you're looking for - it's hopeless (as is a list of Artists or Composers) for browsing. Thanks
The short answer is Yes, with Roon you can search the music the way you described.
I used to be a folder view lover and was skeptical when I switched to Roon.
Roon has several tools that when used together let you view/group/sort/arrange your library in any way you want. Using the Focus and Bookmarks tools, for example, you can get easy and fast access to music already in your library. Here are a few examples:
1. Identify/group all the high-resolution albums in your library. Click Focus, then click of Formats, select whatever resolution you want (including type of recording like DSD or PCM). Immediately you get a list of all the tracks that meet those criteria. You can then create a folder and save it.
2. You can similarly identify and group all the Qobuz/Tidal albums in your library.
3. List of Albums by any performer. Take the artist John Coltrane. Coltrane performed with different groups throughout his life. If you do a normal search "John Coltrane" with Roon (using the magnifying glass), Roon will give you options like "John Coltrane Quartet", "John Coltrane Quintet", "John Coltrane Sextet". However, many albums where he was not a band leader are excluded. If you use "Focus" instead, then select John Coltrane as performer, ALL albums where JC played will automatically display (that includes albums where he is NOT the main artists). You can Bookmark that search, then ALL of the tracks where JC played are saved into that “folder”. “Bookmark” folders are dynamic. That means that whenever you add a new track/album where JC performs, it is automatically added to the “folder”. In other words, the "Bookmark" folder is always up-to-date.
4. You create a Bookmark of the music of a particular composer, by a conductor, with a specific orchestra, and label but only high resolution tracks (Strauss/HvK/Berlin Phil/DG/high resolution). Same idea.
Roon can take your library no matter how you have it organized and let you explore it in a totally different way.
PS. You can use any of the following fields to group your music: Genre, Release Year, Performer, Composer, Production, Live, Label, Location, Format, Sample Rate, Bit Depth, Stereo or MultiChannel.
