Roon ARC vs Audio for Work
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Roon ARC
Access your entire Roon music library and streaming services on the go. Enjoy personalized recommendations, offline listening, and advanced audio controls with a familiar interface.
- Access Roon library anywhere
- Stream TIDAL, Qobuz, KKBOX
- Offline music downloads
- Personalized recommendations
- Advanced audio controls (MUSE)
- Car integration
Read full descriptionHide full description
*** Roon ARC requires a valid Roon subscription *** ARC puts the best possible on-the-go music experience in your pocket and lets you enjoy your Roon library and all of Roon's immersive features wherever you are in the world. ARC is a custom-built streaming service powered by your Roon system at home. Explore your complete collection of artists, albums, playlists, and personal music files, plus TIDAL, Qobuz, and KKBOX streams. Discover added content from Roon's music experts and smart features, such as staff-curated playlists, Daily Mixes, New Releases for You, personalized recommendations, and Roon Radio. You can add albums to your collection, build playlists, set favorites, create tags, and more, just as you can in Roon. Offline listening lets you download your personal music files to keep the music playing wherever your adventures take you – even if you're off the grid entirely. ARC offers remote access to Roon's captivating library of in-depth artist bios and album articles, revealing the stories that take us deep into the heart of our favorite music. And there's more… Ready to hit the road? Your Roon library is too! Roon's browsing and discovery features fully integrate into your car's controls for safe and convenient playback. With ARC within easy reach of the wheel, every road you take is a journey in sound. ARC makes the driver's seat feel like your listening chair at home. ARC is designed to look and feel just like Roon. You get the same intuitive, aesthetically rich Roon interface you know and love, fully optimized for your phone. No more switching between streaming apps; ARC compiles all your music in one place for easy access and maximum enjoyment. And now, Roon's audio shaping suite and pristine sound quality have arrived in ARC - with bold styling never before seen in a mobile app! MUSE delivers the precision audio control of Roon when you're on the go or running a streamlined mobile setup with ARC. It places radically unique EQ handling, optimized balance control, precision volume leveling, FLAC, DSD & MQA support, crossfeed, headroom management, and sample rate conversion in the palm of your hand. You can customize sonic qualities to your specific tastes with MUSE, then save or apply them with a few clicks. To top it all off, MUSE even remembers your presets and reapplies them when you reconnect to a known device. The MUSE Signal Path display provides complete audio signal transparency as the music flows through your device - from source media all the way to your speakers. ARC offers artful design, sound quality, and a music listening experience unmatched by any other music app. Best of all, it's included free with your Roon subscription.
Audio for Work
Read full descriptionHide full description
Turn sound into your working system. Audio for Work is not just a music app. It’s a structured audio environment designed to help you enter focus, maintain rhythm, unlock creativity, and recover when needed. Four modes for four work states Focus Designed for deep work. Reduce distractions and stabilize attention. Rhythm Built for execution. Maintain a steady pace and output. Creative For ideation. A fluid sound environment that encourages thinking. Relax For recovery. Reset your mind and reduce fatigue. Why Audio for Work Not entertainment — but a work tool Designed for productivity, not consumption Minimal interface, zero friction Comfortable for long sessions Start your work by entering your state.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Roon ARC at none against Audio for Work's 1. Roon ARC also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). Audio for Work's advantage is update cadence (daily vs monthly). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Audio for Work sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Roon ARC asks for nothing beyond the download.
Roon ARC ships an update monthly, Audio for Work daily. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Roon ARC | Audio for Work |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.3 (196 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 35.9% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 196 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Daily — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 122 MB | 534 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Roon Labs | Nocoly.com |
Bugs and requests
Roon ARC
Reported bugs
4 issues- Corrupted media files
- Disappearing playlists
- Inability to select external storage for downloads
- Inconsistent connectivity to Roon server
Requested features
5 requests- Native iPad app
- Siri integration for voice control
- Improved browsing and search capabilities
- Automatic offline downloads
- MQA decoding support
Audio for Work
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Roon ARC
No in-app purchases
Audio for Work
- Unlimited$9.99









