Playing Spotify, Tidal and other streamers through JRiver

[Vladimir]

This is not difficult at all.

1) You should enable the WDM driver in JRiver by going to Tools > Options > General > Features > Tick the WDM box to be active.

2) Next in your operating system (in my case Windows) make sure you select your playback device to be JRiver Media Center icon as default. This way everything that is sound played in your browser or on your PC will be relayed through JRiver via tha WDM driver.

Play something in Tidal/Spotify/etc. through the web player or the app and try the volume control in JRiver, you will be able to adjust the levels. This is sure test that now your streaming service is relayed through JRiver.

In my case Tidal has occasional hiccups and glitches, especially at beginings of songs. To sort this out:

1) Tools > Options > Audio > Advanced > Live Playback Latency > Minimum

2) Tools > Options > Audio > Audio Device > Device Settings > Buffering > Minimum Hardware Size

If that doesn't do it for you, try this variation:

1) Increase Buffering by going to Tools > Options > Device Settings > Buffering set at 500ms

2) Increase Prebuffering by going to Tools > Options > Settings > Prebuffering set at 10 seconds or more.

 

[Vladimir]

I see we can now edit our original posts. Neat!

 

[Andrewjvt]

For the tip.

Always nice to see a detailed instruction as to how to implement such stuff as when I do something like this for the first time i always worry ive not set it up correct

 

[his dudeness]

nice one gonna try this later.

 

[Al ears]

nice one gonna try this later.

Me too. Never used it for streaming yet just playback of rips.

 

[Vladimir]

Weirdly for me the Tidal web player is more stable than the desktop app. I remember same was when I used Spotify.

In my case these settings gave the best results removing dropouts:

1) Tools > Options > Audio > Advanced > Live Playback Latency > Minimum

2) Tools > Options > Audio > Audio Device > Device Settings > Buffering > Minimum Hardware Size

 

[BigH]

I thought I would give JRiver a try. Downloaded it and set it up as above, says it's playing but no sound. Went to troubleshooter and it then switched me back to my soundcard audio, which plays fine. What am I missing on JRiver settings. I'm playing computer into DAC. Soundcard is set to SPDIF out.

 

[Vladimir]

I thought I would give JRiver a try. Downloaded it and set it up as above, says it's playing but no sound. Went to troubleshooter and it then switched me back to my soundcard audio, which plays fine. What am I missing on JRiver settings. I'm playing computer into DAC. Soundcard is set to SPDIF out.

Best to visit their support forum, everything is answered there.

 

[BigH]

OK thanks, will give it a go.

 

[BigH]

Got there in the end. It was the sound setting, not direct but should be to your soundcard.

 

[BigH]

Almost given up with JRiver, so many problems, I'm not playing Tidal, apparently there is a major known problem using Tidal through JRiver, they advise not using wdm. The forum is not much help, people saying different things and basically going round in circles or they blame Windows when it was nothing to do with windows but their guide which is so basic. If you use WDM you need to select your soundcard driver not direct sound in JR Music centre. Anyway the sound is fine if I don't use wdm, if I do it's either no better or worse, could be buffering problems. Now I can't play any cds on my computer there is an error message all the time.

 

[insider9]

Have you tried Roon? Tidal integration is seamless and it's only a tip of the iceberg. You can have a 2 month free trial it you use a code.

 

[rainsoothe]

It's probably a driver thing. I have to keep mine on direct sound, because I listen to music while playing games sometimes, but when I used a laptop with Jriver as a main source, it would be set on ASIO or WASAPI with my old DAC, and had no issues whatsoever. Just had to manually select the appropriate driver at first setup. Didn't use tidal, though, this was only for streaming from my NAS or CD playback.

 

[BigH]

Never heard of Roon. I'm not using Tidal and it's $119 a year but I may try the free trial.

 

[insider9]

Never heard of Roon. I'm not using Tidal and it's $119 a year but I may try the free trial.

Go to HB Channel on YouTube. He has a 2 month free trial code under one of the videos.

 

[BigH]

But they are saying I have to use wdm to use a webpage, ie Spotify, but to play files from computer you use Asio or Wasapi. I don't play files or cds through it. I'm also getting firewall messages, just wondering how secure it is.

 

[insider9]

Just to clarify. Roon won't do Spotify, only local files, files from cloud and Tidal.

 

[BigH]

OK I see, thanks. I will bear it in mind if I go down the Tidal path.

 

[BigH]

Hearing good things about Amarra but they don't support WIN7.

 

[BigH]

You maybe interested in this review of 3 different software: http://www.digitalaudioreview.net/2015/08/a-stand-off-down-under-puremusic-vs-jriver-vs-audirvana/

Seems to be more software for MAC available.

 

[BigH]

JRiver admit there are problems with Tidal and advise people to use an alternative way of streaming Tidal. They seem pretty anti all streaming from reading some of the posts. I have had many problems since downloading JR, I have now uninstalled it from my computer and no problems anymore. If I update my Windows from 7 I will try [font="Lucida Grande, Lucida Sans Unicode, sans-serif"]Amarra.[/font]