HARMAN Completes Acquisition of Roon, a Leading Multi-Device, Multi-Room Audio Technology Platform

By DaMarko Webster

HARMAN, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics, has officially declared its acquisition of Roon, a renowned music management, discovery, and streaming platform catering to music enthusiasts.

Roon, recognized as a premier music player platform, offers an immersive interface for exploring and discovering music, compatibility with an extensive range of audio devices, and a purpose-built playback engine for optimal sound delivery. The platform, available across popular operating systems, also manufactures hardware server appliances known as Nucleus.

Dave Rogers, President of the Lifestyle Division at HARMAN, expressed pride in their ability to create exceptional audio experiences globally. He highlighted Roon’s shared passion for delivering outstanding sound and connectivity to music lovers, both at home and on the go. Rogers anticipates that the addition of Roon’s talented team will further enhance HARMAN’s robust engineering capabilities.

Under the acquisition, Roon will function as a standalone business within HARMAN, retaining its existing team and operational structure. The commitment is to maintain and build upon Roon’s community of device partners and customers, aiming to provide engaging and personalized audio experiences across various products and platforms.

In line with HARMAN’s ‘work with all’ strategy, the company is dedicated to expanding Roon’s open device ecosystem. This involves collaborations with over 160 audio brands, delivering audio to more than 1,000 high-performance devices. The acquisition aims to foster the growth and prosperity of Roon’s loyal community and leverage its exceptional UI/UX design expertise.

Enno Vandermeer, CEO of Roon, expressed the team’s excitement about joining HARMAN, a visionary company with a decades-long leadership role in the audio industry. The merger allows Roon to benefit from the scale, resources, and global reach of HARMAN while retaining independence to invest in business growth and future endeavors. Vandermeer emphasized their commitment to bringing advanced data management, SaaS expertise, and consumer engagement capabilities to partners within their broad ecosystem, collaborating with HARMAN to deliver even more exceptional audio experiences to customers.