While physical media, and notably vinyl for music lovers, remains popular for audiophiles, music streaming services such as Spotify reign supreme. And Tidal is a truly fantastic music streaming service. Particularly, Tidal targets audio enthusiasts. With a comprehensive library and lush audio quality, it’s a compelling option. But should you subscribe? Find out in this Tidal music streaming service review!
What is Tidal?
Tidal is a high-fidelity music streaming service. Originally, Tidal dropped in 2014 and was acquired by rapper and mogul Jay-Z. Its large library is comprised of over 60 million tracks and more than 200,000 music videos. In addition to music, Tidal includes a podcast aggregator. What sets Tidal apart from competing music streaming on-demand platforms is its hi-fi library, split into two tiers. Tidal Premium includes lossy audio tracks while Tidal HiFi boasts lossless CD-quality FLAC-based 16-bit/44.1kHz and 24-bit/96 kHz MQA files.
What Platforms is Tidal Available on?
There are tons of Tidal apps you can download. For desktop users, a Windows app is available in addition to a web player for cross-platform browser-based playback. On mobile devices, Tidal has both Android and iOS apps plus an Android TV app for listening via streaming boxes like the Nvidia Shield TV. Fittingly since Tidal targets audiophiles, you’ll find Tidal integrations with Sonos, Plex media server software, Yahama’s MusicCast, Denon’s HEOS, and more.
Tidal apps and supported devices:
- Windows app (Windows 7+)
- macOS app
- Android and Android TV
- iOS
- Roku
- Tidal web player
- Apple TV
- Fire TV
- Smart TVs (i.e. Samsung)
- Sonos, Bluesound, Roon, Denon’s HEOS, Naim, Yahama’s MusicCast, Audirvana, Onkyo, Ickstream, Cambridge Audio, Devialet, Aurender, Serato, Astell&Kern, Lumin, Teufel Raumfeld, Kef, Phorus, Control4, Moon by Simaudio, Amarra, Amare Musica, Auralic, Bel Canto, Burmester, Cabasse, Cary Audio, CasaTunes, CocktailAudio, Definitive Technology, Dynaudio, Plex, Echobox, Electrocompaniet, Esoteric, Essential Phone, Harman/Kardon, HiFiAkademie, Integra, IXION, Libratone, Linedmann, Linn, Lode, MartinLogan, McIntosh, Meridian, Mirage Audio System, MIYO, NAD BluOS, Oppo, Orchard Audio, Paradigm, Pioneer, Plato, Polk, Primare, Pro-ject, QAT, Reox, Savant, SOtM, T + A, Technics, TIDAL Audio, Trivum, VOCO, Wadia, Vizio SmartCast
Tidal Premium vs. Tidal Hi-Fi – Which Tidal Subscription is Best?
Tidal is generally split into two different plans, Premium and HiFi. With Tidal Premium, $10 USD a month nets you standard sound with high-definition music videos. You’ll have access to a large library of over 60 million songs and around 240,000 music videos. Step up to Tidal Hi-Fi for $20 a month to enjoy lossless high-fidelity studio-quality songs. There’s Dolby Atmos Music, Sony 360 Reality Audio, and the same library of HD music videos, audio tracks, and handpicked playlists as on premium. Whereas Tidal Premium includes standard lossy music streaming, the HiFi tier sports lossless CD-quality 16-bit/44.1kHz FLAC and 24-bit/96 kHz MQA tracks. You’ll find many high-resolution Tidal Masters tracks which are MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) FLAC or WAV files and mostly encoded in 96kHz/24-bit.
Additionally, Tidal features family and student plans. Family Premium retails for $15 a month and lets up to five extra family members listen for a total of six users. Likewise, Family Hi-Fi goes for $30 a month which allows up to six total family members create accounts. Then, for students, there’s Student Premium at $5 a month and Student HiFi for $10 monthly.
How much does Tidal cost:
- Tidal Premium – $10 USD
- Tidal Hi-Fi – $20
- Family premium – $15
- Family Hi-Fi – $30
- Student Premium – $5
- Student Hi-Fi – $10
Tidal Review – An Audiophile-Caliber Music Streaming Service
If you’re looking for a Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Music, or Qobuz alternative, Tidal is a great option. Its Premium tier offers 302kbps AAC sound quality. That’s in line with the industry standard for competing services such as Spotify. However, Tidal Hi-Fi boasts a massive catalog of lossless 44.1kHz/16-bit FLAC or Master Quality Authenticated 96kHz/24-bit audio in FLAC or WAV. Although not every album in its vast library is available as MQA, there are loads of options ranging from recent releases to classic LPs. Unsurprisingly since Tidal is owned by Jay-Z, Master Quality Audio recordings of his albums right down to the tour de force that is Reasonable Doubt are available. I was overjoyed to find an MQA version of Dr. Dre’s The Chronic, and Masters of pretty much every Taylor Swift release is available. I enjoy the mix of genres available, as well as the wide-ranging MQA LPs. Masters series recordings aren’t limited to new or older content and are pleasantly genre-agnostic.
General usability is a breeze. I used the Windows app, Android and Android TV apps, as well as the Tidal web player. Navigation is easy enough. Saving music to playlists and offline listening is a breeze, and a welcome inclusion for situations where Wi-Fi isn’t available such as a road trip, plane ride, or going for a run outside. What’s more, its curated playlists are spectacular. You can easily “star” albums to add to your collection, and these will appear under “My Music.” It’s sort of like a vinyl or CD collection, but with Tidal’s library. Unlike Spotify, Tidal offers long-form editorial pieces, music videos, and concert footage as well. One of my favorite features was the ability to sync with Plex. You can either sign up for Tidal through Plex, transfer your Tidal account so that it’s managed by Plex, or simply login. By linking my Tidal account to Plex, I was therefore able to have a unified app where I could access podcasts, my personal music collection of CD and vinyl rips, plus Tidal.
Unfortunately, there aren’t a lot of social features. There are Facebook and Instagram story integrations, but you won’t find anything like Spotify’s “Friend Activity” bar. With Tidal, you can share songs to social media, although that’s about the extent of its social capabilities. Though it’s possible to share playlists with Tidal, collaborative playlists aren’t possible. Moreover, Tidal lacks a local file playback mechanism. Similarly, while Tidal does host podcasts, you won’t find a massive selection. It’s limited to select Tidal-approved podcasts such as Rap Radar Podcast, Drink Champions, and Jazz Club.
Probably the biggest consideration when deciding if Tidal is right for you is pricing. Disappointingly, there’s no free ad-supported tier. The $10 a month plan is on par with services such as Spotify and Amazon Music HD for 320kbps streaming music. However, the $20 Tidal HiFi subscription might sound pricey. Admittedly it is, yet for audiophiles, it’s worth the cost. If you’ve got the right equipment, of course. Using a computer and a 3.5mm headphone jack, or even a non-MQA compatible DAC (digital to analog converter), the Tidal desktop app limits you to 96kHz playback. Similarly, the Android and iOS apps require an MQA-enabled DAC to fully unpackage Master Quality Audio recordings. Essentially, to get the full-on MQA experience, you’ll need a digital to analog audio converter outfitted with MQA compatibility. Because unpacking MQA is a two-step process wherein the Tidal app unpacks the first part, relying on a DAC for the second unfold. Presumably, anyone willing to shell out $20 a month for the Tidal Hi-Fi plan is a true audio enthusiast. But it’s worth noting that you can be simply plug in an AUX cable and get MQA.
Tidal Review – Final Thoughts
Overall, Tidal is a fantastic music streaming service and one that should appeal to most music buffs. Tidal Premium is similarly priced to competing services such as Spotify or Amazon Music. While it lacks some of the social elements of Spotify, Tidal nevertheless compensates with its editorial content, massive music catalog, exclusive video content, and ease of use. There’s more of an onus on the artist, as Tidal even pays its artists better than the likes of Spotify or Apple Music. While Tidal Premium is good, Tidal Hi-Fi is expensive but worth it for hardcore audiophiles. Assuming you’ve got the hardware to fully unpack MQA recordings, Tidal HiFi is a solid choice. On the whole, Tidal is a platform by, and for, music lovers.
Tidal
Pros
- Lots of Tidal compatible devices and apps
- Excellent CD-quality recordings with Tidal HiFi
- Easy to use
- Great editorial content, curated playlists, music videos, backstage footage, concert videos, and more
- Multiple plans, Tidal Premium and HiFi
Cons
- Top-tier Tidal Hi-Fi plan is expensive
- Full MQA experience requires a compatible DAC
- No free plan
- Few social features
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