{"id":80378,"date":"2015-04-14T00:43:49","date_gmt":"2015-04-13T22:43:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/onsoftware.en.softonic.com\/?p=80378"},"modified":"2025-07-02T00:14:24","modified_gmt":"2025-07-02T07:14:24","slug":"is-tidal-worth-it-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/is-tidal-worth-it-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Tidal worth it?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tidal may be late to the streaming music game but it\u2019s got a lot of hype surrounding it thanks to Jay-Z and his army of musicians. The service is making waves because it promises to help musicians control and distribute their music. For more about what Tidal is and why it\u2019s important, check out my break down here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But none of this matters if the service isn’t any good. Is Tidal worth switching to, or is Spotify too big of a beast to take down?<\/strong> First, let\u2019s take a look at what Tidal offers.<\/p>\n

Exclusive content<\/h3>\n

\"Tidal<\/p>\n

One of Tidal\u2019s biggest selling points is its exclusive content. Rihanna released her music video for \u201cAmerican Oxygen\u201d exclusively on Tidal last week. In addition to music videos, Tidal hopes to offer highly curated playlists and interviews<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The exclusive playlists I listened to were good and came from Tidal\u2019s staff as well as celebrities like deadmau5, Robinson Cano, The Hives, Jack White, Jay-Z, and many more. Exclusive playlists are a nice touch as it lets artists highlight their influences but they\u2019re limited to mostly mainstream artists<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"Tidal<\/p>\n

I also stumbled upon some exclusive interviews<\/strong> like the one with BADBADNOTGOOD<\/a> but its hard to find written content on the Tidal service after they\u2019re removed from the featured carousel. There\u2019s a separate website, read.tidal.com<\/a>, where you can read all the written content from Tidal\u2019s nameless editors. I wish there was a dedicated section in the app for written content.<\/p>\n

Music library<\/h3>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

One thing was clear after using Tidal for a week: its music library isn’t as good as Spotify\u2019s<\/strong>. Searching through the Tidal\u2019s catalog revealed many gaps. For example, I looked up The Weeknd and was surprised to find that some of his albums couldn’t be streamed or downloaded because of his label. Radiohead\u2019s King of Limbs<\/em> album is missing too, but is available on Spotify. I was also disappointed that most of Pink Martini\u2019s albums were not available on Tidal.<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s really the story of Tidal\u2019s music offerings. Searching for specific albums, I was repeatedly disappointed at what was missing from its catalog<\/strong>. I compromised and listened to something else and fell into a rhythm of bitter acceptance. As Jay-Z and other Tidal investors wage war against other streaming services, this problem will only get worse for everyone.<\/p>\n

\"Tidal<\/p>\n

Spotify also has a lot of missing content due to licensing issues. Taylor Swift famously removed her discography<\/a> from the service because of low revenue. Radiohead\u2019s In Rainbows<\/em> is missing from both Spotify and Tidal.<\/p>\n

If you listen to mostly mainstream artists, Tidal\u2019s library is actually quite good. For classical music lovers, Tidal\u2019s library leaves a lot to be desired in terms of availability and organization. There\u2019s a ton of classical content but it\u2019s hard to find the specific album you\u2019re looking for amongst the many compilation albums.<\/p>\n

I compromised and listened to something else and fell into a rhythm of bitter acceptance.<\/strong><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

But when you\u2019re paying the same price for Spotify, which has the bigger library, it really doesn’t make sense to jump to Tidal<\/strong>. It\u2019s even worse when you factor in the $19.99 per month high definition plan for a such a limited library.<\/p>\n

Music discovery<\/h3>\n

\"Tidal<\/p>\n

What really makes a music streaming service valuable is music discovery. Tidal helps users discover new music through its featured content at the top of the app and website. There are also curated playlists<\/strong> and a hidden radio feature. The playlists are good for looking at what musicians are listening to but it\u2019s not really customized for you. Songza<\/a> offers better curated playlists based on mood.<\/p>\n

Tidal\u2019s radio feature can be accessed by playing a track and starting a radio station. I wish Tidal had a radio section in its app<\/strong> instead of hiding the feature in a hidden menu. And of course, you can browse music by genre.<\/p>\n

Tidal is a solitary listening experience.<\/strong><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

You can favorite different artists, albums, and tracks to help Tidal figure out what to recommend to you. I found the service\u2019s recommendations quite good<\/strong>, showing me artists that I haven\u2019t heard of before.<\/p>\n

The biggest problem with Tidal\u2019s music discovery is that it doesn’t have any social community<\/strong>. Spotify allows you to share and curate playlists with your Facebook friends. Collaborative playlists are a great way for friends to share music but Tidal is a solitary listening experience.<\/p>\n

Sound quality<\/h3>\n

\"Tidal<\/p>\n

NERD ALERT.<\/strong> Here\u2019s the equipment I used to evaluate sound quality.<\/p>\n

Headphones<\/strong>: Sennheiser HD 600<\/a>, AKG K550<\/a>, Grado RS2i<\/a><\/p>\n

Speakers<\/strong>: Paradigm 3se<\/p>\n

DACs<\/strong>: Fiio E18 Kunlun<\/a>, Schiit Audio Modi<\/a><\/p>\n

Amps<\/strong>: Fiio E18, WooAudio WA3<\/a> with upgraded tubes<\/p>\n

For most people, Spotify sounds pretty good, allowing for up to 320kbps Ogg Vorbis for streaming and offline listening. For double the price ($19.99), is Tidal\u2019s high def subscription worth it? It depends on factors like your audio setup and if you know what to listen for. If you\u2019re listening to music using the earbuds that came with your phone or a pair of Bluetooth headphones, you won\u2019t notice a difference.<\/p>\n

\"Tidal<\/p>\n

Tidal provides a flawed\u00a0five track test<\/strong> to see if you can distinguish between 320kbps AAC and 1411kbps FLAC tracks. I failed and aced the test multiple times, even though I have a very good audio setup. A better test to take is Philips\u2019 Golden Ears Challenge<\/a>, which does a much better job at explaining what to listen for.<\/p>\n

Instead of trying to see if you can hear a difference with Tidal\u2019s Hi-Fi streaming, I recommend signing up for the 30 day try and see if you miss the sound after going back to compressed audio. The change is stark when your ears have been spoiled for a while.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re listening to music using the earbuds that came with your phone or a pair of Bluetooth headphones, you won\u2019t notice a difference.<\/em><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

If you\u2019re a discerning listener, you will hear a difference with Tidal\u2019s Hi-Fi streaming and downloads. Listening to 320kbps lossy audio is like looking through a hazy window. Listening to 1411kbps FLAC is like looking a window after cleaning it with Windex<\/strong>. Everything is a little bit clearer and effortless.<\/p>\n

But in exchange for good sound, you give up a lot of space. I downloaded eight albums from Tidal onto my Moto X, which took up 3.16GB. There\u2019s also the question of if you can hear a difference using a mobile phone instead of listening through the browser on your home hi-fi setup.<\/p>\n

To test this, I hooked up my Moto X to my Fiio E18 DAC\/amp to see if the quality made a difference. I took the train using this setup and it sounded great. I noticed blacker backgrounds as well as extended treble and bass<\/strong> compared to playing music directly out of the phone\u2019s headphone jack. If you\u2019re a crazy audiophile like me, you will appreciate Tidal\u2019s sound.<\/p>\n

\"Tidal<\/p>\n

Of course, file formats and high bitrate can only do so much. If an album is poorly mastered, it\u2019s going to sound bad even in high-res<\/strong>. While you can always purchase higher resolution music, you can\u2019t purchase a better master so that\u2019s out of your control.<\/p>\n

For $20 per month, I would have loved to see Tidal offer 24-bit audio<\/strong> as well. But technical limitations with 24-bit audio may degrade the user experience. With Hi-Fi streaming, Tidal already exhibits lag<\/strong> when initializing a track. Once a stream gets going, there\u2019s no lag but scrubbing through a track makes streaming pause for several seconds as it caches. Downloading tracks for offline listening also takes a long time but its sound quality is worth the wait.<\/p>\n

Even though Tidal\u2019s Hi-Fi streaming sounds great, its limited library and cost makes the service a tough sell. Music collectors are better off purchasing used CDs or collecting vinyl<\/strong>. With physical formats, you get the sound quality and nostalgia of thumbing through artwork and lyrics, something no music streaming service can replicate.<\/p>\n

App support<\/h3>\n

\"Tidal<\/p>\n

Tidal is available on Android<\/a>, iOS<\/a>, and the web. Its mobile apps are very similar to one another so you can pick up listening on different devices without much trouble. The home page of the app is where you\u2019ll find What\u2019s New, featuring exclusive content. The side menu reveals sections for your playlists, browsing by genre, your favorited music, and the offline mode<\/strong>. There\u2019s a toggle for Offline, which lets you quickly access the albums and tracks you downloaded onto your phone.<\/p>\n

Tidal locks you into only listening to its library and not your own.<\/em><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I found Tidal\u2019s browser support to be lacking. For Hi-Fi streaming, you need to use Chrome<\/strong>; Firefox users are limited to standard def streaming. To double check that you\u2019re streaming in Hi-Fi, there\u2019s a \u201cHIFI\u201d logo next to the volume controls that turns white when its active and gray when it\u2019s off.<\/p>\n

I would like to see Tidal come out with dedicated desktop applications for Windows and Mac<\/strong>, something Spotify offers. This allows for offline listening and integration with your local music library. While Spotify\u2019s local music integration is a mess, it\u2019s nice to have an option to fill out a the holes in the music catalog. Tidal locks you into only listening to its library and not your own.<\/p>\n

A tough sell right now<\/h3>\n

\"Tidal<\/p>\n

After spending a week with Tidal, I found the service to be a tough sell. Google Play Music<\/a> and Spotify<\/a> both offer superior services in terms of music availability and user experience.<\/p>\n

Tidal\u2019s potential is there, but it\u2019s not ready for prime time<\/strong>. If the service can get more music in its library and build out its music discovery features, it could be a force to be reckoned with. For now, Tidal is attracting users with its small selection of exclusive content and celebrity hype. To keep growing, Tidal will have to offer more than flash.<\/p>\n

Tidal isn’t trying to sell you music but a lifestyle.<\/em><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Right now, Tidal isn’t trying to sell you music but a lifestyle. It wants you to be a trendsetter who listens to the latest music exclusives. It wants you to be the discerning audiophile who wants high def streaming for their Hi-Fi set up.<\/p>\n

I have no doubt Tidal will get better but its lackluster music library, curated content, and sound quality aren’t worth the money. For the same money, Spotify’s library and features are just better than Tidal’s. Or if you\u2019re an audiophile like me, you\u2019re better off digging for albums at your local used record store.<\/p>\n

Related Stories<\/h3>\n

What is Tidal?<\/a><\/p>\n

Best free Android music players<\/a><\/p>\n

Apple Watch: everything you need to know<\/a><\/p>\n

Best free apps for Samsung Galaxy S6<\/a><\/p>\n

Follow me on Twitter: @lewisleong<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Follow me on Last.fm: @lusciouslewis<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Tidal may be late to the streaming music game but it\u2019s got a lot of hype surrounding it thanks to Jay-Z and his army of musicians. The service is making waves because it promises to help musicians control and distribute their music. For more about what Tidal is and why it\u2019s important, check out my … Continue reading “Is Tidal worth it?”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2033,"featured_media":80395,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","wpcf-pageviews":1},"categories":[],"tags":[],"usertag":[],"vertical":[],"content-category":[],"class_list":["post-80378","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80378","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2033"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=80378"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80378\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":329626,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80378\/revisions\/329626"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/80395"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=80378"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=80378"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=80378"},{"taxonomy":"usertag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/usertag?post=80378"},{"taxonomy":"vertical","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/vertical?post=80378"},{"taxonomy":"content-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/content-category?post=80378"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}