YouTube Music is the weird kid on the block that nobody knows what to think of just yet. Both are also good at suggesting brand new tracks based on your taste. The streaming service offers three audio settings: Normal, HiFi, and Master. Both Spotify and Tidal boast exhaustive music catalogues: Spotify claims more than 70 million tracks, while Tidal boasts 80 million. These are the main differences between Spotify and Tidal, although there are a few other smaller ones as well. Both TIDAL HiFi Plus and Spotify hold up among the best streaming services, but the key differences between the two are as follows: TIDAL is all about the artist-listener relationship whereas Spotify focuses on the listener as an individual who wants to discover new music and share it with their friends. Next: You can also check out our detailed list of the best music streaming services. Theres no clear winner here both Tidal and Spotify are fantastic music streaming services. But if the playful pipes of Jethro Tull are more your style, The Zealot Gene is on Tidal in all its MQA studio quality frippery. Its brilliant value for a tenner, and offers excellent music recommendations. If you use a laptop or desktop, Spotify also supports OS X and Windows, and theres a flash-based web player, too. It can be bought at $19.99 a month, where you get access to lossless CD-quality audio. So far, it seems like semantics are all that really separate Spotify and Tidal, but theres a tangible gulf between the two when it comes to audio quality. Another difference worth highlighting is the search capabilities. That includes game consoles, including the recently launched Xbox Series X and Playstation 5. Spotify is available on the most recent Sony and Microsoft games consoles, for example, and can be accessed on quite a few smartwatches and other connected wearables too. A basic subscription costs $5.99, while the HiFi plan costs $11.99 monthly. Tidal also has a HiFi Plus plan that offers higher quality streaming and costs around double. Check and check again. Tidal: who pays artists more? Not only does it offer better than CD audio but immersive Dolby Atmos mixes too. When it comes to Spotify vs Tidal artists' payments, there is a significant difference. Its also worth considering Tidal if youre a devoted fan of specific artists like Jay-Z, Beyonc, Kanye West, and others these artists are likely to release music exclusively on Tidal, at least to begin with, with releases trickling down to Spotify months later. If you upgrade, like I did with the Premium trial, you're getting high-quality files coming in at 320kbps. A Student Tier allows you to split the Premium sub. Spotify is, to put it bluntly, all over this. Otherwise, the two services cost the same for the basic plan. Then theres Tidal X, which connects people with their favorite artists via live-streamed concerts and other events. But Tidal has now hit back with its own feature, named Tidal Connect, which also allows the direct streaming of songs to compatible hardware within the app but uniquely supports the casting of MQA and Dolby Atmos files. It certainly has the edge over Tidal, though the latters My Daily Discovery and Mixes For You playlist are undeniably worthwhile too. Spotify also has way more top charts available that list the best songs by country. But which is right for you in the battle of Spotify vs Tidal? If you pay $19.99 per month for Tidals HiFi Plus plan, you get to listen to higher-quality audio. On the other hand, Tidal has better Credits pages for songs they show more detailed info. Thank you for signing up to What Hi-Fi?. Awards 2022 winners revealed! TechRadar is supported by its audience. Much like Suggs, Tidal goes one step beyond. 3. Check. since then, he's written for titles such asWired, Metro, The Guardian andStuff, among many others. Well take either. Normal quality files from Spotify come in at 160 kbps, or 96 kbps on mobile devices. Tidal, on the other hand, does not have a free tier (unless you're in the US, in which case it hasTidal Free for 160kbps streaming with limited interruptions). However, those who value audio quality are definitely best off with Tidal. Remember though that not every new metal and rock release comes in hi-res. There was a problem. Find out what our audio editor has to say about why Tidal sounds better. During her eight years in the hi-fi industry, she has been fortunate enough to travel the world to report on the biggest and most exciting brands in hi-fi and consumer tech (and has had the jetlag and hangovers to remember them by). Curated playlists are almost always the first thing you see when you load any version of the app, with the service seemingly designing playlists for almost every music sub-genre. But music streaming is big business and there are a number of services vying for your attention (not to mention your wallet). You can also save by signing up for group deals, which work well for families or couple. Steve began his career as a music journo, writing for legendary rock weekly Sounds, under the nom de plume Steve Keaton. Spotify now offers over 82 million songs, while Tidal stays a bit behind at 80 million. Its available on iOS too, and can be integrated into your Sonos system. You will receive a verification email shortly. Please refresh the page and try again. A top-of-the-shop HiFi Plus subscription, meanwhile, buys access to some music mastered in Sony 360 Reality Audio and Dolby Atmos spatial audio, plus access to millions of truly high-resolution audio titles. The student premium goes for $4.99 a month. Tidals user interface (UI) is arguably better. Tidal's music discovery features are getting more up to Spotify's speed, though, with similar AI-based playlists such as My Daily Discovery, My Mix(es) and My New Arrivals formed from listening habits. But does it make more sense than Spotify for you? Play Korpses Retaliation on Spotify and the service points you in the direction of Traumatomy and Extermination Dismemberment. Spotify Premium costs $9.99/9.99 a month, with a Duo tier that supports two users for $12.99/12.99. TIDAL Pricing & Plans. Tidal has to make do with integration into Apple CarPlay. With Tidal's increase in quality comes a rounded-out service geared towards better sound, with improved hi-res music discovery and better labelling (you can identify Masters by the tiny little "M" icon next the title) as well as a wider hardware support network for its Masters. To my ears at least. If youre still undecided regarding which one is the better fit for you, take advantage of the services free trials. Spotify is currently the biggest platform - by users - but TIDAL has many fans as well. is supported by its audience. and, since her recent move to Melbourne, also the editor of Australian Hi-Fi magazine. That being said, Tidal does a good job of curating music playlists based on your listening habits, and youll find that just a few weeks of use will give its algorithms enough information to serve you truly exciting recommendations. The content recommendation algorithms of both Spotify and Tidal are impressive. Both services actually offer over 80 million tracks, giving its subscribers a comprehensive catalogue of music to listen to. Tidals desktop app lets you check artists social media channels directly, and if you connect your Facebook and/or Twitter accounts you can easily scroll through your favourite artists feed(s). When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Even in a noisy environment, the sound quality is quite adequate. Both 320kb/s but one is newer and the official successor to the popular encoder MP3. When it comes to accessibility, Spotify has it nailed. But if youre an audiophile at heart, Tidals HiFi Plus tier is worth the premium. It's impressively accurate. Subscribers to Spotify's free tier can only get 160 Kbps on its mobile app, half the audio quality of Tidal's lowest tier. The audio quality peaks at around 320kbps (Premium level), which is the same as Tidal's High option. BA1 1UA. Still not convinced? This is where Tidal can come in. Spotify is famous for its podcasts, whereas Tidal is famous for its music videos. Tidal, on the other hand, doesnt have a weekly playlist. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Heres why you can trust us. If you are a student, you can get the music streaming service for $4.99 per month along with Hulu and Showtime for a limited time. At the moment, TIDAL is the only service that offers lossless streams in CD quality (Flac format) for all devices. Whether your poison is podcasts or Bret Michaels, Spotify doesnt disappoint. With Spotify subscribers seemingly on the wane, what does alternative streaming platform Tidal offer and could it make more sense for you? I know that's the case in the United States, but in 'overseas' territories (I'm based in the UK) there's no access to the free tier. You can come across videos when searching for an artist or song, and thats about it. For example, Spotify has a sleep timer available to stop playing music after a specified amount of time. Of course, not every song sounds appreciably better, as other factors come into play, but you get the gist. For a more refined audio experience, Tidal has a HiFi subscription plan. Tidals not the only streaming service to have adopted the Spotify model and adapted it for its own purposes but where pure sound quality is concerned its one of the best streaming services around. Either way, all music streaming services will have some gaps in their library, so it's best to check your favourite artists are present before you sign up. All rights reserved. Its Family Tier is priced at $14.99/14.99. File Formats. The extreme setting uses 320kbps, which is perceptually close to lossless. First things first: you can use Spotify for free. Tidal Premium offers a maximum of 320kbps audio quality, you can access their exclusive music, videos, events, and editorial playlists. Well, Tidal HiFi is heftier than Spotify premium. You wont find popular podcasts like This American Life on Tidal. You cant search by genre, unlike Spotify, which is a shame for a platform aimed at true music lovers. For everyday use, on everyday headphones, this is fine. And lets not forget about great features like Tidal X and Tidal Rising. three things I love and hate about switching from Spotify to Tidal. All of my favorite songs and artists are likely available on both platforms. Tidal's app is also part of several networked hi-fi products streaming offerings, includingSonos,Bluesoundand Denon Heos kit, Linn, McIntosh, Naim and Cyrus players, with more hardware supporting MQA in order to play Tidal's MQA-powered hi-res Masters tracks. Basically, if youre willing to spend, spend on Tidal. on celebrities and podcasts while Tidal is more Artists oriented + similar price but as we know Tidal has better SQ (even if not audible for many of us) - Tidal has no Rammstein albums but with lms/Roon we can use our local files. One of the reasons that Spotify is so popular is down to its easy-to-use interface. Spotify doesnt offer lossless streaming like Tidal, so its not the best choice for audiophiles. Not so. Becky is the managing editor of What Hi-Fi? But if you're on a budget, then Tidal's $9.99/month price tag might be more appealing. This is the subscription plan for you if you're a total audiophile. ), moods and activities (party, relax, etc. Not content with spanking Spotify for CD-quality streaming, Tidal also has a HiFi Plus tier that brings audio quality up to 9216kbps (i.e. Tidal plans are initially based on streaming quality. It sounds excellent, and you dont need expensive headphones to take advantage of the quality. There's also a family plan that includes up to. Factor in the mobile-only Daily Mix (five genre-specific playlists) and the Spotify Wrapped playlist that has trended big at the end of the last couple of years, and it's fair to say that Spotify rules the roost when it comes to music discovery. Spotify uses Ogg Vorbis (basically an Alien, but a lossy Alien), vs. the FLAC (lossless) utilized by Tidal. At similar rates to the Spotify Premium Plan, it offers the same music quality at 320 KB/s. Spotify Premium also lets you download tracks to three devices at a time for offline playback. There was a problem. It also has better sound quality (if youre willing to pay for it), offers a discount for those in the military, and sports a better UI. It has a dark mode by default that looks striking, especially paired with the contrasting blue accents. Both Spotify and Tidal offer a number of different subscription tiers. Spotify's music library contains everything from . And which service's offering is best for you? Music Business Worldwide (MBW) estimates that over 80% of all songs on Spotify have fewer than 50 monthly listeners. Spotify boasts more than 80 million songs, which is currently the same as Tidal. Spotify also works with Google Maps and Waze Tidal only supports Waze. It also gives you access to loads of podcasts and has several great features, including Google Maps integration and crossfade. A basic subscription costs $5.99, while the HiFi plan costs $11.99 monthly. Ideal for couples, it's the same as the Family account, but only for two of you. Spotifys efforts in helping you discover new music shouldnt be understated, though. Any media labeled as MQA under Tidal means that the artist directly authenticated it. Spotify is poised to offer CD-quality streaming via its announced Spotify Hi-Fi tier for an as-yet-unspecified price, though this much-delayed offering is yet to materialise. ), and use the radio feature to discover songs and artists similar to the ones youre into. It works smoothly. The military premium goes for $5. These are constantly being updated too, so your favorite ones never grate following extended use. Tidal, on the other hand, pays one of the highest royalties, at $0.12 per stream. In truth, Tidal has copped a lot from Spotifys design and interface - but its no less usable and effective for that. But keep in mind that not all songs are available in this quality. There's also a 50 percent discount for students who sign up to Tidal, as well as discounts for people serving in the military and first responders in the US. Links on Android Authority may earn us a commission. Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, Spotify vs Tidal is a honest and comprehensive comparison between Spotify and Tidal. Thank you for signing up to TechRadar. Theres also a family plan available for $15.99, allowing for up to six accounts. As with any tidal plan, there is no free plan. Napster is the only service that pays the artists more than TIDAL. Spotify, unlike Tidal, does not offer lossless streaming, therefore it is not the ideal option for audiophiles. Jay, along with his star-studded list of partners . Spotify pays an average of $0.0033 per stream, one of the lowest in the music streaming industry. Theres not a huge amount of difference here. That means Tidals catalog can feel somewhat skewed towards hip-hop and rap artists, though its possible that this is down to the platforms editorial curation of its tracks. It also has a Crossfade feature that lets you create a seamless transition between songs, and gapless mode, eliminating the pause after one song ends and a new one starts. But in the US, you can use Tidal Access, which limits your listening to a selection of tracks curated by Tidal. You do have to make more of an effort to find fresh fodder though, scrolling someway down before you hit new album suggestions and playlists. Spotify's premium plan is 9.99$ per month, and the family plan is just 15.99$ per month. You also get access to your very own Video mixes (up to eight of them) that list the songs/music videos youre into. If you are an individual user, Spotify offers a full-featured Premium plan at $9.99 per month. Tidal, by way of contrast, streams at a CD-quality 1411kbps on its HiFi tier. Neil Young. Spotify has been promising a HiFi tier of its own for quite a while now but details (of the launch date, of the number of titles that will be available, and of exactly what HiFi means in this context) remain sketchy in the extreme. Still, it's free. Based in London, she's a popular music graduate who worked in the music industry before finding her calling in journalism. Then there are HiFi and Master, both of which are part of Tidals most expensive plan more on this in the next section. It's way faster. AMD unveils first Radeon 7000 GPUs: everything you need to know, T-Mobile just unleashed the most overkill carry-on ever but it can wirelessly charge your phone, Best Buy Black Friday deals LIVE: MacBooks, OLED TVs, headphones and more, Apple TV just crashed back down to $99 in Black Friday deal, $14.99 p/m (six accounts, HiFi); $29.99 (six accounts, HiFi Plus), The best tech tutorials and in-depth reviews, Try a single issue or save on a subscription, Issues delivered straight to your door or device. Additionally, Spotify has a Premium Duo plan on offer aimed at couples. Spotify has a free ad-supported version, whereas Tidal doesn't have a free plan. Spotify Family can cover up to six users; Tidal Family only covers five. Beats Studio 3 headphones are over 50% off now before Black Friday. But once you start talking about paying for these streaming services, Tidal makes a very compelling case for itself. Unavailable, greyed-out songs are present on Tidal, too, often signifying that the service and record label are mid-negotiation. (Disclaimer: Your results may vary). The pricing strategy is similar to Spotifys, but only to a point. Please refresh the page and try again. Just as Tidal distinguishes itself from rivals by offering hi-res audio, Spotify's USP is music recommendation. With collaborative playlists, excellent content curation and useful new release updates, it always feels nice and comfy. Streaming has been the music industrys fastest-growing revenue source for some years now, and over the past decade one service has stood the test of time as the most popular: Spotify. Heres why you can trust us. Also, youll need high-quality headphones to take advantage of the HiFi and MQA settings the cheap earbuds that shipped with your phone wont do the job. Spin the same on Tidal, and youll be served Autopsychosis and Megalodon. Tidal is competing with Spotify, Beats and other music streaming sites. It takes seconds for songs to start to play while Spotify is instant. Of the music services offering lossless CD-quality and hi-res streaming (Spotify not being one of them), Tidal is our favourite. She's previously been interviewed on BBC Radio 5 Live on the subject of multi-room audio, chaired panel discussions on diversity in music festival lineups, and her bylines include T3, Stereoboard, What to Watch, Top Ten Reviews, Creative Bloq, and Croco Magazine. Similarly, both services offer the titular debut by Canadian punks Billy Talent, but heres the rub - Tidal has it as an MQA Master stream, with more bits to get your teeth into. Its a little like the difference between SD and HD television; the former works just fine, but youll notice a real difference in quality if you make the upgrade to higher resolution audio. Tidal Hifi Vs Spotify Premium: Compatibility A recent partnership with DC means there are original big budget Batman stories coming, and Im well up for that. Well-known member Mar 11, 2005 560 33 18,920 Nov 18, 2020 #10 An alternative to Tidal, assuming you're OK with the ethics, is Amazon HD. Tidal HiFi has a comparable monthly charge, but you cant access hi-res streams. If theyre not, we have some suggestions for you right here. is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Sign up to get breaking news, reviews, opinion, analysis and more, plus the hottest tech deals! The price depends on the quality, and Tidal is more expensive. Tidal pays artists around 3x times more than Spotify, so some artists work exclusively with Tidal instead of Spotify. In the UK, Spotify is the only service that offers a free plan (though it is ad-supported and you cant listen to tracks in the order you want). The streaming world's audiophile and mainstream services of choice go head to head. So, the basic subscription comes in at $19.99 per month, a family plan goes for $29.99 per month, and students have to pay $9.99 per month. Spotify offers high-end music streaming at 320 kbps, which is known as good sound quality. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. 2. It differentiates itself with lofty claims of high-quality streaming music at the premium price of $19.99, exclusive . Spotify is actively buying the rights to specific podcasts and making them exclusive to the service. Olivia now has a career in PR. Let's investigate the PROS and CONS of each platform When it comes to music streaming platforms, you have many, many options. TIDAL plans and pricing are slightly different, more nuanced, than Spotify's. You have two options: TIDAL Premium or TIDAL HiFi, with the latter being the most expensive and providing the highest possible audio quality.TIDAL also does different plans for students, military personnel, and first responders. What I'm missing in your article, Becky, is, that to enjoy the highest Tidal quality, you need to have a VERY performant internet plan. Thats more or less it. All rights reserved. Given time, Simon likes nothing more than publishing and then quickly deleting tweets about the state of the nation (in general), the state of Aston Villa (in particular) and the state of his partner's cat. Theres plenty to persuade people to pay for Spotify Premium, mind: improved (approximately 320kbps) streams, offline listening, the freedom to search and skip tracks on mobile devices and, of course, no adverts. Google Stadia is dead and Nvidia GeForce Now gets a price cut whats going on? Both streaming platforms are also supported by a number of more left-field gadgets, including AV receivers, TVs, and even cars. Youll have to upgrade to a premium plan, which will set you back $9.99 per month, or $4.99 if youre a student. Like Spotify, there are also family-friendly options here, too. Audiophiles will appreciate the emphasis Tidal gives to MQA mastered content and playlists. But if its the music that primarily concerns you, and youre prepared to pay to listen to it, theres only one place to put your subscription money and thats Tidal. Total offers a high-quality musical experience which Spotify isn't, or it won't until it gets an upgrade. - Tidal Connect. Spotify, meanwhile, says it doesn't want to limit non-Spotify users by locking big artists into exclusive deals. If youre paying, and if youre likely to listen using a smartphone and an inexpensive pair of headphones, theres a chance you wont discern much difference between Spotifys 320kbps files and Tidals 1411kbps equivalents although the differences in detail levels, in particular, should be obvious to pretty much any listener. And that's just a selection of them. Both platforms also offer podcasts, though it seems like Spotify is taking this area a little more seriously, having spent over $200 million to acquire two podcast production companies in 2019 and signing a deal in 2020 believed to be worth around $100 million to exclusively distribute Joe Rogan's podcast - though this may have backfired somewhat. The increased bit depth of HRA improves the dynamic range, basically giving you a greater breadth of things to actually hear from the recording, making tracks sound more detailed and clear. We've also put together this handy guide to both services so you can compare them in one easy place, and hopefully find out whether Spotify or Tidal is the best streaming service for you. That might sound daunting, but its a strategy that works as its algorithms ultimately tailor the app to each user. However, Spotify isnt perfect as a service. Pay the same amount as youll pay for Spotify and the music you have access to is far less compressed. Its probably more easily expressed as give most of the money to Ed and Taylor. Steve is a home entertainment technology specialist who contributes to a variety of UK websites and mags, including Louder Sound, Yahoo UK, Trusted Reviews, T3, The Luxe Review and Home Cinema Choice. While Spotify Premium only streams MP3s up to 320kbps, Deezer HiFi streams FLAC at 1,411Kbps, Tidal HiFi also streams FLAC at 1,411Kbps, and higher with their MQA library of music. Check out our full Spotify review and Tidal review for an in-depth look at both products. Spotify is currently the worlds most popular streaming service, hitting 165 million subscribers in July 2021 and continuing to grow, despite mounting competition from the likes of Apple Music. Beyoncs 2019 album Lemonade debuted on Tidal exclusively, for example. Tidal is clearly the winner here, but if you're not a dedicated audiophile, you'll be fine with Spotify's 320kbps streaming. Even better value is Spotify Premium Family, which gives Premium access to up to six people (nominally from the same household) for 16.99 / $15.99 / AU$17.95 per month. TIDAL HiFi is $19.99 per month, but TIDAL are seeing increasing pressure from services such as Apple Music and Amazon Music who include hi-fi streaming at no additional cost. This was a semi-popular format a decade ago, and Spotify continues to use it because it's open-source so Spotify doesn't have to pay a license fee for it. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. You'll have to bear some (fairly annoying) adverts, though, and audio quality is limited to a maximum of 160kbps. In the mobile app, these sections are a little more hidden away to save space, and its worth noting that the layout of the desktop and mobile platforms are a little different. There was a problem. You dont need to be an audiophile, you dont need to have spent a fortune on headphones and you dont need golden ears. Its become a familiar feature in many hi-fi and AV products includingSonos speakers and is a big draw for those interested in bringing streaming into their existing system. Qobuz is slow. Given that Spotify can be yours for free, its hard to suggest its anything other than good value. Tidal Hi-Fi Plus streams up to 24-bit/96kHz, with MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) encoding. When it comes to audio fidelity and format choice, Tidal smokes Spotify. New York, Tidals app support is limited, with no game consoles and only wearable support for the Apple Watch and Samsung Gear. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). Options for its ad-free paid-for service include handy discounts for students, a two-account package called Duo (which includes a curated and evolving playlist based on listening habits) and a family membership giving up to six accounts. Some of the artists who are absent from Spotify have close ties to Jay-Z and therefore favor his platform, Tidal. Most of the time theyre both pretty successful, and not as predictable as you might imagine. Spotify Premium also sounds better.