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Now that Tidal is compatible with our network streamers and AV receivers, you may want to get know the platform better. Here are some tips and tricks to using Tidal to its fullest, so you can experience the benefits of the high-quality music streaming.
HiFi/Master audio quality
Tidal's claim to fame is being an audiophile's choice of streaming service. HiFi subscribers can stream their ~50 million song library in FLAC, which is a lossless format that streams at 1411kbps and equivalent to CD quality. In comparison, Spotify's "extreme" quality streams at 320 kbps, and Apple Music's AAC plays at 256kbps.
In 2017, Tidal announced a partnership with Meridian, whose MQA technology delivers studio-quality music streaming without compressing the audio file or requiring huge data transfers. Their collaboration resulted in Tidal Masters, which delivers a studio-quality streaming experience. Unfortunately, not every album is available in this format, but you can hear the difference in the ones currently in their Masters library.
Exclusive albums
The days of exclusive albums are basically dead and gone. The perk lost its luster after most albums given this treatment would be added to all streaming services just a week or two after being released on their exclusive platform.
Tidal still releases exclusive releases here and there, including Jay-Z’s 4:44 and deadmau5’s upcoming orchestral album where’s the drop? The only album to permanently exclusive is Beyoncé’s Lemonade. The audio and visual album can only be heard and seen on Tidal, so if need Queen Bey on-demand, it's best to side with Tidal.
Exclusive TV shows/movies
Much of Tidal's exclusive content is now delivered in the form of video. This includes a variety of viewing entertainment, including music videos, movies, documentaries, live concert streams, TV shows, interviews, and video podcasts. Some of their recent videos give an insider to rap superstar Cardi B, indie upcomer Japanese Breakfast while being tattooed, and reggae singer Damian Marley. The app is also the only place Daft Punk fans can stream the duo’s 2006 feature film, Electroma.
TidalX
Tidal X strives to deliver in-person music experiences to bring multiple dimensions of entertainment to their subscribers. While it doesn't happen often, Tidal schedules artists to perform exclusive concerts for local subscribers that can later be streamed on the app. Some artists that have been featured in the series include Migos, Miguel, YG, Waxahatchee, and Kehlani. Their next Tidal X experience will involve Deadmau5 collaborating with a string orchestra.
Tidal also grants access to exclusive concert ticket presales to its users. This year, subscribers got the first bite at pre-sale tickets for Jay-Z and Beyoncé’s On the Run II tour.
Edit track
If you download a song or album to your phone, you can use Tidal's track edit feature. This allows you to customize the timing and tempo of a designated song. If you would like to listen to an excerpt of a symphony without listening to the whole thing, you can create a new track specified to your favorite movement. You can also slow-down or speed-up the tempo of a track. We're big fans of slowing down R&B tracks, which can really bring some more funk to the surface.
Tidal's artist payout
This isn't a hidden trick in the app, but Tidal's great feature is how they pay their artists. While streaming platforms make listening to music more convenient and accessible than ever, many musicians have criticized how they are unfairly compensated from the system. Tidal prioritizes its artists and claims to pay them best. Rapper Nipsey Hussle recently confirmed that on Twitter, where he released each service's payout for one million streams. According to his figures, Tidal pays four-times more than Spotify and Amazon Music.
Tidal Rising
Tidal Rising is dedicated to giving up-and-coming artists a worldwide platform. Their selections are included on the Tidal Rising page on the app, but their dedication to their success doesn't stop there. Tidal also provides them with press photos, PR, tour support, and other artist services that you never expect a streaming service to provide. Tidal truly goes about-and-beyond when it comes to nurturing careers of new musicians. It's also the perfect place to discover fresh new artists on the rise via the desktop or phone apps.
Download FLAC files from the Tidal Store
If FLAC is your digital jam, you can purchase albums in the premium format from Tidal's download store. This feature further emphasizes the service's desire to deliver a high-quality music listening experience and is one of the few major streaming services to deliver this option.
Social
You can conveniently check in with artists’ social media channels directly through Tidal's desktop application. If you connect your Twitter and Facebook logins with the app, you can scroll through an artist's feed on both platforms to your heart's desire.
