Recent updates
March 13: Article updated to clarify 'lossless audio' (16-bit/44.1kHz CD-quality) and 'hi-res audio' (24-bit/96kHz to 24-bit/192kHz) definition.
Tidal is set to streamline its subscription plans by combining its lossless audio and hi-res tiers into one new ad-free individual plan for just $10.99 / £10.99 / AU$12.99 per month. This is big news for lovers of hi-res audio like myself and will also include full access to Dolby Atmos and Sony 360 Reality Audio spatial audio content. The change will bring Tidal's prices in line with Apple Music and Amazon Music.
The new plan will simply be called Tidal when it rolls out on April 10. It will combine Tidal's current HiFi and HiFi Plus tiers, which will cease to exist beyond that date.
As a paid subscriber to several of the best music streaming services, I regularly listen to Tidal's HiFi (CD-quality lossless audio) tier. I'm signed up for the $10.99 per month individual subscription (although I confess, I've being overpaying since I foolishly reinstated my Tidal subscription via iPhone) and have already received a notification to my email account telling me about the changes to my Tidal subscription. The price remains the same as my current subscription, and there's an option to cancel my subscription should I wish.
The new Tidal plan means I'll get access to Tidal's entire library of hi-res music files for no extra cost.
When it arrives, the new Tidal plan means I'll get access to Tidal's entire library of hi-res music files for no extra cost. Previously, I would have needed to sign up to Tidal's costly $20 per month HiFi Plus plan to access its hi-res music content, so this is great news for hi-res music fans everywhere and follows the company's simplification of its streaming offering that began last year.
Tidal drops MQA in favor of FLAC
Tidal has been known for its hi-res MQA format. At the time it launched, MQA enabled hi-res audio files containing large amounts of data to be 'packed' in such a way that they could easily be streamed from music servers over digital networks with limited bandwidth and 'unpacked' by compatible MQA playback devices in our homes.
As digital networks and infrastructure have improved though, Tidal began phasing out its MQA format support, and in June 2023 started making its hi-res library available in FLAC format.
Tidal's current price plans
| Plan | Tidal HiFi | Tidal HiFi Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Individual | $10.99 / £10.99 / AU$12.99 | $19.99/ £19.99 / AU$23.99 |
| Family (up to 6 accounts) | $16.99 / £16.99 / AU$19.99 | $29.99 / £29.99 / AU$35.99 |
| Student | $4.99 / £4.99 / AU$5.99 | $9.99 / £9.99 / AU$11.99 |
What you'll get with the new $11 Tidal plan
1. Full access to Tidal's hi-res library: Tidal's music library claims over 110 million tracks in lossless audio and hi-res FLAC. It adds around 200,000 new hi-res tracks every week.
2. Spatial audio content: Two other features bundled with this new Tidal package are 360 Reality Audio and Dolby Atmos spatial audio integration.
3. Offline listening: Tidal tracks and videos can be downloaded to your phone for offline listening, in any streaming quality.
4. Content exclusives: The amount of exclusive content is among the biggest of any of the best streaming services, and consists of concerts, curated mixes, discovery radio stations, podcasts, and shows.
5: The best content curation: Algorithm-generated recommendations are personalized to your music and video mixes that favor users' listening habits, while my Daily Discovery is a solid tool for finding new artists and songs.
As Tidal streamlines its subscription plan to more closely match market rivals, Spotify is the only streaming service without a lossless, hi-res, or spatial audio streaming tier. I look forward to discovering more at the Spotify Stream On 2024 that's rumored to be happening later this month.
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