Tidal and Apple Music offer exclusive releases that attracted a lot of music lovers worldwide. Both services have been here since 2015 in which Apple Music became the most popular music streaming service for US users.
But, Tidal also has a devoted subscriber base because of many reasons. This makes users wonder about the difference between the two and gave rise to the Tidal VS Apple Music battle. Like"Does Tidal actually sound better?"
Tidal is known as the music platform of artists and is owned by many successful artists with Jay-Z as the main owner. The platform pays artists more in every stream compared to Apple Music.
However, does this make Tidal a better music streaming service for average listeners? Keep on reading to learn more about the difference between Tidal and Apple Music.
Contents Guide Part 1. Tidal VS Apple Music: Comparison Between These TwoPart 2. Summary of The ComparisonPart 3. Bonus Tip: How to Enjoy Apple Music Free ForeverPart 4. Wrapping It Up
Tidal HiFi’s subscription is worth $19.99 a month and users will be given access to uncompressed content (lossless) and CD-quality streams (16bit, 1411kbps bitrate, FLAC files in 44.1kHz). Its standard subscription is worth $9.99 a month with a 320kbps audio quality in AAC formats which is much better compared to other music streaming services.
Apple Music uses the AAC format with a 256-kbps audio quality which is the same quality and format as that of the tracks you purchase from iTunes.
Based on our comparison, Tidal is obviously the winner when it comes to audio quality.
Tidal:
Tidal emphasizes music recommendations and discovery more but in a very simple way and with no tricks. It provides users curated playlists, songs, recommended hi-fi music albums and top 20 lists as well as staff picks.
Tidal’s unique feature is its curated playlists. You will be surprised to find playlists crafted by various artists such as Beyoncé and Jay Z and playlists than Tidal employees themselves have constructed.
Moreover, Tidal has a Genres option that shows the recommended albums and playlists. Aside from playlists, the platform also offers thousands of videos in Full HD including interviews, behind-the-scenes, and music videos.
Apple Music:
You will find the 4 main sections below in Apple Music:
This allows artists to connect to their fans so that the fans will know them better (their inspirations, work, etc.). Artists can post videos and songs to improve their existing albums. Users can like or comment on anything that a musician has posted and they can even share these through email, Twitter, Facebook, and Messages. Furthermore, artists can respond to user comments directly.
This a playlist personalized by Apple Music. It is composed of 25 songs that the platform thinks you have never heard before and is updated on Fridays. Compared to the Discover Weekly Spotify playlist which includes both new and old songs, New Music Mix only includes new songs.
This section recommends albums and tracks to users based on their listening habits. The platform will keep track of each user’s search history, music library, and their preferred songs. This means that the more a user listens to music, the more accurate the recommendations will be.
Users can find great content that they have never heard of before here as well as discover their favorite artists. This section offers a cast of all-star DJs, such as Pharrell Williams and Frank Ocean, who offer a unique perspective on music, pop culture, entertainment, etc. Moreover, Beats 1 is a channel that mixes things up by providing special shows on music events including new artists, albums, and upcoming/current events.
Apple’s most notable exclusive benefit is Beats 1 which other music streaming services cannot match. But when it comes to other features, Tidal and Apple Music are equal. Moreover, Tidal’s selection of playlists is like a combination of Spotify and Apple Music.
All of Tidal and Apple Music’s paid plans give users access to millions of songs upon sign up. Tidal subscribers can enjoy more than 57 million tracks while Apple Music has over 50 million tracks. So whichever users choose between these two, both will still allow them to build a huge music collection.
Tidal
Aside from more than 57 million tracks, Tidal also offers more than 200,000 music videos in HD. This is a far extensive catalog compared to other music streaming services. But of course, YouTube’s Music Premium is an exception. So for users who want to enjoy their music along with music videos, Tidal would be a great pick.
Moreover, with Tidal, users can download unlimited albums, songs, and playlists for offline playback. Users can even sync these songs to various devices using a single account. But, do note that you are only limited to up to 5 devices for simultaneous playback in offline mode. Lastly, when it comes to artist rights, Tidal was the first one to acquire albums from Rihanna, Kanye West, and Jay-Z.
Apple Music
Tidal and Apple Music have fought for exclusive rights from artists lately. So if this matters to you, do know that Apple Music was the first one who got albums from Taylor Swift, Pharell Williams, and Drake.
Moreover, users of Apple Music can download up to 100,000 tracks. They can also sync these across various devices using the iCloud Music Library of Apple given that they use a single Apple ID.
Tidal
Tidal is available for both Android and iOS users. The mobile app has a balck interface with a minimalist feel. It has tabs wherein users can check out recommendations and new releases, access their music collection, browse Tidal music, and search the catalog. It also offers an offline option which makes only the downloaded content appear in the mobile app.
Lastly, Tidal has a desktop app for Windows and Mac users. The desktop app is an excellent recreation of the mobile app but is slimmer and users can navigate on it easier compared to iTunes.
Apple Music
Users can access Apple Music’s catalog using the Music application. This has a white interface and is a built-in app on every iPod touch, iPad, and iPhone but it also comes as a downloadable app for Android devices.
Apple Music’s mobile app is not as easy to navigate with compared to Tidal because it has many hidden options and panels. Its desktop version (also available for Windows and Mac users) is similar to the mobile app’s format but it is not as pretty and is a bit less navigable.
Below is a summary of the features of Tidal and Apple Music.
|
Tidal |
Apple Music |
|
|
Year Founded |
2014 |
2015 |
|
Monthly Fees |
● $9.99 (Tidal Premium) ● $19.99 (Tidal HiFi) |
$9.99 |
|
Family Plans |
● $14.99 (Premium); ● $29.99 (HiFi) *up to 5 members |
$14.99 *up to 6 members |
|
Student Plans |
● $4.99 (Premium) ● $9.99 (HiFi) |
$4.99 |
|
Free Trial Duration |
1 month |
3 months |
|
Music Library |
More than 57 Million |
More than 50 Million |
|
Offline Mode |
Yes (Need paid subscription) |
Yes (Need paid subscription) |
|
Audio Quality (Premium) |
● 320 kbps, AAC (Tidal Premium) ● Variable, MQA, ALAC, FLAC (Tidal HiFi) |
Up to 256 kbps, AAC |
|
Supported Devices |
Web, Android, iOS, Windows, Mac |
Android, iOS, Windows, Mac |
|
Special Features |
CD quality lossless songs |
iTunes syncing |
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To wrap up our discussion, below are the main highlights of Tidal and Apple Music.
Main Highlights of Tidal:
Main Highlights of Apple Music:
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