Users can find an expansive selection of music and podcasts content on the two services. Both platforms now offer free, ad-supported tiers with limited features, but there is more on the other platform. Tidal has a larger music library and higher quality audio at all levels.
The United States has only one music streaming service that offers a free tier, and that's Tidal. More than 80 million songs can be heard on the platform at up to 160 Kbps, which is the mid-level audio provided by the service.
Both the Individual plan and the Hifi plan give users ad-free access to each platform's entire media catalog. The starter plan from Tidal gives you listening up to 1411 kbps. Student and Family plans are offered by both platforms, but Tidal has more subscription options depending on how much you want to spend and how much you care about sound quality.
| Spotify | Tidal | |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Student | $4.99 | (HiFi) $4.99 |
| Student (HiFi Plus) | ❌ | $9.99 |
| Individual | $9.99 | (HiFi) $9.99 |
| Individual (HiFi Plus) | ❌ | $19.99 |
| Duo | $12.99 | ❌ |
| Family | $15.99 | (HiFi) $14.99 |
| Family (HiFi Plus) | ❌ | $29.99 |
| Military (HiFi) | ❌ | $5.99 |
| Military (HiFi Plus) | ❌ | $11.99 |
| Audio | ~96 Kbps, ~160 Kbps, and ~320 Kbps; ACC, Ogg Vorbis | 1411 Kbps to 9216 Kbps and immersive audio (360 Reality Audio, Dolby Atmos Music); AAC, ALAC, FLAC, MQA |
| Compatible devices | PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and Xbox One; iOS 12 or above devices; Android 5 or above devices | Chromecast, Roku, Vizio, Apple TV, Fire TV, Samsung TV, Android TV; iOS 13 devices; Android 6 or above devices |
| Web browsers | Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera, Safari | Chrome, Firefox (for lossless sound) |
Tidal sets itself apart by allowing subscribers to better personalize their listening experiences, which is something that has been missing from other streaming services. All of Tidal's plans have better quality audio than any of the tiers currently on the platform.
RECOMMENDED VIDEOS FOR YOU...
Tidal's Hifi Plus versions of its standard plans include Master Quality Authenticated (MQA) audio up to 9216 Kbps and immersive audio that utilizes 360 Reality Audio, as well as discounted rates for military personnel. The TIDAL X program gives Tidal subscribers exclusive access to live shows, meet and greets, live streams, and concert tickets.
It is worth noting that Tidal is only available in 60 countries. It is available in more than 180 countries.
Sound quality is the most important difference between the two. It was easy for Tidal to win that battle.
In January 2022, the platform announced that it had delayed the launch of the Hifi tier indefinitely. The new tier hasn't yet been made available. If and when it launches, you will be able to add CD-quality audio to your subscription for an additional fee. Four settings for streaming quality are offered by Tidal's HiFi Plus memberships.
The gap has definitely shrunk when comparing the music libraries of both streaming services.
There are some differences when comparing the media libraries. More than 80 million songs are provided by both Spotify and Tidal. When it comes to opportunities for music discovery and its more extensive roster of mood-specific playlists, it's not easy to tell which one is better.
The TIDALRising program helps support and promote up-and-coming artists by getting their music placed on the front page of TIDAL so that it's easier for subscribers to discover. Some artists have decided to make their music only available on Tidal for a period of time before releasing it on other platforms.
More than 3.6 million podcasts titles are available on the platform. It might not be the right service for you if you listen to a lot of podcasts. It more than makes up for it in exclusive music video content. A large portion of the music videos are exclusive to the platform.
The ability to look up lyrics to the songs you're playing was one of the things that set Tidal apart. Users can look up lyrics on the Now Playing screen of the app if they tap on the lyrics icon. A similar feature has been added to the streaming service. The only thing you have to do is open the "Now Playing View" on a song, navigate to the right corner, and select if you want to enable lyrics.
There are a few things to think about when comparing the two services. If you want the highest quality audio in your headphones, then Tidal is the best choice. This is true when there is no definitive timetable for the launch of the Hi Fi option. If you're using studio-grade headphones, you won't benefit from Tidal's selection of Hifi or MQA audio.
Music fans who want to support the artists whose music they're listening to should use Tidal. Most major streaming services are criticized for how much they pay artists for the right to stream their songs, but Tidal made it a point to be more transparent and equitable.
Tidal subscribers will see a portion of their monthly fee distributed to their most-listened-to artists. More than 100 major and independent labels have joined forces with Tidal to develop and grow a new user-centered payment system.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
