Is Tidal Hi-Fi Plus worth it? How does it compare
Tidal is a legitimate alternative to Spotify and Apple Music, especially for those who want to listen to high-fidelity and lossless music. But is a Tidal Hi-Fi Plus subscription worth it?
Tidal, which was founded in 2014 and is backed and endorsed by some of the biggest music artists in the world, immediately made waves in the music streaming market – pun intended.
Jay-Z, who bought Aspiro, the founding company of the platform, as well as Beyoncé, Kanye West, Rihanna, Madonna, Chris Martin, Arcade Fire, Calvin Harris, Deadmau5, Alicia Keys, Nicki Minaj, Daft Punk, Jack White, Usher, J. Cole and Jason Aldean all have financial stakes in the company.
The unique material currently accessible and expected in the future from existing artists who co-own the company, as well as others, is a strong selling point for Tidal over competing streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music.
Tidal offers a variety of subscription options, similar to those offered by competitors. Tidal Hi-Fi Plus is one of them, and it promises a lot for your money, but is it really worth it?
Is Tidal Hi-Fi Plus worth it?
If the quality of the music you listen to is what matters most to you, Tidal Hi-Fi Plus is certainly worth the price – unless you’re an Apple user, where Apple Music can offer the same quality at a lower price.
You’ll get the most out of this subscription if you have Tidal-connect supported equipment, or even MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) speakers and headphones, and we highly suggest it if you have the budget.
If you’re okay with normal music streaming in lossy mp3 quality and aren’t interested in the specific artists who contribute exclusive songs to Tidal’s library, the service’s entire niche is wasted on you and you can save money by using Spotify or Amazon Prime Music instead. .
Tidal Hi-Fi Plus Features
Tidal HiFi Plus may increase the amount of money you pay to consume music each month, but it also adds a number of fascinating features, most of which revolve around the quality of the music you listen to, in addition to everything you get with the normal HiFi alternative.
Varied audio formats are another advantage of Tidal HiFi Plus, an option that improves quality up to a maximum of 9216 kbps, while HiFi only supports CD quality thanks to Tidal’s Masters program.
To clarify, with Tidal HiFi Plus you will receive sound of the same quality that the music was recorded with, without any compression detracting from the experience. This is the maximum possible resolution or, to put it another way, a full version of the music.
In addition, you will be able to enjoy songs using Dolby Atmos or Sony’s 360 Reality Audio, in addition to Masters audio, which is however only accessible on a wide selection of songs. Both of these audio formats do a great job of making it seem like the audio is playing all around you, filling the entire spectrum of the space around you, although you’ll need to use special headphones and speakers that take charge of it.
Plus, up to 10% of your membership goes directly to the artists you listen to the most. Additionally, your favorite artists will be paid based on your streaming habits. It’s much better than what Spotify has to offer artists, and it’s a much better method of getting paid for your hard work.
Tidal Hi-Fi Plus Usability
The overall design and usability of Tidal is excellent, no matter which pricing plan you choose. The number of tabs on the desktop app has been reduced to match the smartphone version, with most items now grouped under the “Home” page.
A large and striking selection of highlighted material appears at the top, while playlists personalized for you based on your listening habits appear below. “Recently Played” lets you instantly return to an album or playlist, while “Suggested New Songs” and “Suggested New Albums” direct you to the most recent new releases that Tidal’s algorithms think you’ll like .
Tidal, like some of the other big music streaming platforms, does a great job of recommending music based on user behavior, using very intelligent algorithms. It only takes a few weeks of listening and bookmarking to start receiving helpful suggestions. Tidal has introduced three new playlists: “My Daily Discovery”, “My New Arrivals” and “My Mix”, which further personalize the experience.
You’ll discover sections dedicated to the service’s most popular playlists and albums, as well as mood-based playlists, podcasts, and the Tidal Rising area, which helps promote emerging talent, under these personalized sections from the Home tab.
Besides “Home”, the two main tabs are “Explore”, which seems unnecessary since it mirrors many search components of “Home” and “Videos”. “My Collection”, the last tab, contains all your favorite songs and personalized playlists.
Tidal Hi-Fi Plus Price
Due to the higher royalties and audio quality, it is not surprising that HiFi Plus at the same time leads to a large price increase.
A 30-day free trial is available for the HiFi and HiFi Plus editions, and if you live in the US you can try a free version which also includes regular commercial downtime.
At the end of your free trial period, you’ll have the option to upgrade to HiFi Plus for £19.99/$19.99/AU$23.99. Despite the fact that this is a huge price increase compared to normal HiFi and the platform’s competitors, this is where one can experience the bulk of Tidal’s additional features .
There is a monthly fee of £9.99/$9.99/AU$11.99 for the HiFi plan, which is around the same price as the most basic Spotify and Apple Music subscriptions.
It is possible to obtain discounts on these two levels in different ways. For students in the United States, Tidal offers a 50% discount, as well as family plans and discounts for the country’s military personnel and first responders.
Jake McEvoy
Jake is a professional writer, journalist, and lifelong tech fan. It covers KnowYourMobile news and user guides.
