TIDAL

TIDAL launched on March 31, 2014 as a Norwegian-American music streaming service created by Aspiro. The platform emerged with heavy backing from major artists like Jay-Z, Beyoncé, and Kanye West, who sought to build a model that paid musicians more than standard competitors. Early marketing focused heavily on the promise of higher royalty payouts and lossless audio quality that matched the original studio master.

Ownership changed hands several times in its first decade. Sprint Corporation bought a majority stake in 2017, but Block Inc. (formerly Square) completed a full acquisition in 2021 for roughly $297 million. This shift brought new resources to the company while it continued to compete against giants like Spotify and Apple Music for market share.

The service distinguishes itself through specific audio tiers. The HiFi plan delivers CD-quality lossless audio at 16-bit/44.1kHz, while the pricier HiFi Plus tier includes Master Quality Authenticated files up to 24-bit/192kHz. Recent updates added support for Dolby Atmos and Sony 360 Reality Audio to provide immersive spatial soundscapes. In 2024, Block introduced an ad-supported free tier for mobile users, though this option lacks offline listening capabilities. [edit]