Is Tidal Worth Your Investment? Discovering the Best Music Streaming
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Chapter 1: The Landscape of Music Streaming
Music is an integral part of our lives, with some people enjoying it almost all day long while others listen in shorter bursts. This raises the question: why not experience it in the best quality possible?
Various streaming services appear to provide similar music offerings, yet each caters to different audiences. As the saying goes, two people doing the same thing often results in different outcomes. This holds true in the realm of music streaming as well.
Photo by PerfectMirror on Unsplash
Prior to exploring Tidal, I used Deezer and then Apple Music, but I never felt inclined to try Spotify. Perhaps it's just my nature to shy away from what everyone else seems to be doing.
Section 1.1: Tidal’s Offerings
What sets Tidal apart, and how does its experience compare to other platforms? Tidal is widely recognized for delivering superior sound quality. If you believe otherwise, I am open to hearing about alternatives that might surpass Tidal.
Comparing Streaming Services
First up is Apple Music.
Apple Music provides decent sound quality and a broad selection of songs. Autoplay suggestions are generally satisfactory. However, a significant drawback is its limitation to Apple's ecosystem. While it’s accessible on Windows and other platforms, you miss out on key features. If you're outside the Apple ecosystem, you'll only enjoy MP3 quality instead of lossless audio—a decision that puzzles me. One Apple enthusiast claimed this limitation was due to my sound system being subpar, suggesting that Apple’s software detects this and adjusts accordingly. But that’s not how it should work.
For further insights into Apple Music, check out my friend Jakub Jirak's article linked below.
Apple Music From a Geek’s Perspective
As you may not know them
Section 1.2: Exploring Deezer
Now, let’s turn to Deezer.
Previously, Deezer offered a free plan, but that has since been discontinued. Now, a Deezer Premium subscription is required, which is perfectly reasonable. The platform has a solid music library, and its streaming quality is commendable, including lossless audio. While Apple Music excels in song recommendations, Deezer shines as a versatile platform. If I had to choose between Deezer and Apple Music, I would lean towards Deezer, especially since I don't have an Apple-centric setup.
Chapter 2: Tidal's Competitive Edge
Tidal functions similarly to its competitors, offering music playback, personalized suggestions, and offline listening across multiple devices. It provides two subscription plans, which is where the excitement begins.
The standard HiFi plan delivers lossless audio comparable to Deezer, often at a lower cost. If budget isn’t a concern, your choice might come down to user interface preference or brand loyalty.
The HiFi Plus plan is where the real enhancement occurs. For audiophiles, this subscription is essential if they’re serious about high-quality music rather than relying solely on turntables.
This premium service extends beyond lossless audio to studio-quality music. While not every song is available in this format, it allows for a significantly higher data capacity in each track—up to 6.5 times more than typical offerings. Although the improvement might seem minimal, it is indeed perceptible.
However, a word of caution: anyone can enjoy HiFi quality, as even modest sound systems can reveal differences between MP3 and FLAC formats. In contrast, to appreciate HiFi Plus, your hearing must be keen, and your sound system should be of higher quality. If you want to test it out, consider trying a month-long subscription. Listen to a favorite track on HiFi and then switch to the full-quality version. If you can't discern a difference, it may not be worth the investment. It’s advisable to have someone else switch the quality without your prior knowledge for a fair comparison.
TL;DR
If you're equipped for it, Tidal’s HiFi Plus subscription offers an unparalleled experience worth the investment. For those with less discerning hearing or subpar sound systems, any service providing lossless audio will suffice. Tidal, Apple Music, and Deezer each have their merits. If lossless audio isn’t a priority, services like Spotify and YouTube Music can also fulfill your needs, with unique perks worth exploring in my friend Ondřej Svoboda's article linked below.
The Top Reasons to Subscribe to YouTube Music and Say Goodbye to Your Current Service
There are perks that go with the YouTube Music subscription that many people don’t know about.
Let me know your thoughts on this discussion! I look forward to hearing from you. If you enjoyed this read, try hitting ? as many times as you can in five seconds (burn that one calorie). Stay tuned for more insightful posts!
Thanks for reading, and take care!