Tidal just made its hi-res music subscription as cheap as Apple Music

The Tidal app open on a phone and laptop
(Image credit: Tidal)

Music streaming service Tidal has launched a new hi-res streaming option at an Apple Music-matching price.

For $10.99 / £10.99 / AU$12.99 per month, Tidal will bundle the high-resolution audio option with its lossless audio tier, giving subscribers access to high-quality music streaming for a competitive price. 

As such, people with some of the best headphones and the best earbuds will be able to take advantage of a music library with more than 110 million tracks streamed at a lossless quality and supporting hi-res FLAC. People with compatible headphones and ear buds, such as the Sony WH-1000XM5, will also be able to listen to music in Sony’s 360 Reality Audio format and tap into Dolby Atmos

While Tidal pipped the likes of Apple Music and Spotify to the post with hi-res audio streaming, it charged a high price for such access. So this reduction in price and smart bundling of services – HiFi Plus subscribers will be automatically switched to the combined option – not only increases the appeal of Tidal, it makes it arguably more appealing than Spotify and Apple Music. 

Get Tidal's new Individual plan: $10.99 / £10.99 / AU$12.99 a month

Get Tidal's new Individual plan: $10.99 / £10.99 / AU$12.99 a month
Offering a library of more than 110 million track all in high-resolution and lossless audio formats, with support for surround sound option such as Dolby Atmos and Sony 360 Reality Audio, in addition to smart DJ features, Tidal is one of the best music streaming services you can sign up for today. 

That’s because the former has gone the other way and increased its Premium service by $1/£1 more than Tidal’s new tier without offering lossless or hi-res audio options (all users have is the option to select tracks to stream or download in “very high” quality), and Apple Music has a smaller library.

Changing tides

Now speaking as a Spotify Premium user, this move by Tidal has me seriously considering swapping.

Tidal offers a curated listening experience that arguably beats Spotify, with offline listening, a lot of exclusive audio options including radio, podcasts as well as music, and the aforementioned spatial/surround audio compatibility.

So all of that and a lower price than Spotify is a compelling argument for people to make a jump to Tidal. For me, there's the question of getting used to a new user interface, the potential for porting over playlists and whether my podcasts of choice are even available on Tidal. But there’s a free trial for Tidal, so I feel compelled to try it out and maybe you should too.

You might also like

Managing Editor, Mobile Computing

Roland Moore-Colyer is Managing Editor at TechRadar with a focus on phones and tablets, but a general interest in all things tech, especially those with a good story behind them. He can also be found writing about games, computers, and cars when the occasion arrives, and supports with the day-to-day running of TechRadar. When not at his desk Roland can be found wandering around London, often with a look of curiosity on his face and a nose for food markets. 

Read more
Hand holding a phone with the Spotify app logo
Here's why I ditched Tidal for Spotify after just five days
Metalic Spotify Logo
Spotify seems to be gearing up for more expensive subscriptions, and I'm annoyed
bose sports wireless earbuds
How to pick a music streaming service: Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music Unlimited, YouTube, Tidal or Qobuz?
Spotify logo on a mobile device
Spotify HiFi: release date rumors, price predictions, and everything we know so far
Apple Music
Apple Music is only $2.99 per month for six months with this limited-time offer
The Apple Music app icon against a red background on an iPhone.
Apple Music's awesome $2.99 deal is your reason to finally switch from Spotify
Latest in Audio Streaming
A close up of the new web version of Apple Music Classical
Apple Music Classical is now available on the web, but its Mac app is still nowhere in sight
Spotify AI DJ on a phone being held in a hand
Hey AI DJ, put a record on: Spotify seems set to let you speak to its AI DJ
Lady Gaga sat at a press conference table for Spotify's fan event
Spotify’s press conference with Lady Gaga shows that music streaming services really do think about the fans after all
Woman holding phone in field with Spotify app onscreen
The Spotify bug that shows ads to Premium subscribers has finally been fixed - for now at least
King Charles III sat at his desk in promo for his radio broadcast for Apple Music 1
Apple Music gets the royal treatment with special King Charles show – and the playlist has some real jewels
A screen shot of Lady Gaga in her interview with Zane Lowe for Apple Music
Lady Gaga’s Spotify press conference is being live streamed today – here’s where you can watch Spotify’s big step forward in fan inclusion
Latest in News
European Union technical background
EU tech companies push for digital sovereignty, reducing reliance on US and others
ransomware avast
One of the most powerful ransomware hacks around has been cracked using some serious GPU power
Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic
Knights of the Old Republic remake developer Saber Interactive states all its projects are 'still in development'
google nest
Google is slowly phasing out its Assistant helper to make room for Gemini's reign in smartphones - here’s how it’s doing the same for smart home devices
Renault 5 Turbo 3E
Renault unveils its wildest EV to date and it comes with in-wheel motors and a rally-style vertical handbrake for drifting
Circular smart ring
Circular's new smart ring is getting blood pressure and blood glucose monitoring before the Apple Watch