Looks like it’s going to be a real competition between Tidal and Spotify. If you love listening to music and are confused about which streaming platform to choose, let’s have a showdown. It’s Tidal Vs Spotify. Both of these music streaming platforms have their unique features and deliver their users the best quality music available.
But as much as they have the same goal to deliver amazing music to their users, they are also quite distinct. Tidal and Spotify both have different prices, music quality, and more. Both Spotify and Tidal have made a huge name for themselves because of their engaging way of approaching users.
There are some things you will find on Tidal and there are some that Spotify will fulfill your needs. But it’s always a big challenge to choose between the two of the best music streaming platforms out there. How about we make that easier for you? We came up with a brilliant idea to compare both of the music streaming platform’s benefits. You can then go with your choice and select whatever suits your needs best. We already know it’s going to be a tough eye-to-eye.
Tidal Vs Spotify: Which Music Streaming Platform Is The Best For You?
The best music streaming platform for you will be the one that will carry out your expectations. Tidal and Spotify both have amazing features that will woo you to have the best time possible. Let’s get to the moment of truth by comparing both of the platforms.
1. Pricing Of The Music Streaming Platforms
The best way to begin a face-off is by the pricing of the platforms. Spotify has a feature of free music listening for its users. And that’s one of the best things about this music streaming platform. Users can listen to music for free without any additional charges. Though this feature comes with a few drawbacks.
There are a few limitations to using the free version of Spotify. Users will have several ads between music that will interrupt your best time. The music streaming service also limits the number of tracks you can skip at a particular time. If you think you can tolerate ads between music then Spotify can be your best bet.
But if you want to upgrade to additional features that include no advertisements, unlimited play, skip, and pause then Spotify offers a bunch of plans. Spotify is best known for its affordable premium service too. If you choose Spotify Premium you can download songs and listen to them offline. The premium plan follows:
- Individual – $9.99/month
- Duo – $12.99/month
- Family – $15.99/month
- Student – $4.99/month
Spotify offers 50% discounts to students with all the additional perks just like any other premium membership. Students can listen to ad-free music, on-demand playback, and skip and download music. If you are a student then this plan might be affordable for you. Spotify also offers a one-month free trial to new premium members.
Tidal is becoming a significant competition for Spotify. This music streaming platform has also developed its free version of music. With Tidal Free, you can listen to music without any additional cost. But the drawbacks of Tidal Free include that you can’t play songs on demand. You will also have a limited number of skips per hour.
Plus, there are also limited ad interruptions. If you want to upgrade and have an interruption-free music experience then Tidal comes up with a few plans. The plans follows:
- HiFi – $9.99/month
- HiFi Plus – $19.99/month
- For students – HiFi [$4.99 per month] and HiFi Plus [$9.99 per month]
- For military and first responders: HiFi [$5.99 per month] and HiFi Plus [$11.99 per month]
The features of Tidal HiFi and HiFi Plus differ slightly. If you are opting for Tidal HiFi then you will get unlimited skips on your songs, ad-free listening, live on Tidal, track and share your listening habits, and an expert-curated playlist. With HiFi Plus you will get the same features as Tidal HiFi with the addition of a Master Quality Authenticated experience and CD-quality audio.
Well, the winner of this category will be a tie between the two music streaming platforms. They both are offering kind of similar pricing and additional features. If everyone in your family likes Spotify, then it could be your best choice. And if you prefer Tidal’s features and plans then it’s the one for you.
2. Which Platform Has a Better & Vast Music Library?
Spotify came into the music streaming industry six years before Tidal. But that doesn’t mean Tidal is lacking behind in the category of the music library. Both of the music streaming platforms have a vast library of music from all over the world. Spotify offers a total of around 80+ million tracks to its users.
Tidal, on the other hand, has a catalog of around 90+ million tracks. It’s not much big of a difference between the two music streaming services in this category. But both of them have their focus on different niches. Spotify offers better video games and anime soundtracks. Tidal is mainly focused on famous artists. Spotify also provides amazing podcasts that are getting famous lately.
You might even find a few cases where any particular song will be available in one music streaming service and not another. Before choosing a music streaming service between these two you can check if your preferred artists or favorite music is available. And then you can sign up for the premium subscriptions.
In this category, we would say that Spotify won a tiny difference because of the in-depth availability of tracks. Though Tidal is amazing too in the case of offering vast music.
3. Which Streaming Service Offers Better Audio Quality?
Now it’s all about the quality of the audio. If you prefer listening to music with better quality then Tidal will be your best option. Spotify also offers multiple levels of audio quality and it includes: low [24Kbps], normal [96Kbps], high [160Kbps], and very high [320Kbps]. If you are an average music listener then this audio quality will be enough for you.
Tidal on the other hand offers much higher-quality audio compared to Spotify. Tidal says that with their high-quality audio, you can hear every single note and tune of s particular track. The music streaming platform isn’t compromising the quality of audio at any cost and delivering pure music to its users.
The audio quality is divided into levels and includes normal [160Kbps], HiFi [1411Kbps], and Master [2304-9216 Kbps]. If you like listening to music with the highest possible resolution with flawless clarity then Tidal is the winner in this category.
4. Where Can You Stream These Music Platforms?
Both music streaming services are working on the availability of as many devices as possible. Before selecting your preferred streaming platform always make sure it’s available in the devices you will be listening on. It will be worth nothing if it’s not available. If you don’t want to take chances and go for a music streaming service that’s available in almost every single platform out there then Spotify is the best option.
Tidal is limited to certain platforms because of its high-quality audio. Spotify is available on Mac, Windows, and web browsers like Safari, Firefox, Chrome, and Opera. You can even use Spotify on your Apple Watch, Playstation 4, Playstation 5, Google Home, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, and much more. You can check here to see if Spotify is available on your device.
Tidal is also available on Apple TV, Apple Watch, Windows, Mac, Amazon Alexa, Android TV, Fire TV, both iOS and Android, and more. You can check it out here to find out the availability of Tidal on different devices. The winner of this category would be Spotify. But if you want high-quality music and Tidal is available on your device then you can opt for it.
Conclusion
Lastly, the winner depends upon your personal preference. Whatever music streaming platform you choose, both Tidal and Spotify are amazing in their way. But if you are asking us we could say one thing that Spotify is like Netflix of the music streaming industry. A lot of people prefer Spotify because it’s more accessible.
Whatever you choose we hope you have a great time listening to your favorite tracks. You are welcome to read more face-offs like this in the future. If you have any concerns regarding any of these platforms you can drop them in the comment section below. Which music streaming service are you finally selecting? Stay tuned with us for more updates.
