Monthly Price (Individual)
$11.99/mo
$19.99/mo
Max Audio Quality
320 kbps Ogg Vorbis
24-bit/192kHz FLAC (MQA)
Catalog Size
~100 million tracks
~100 million tracks
Lossless Audio
No (lossy only)
Yes (HiFi + Master quality)
Dolby Atmos / Spatial Audio
No
Yes (Sony 360 Reality Audio too)
Podcast & Audiobook Content
Extensive (market leader)
Minimal
Offline Downloads
Up to 10,000 tracks / 5 devices
Up to 10,000 tracks / 5 devices
Free Tier Available
Yes (ad-supported)
No
Artist Revenue Share
~$0.003–0.005 per stream
~$0.01+ per stream (Direct-to-Artist)
Personalized Playlists
Yes (Discover Weekly, Daylist, etc.)
Basic (limited algorithm)
Student Discount
Yes (~$5.99/mo)
Yes (~$9.99/mo)
Desktop App Quality
Polished, fast, feature-rich
Decent, audio-focused
Worth knowing
- Spotify has over 600 million users; Tidal has never publicly confirmed more than ~5 million — it's the boutique shop vs. the megamall.
- Tidal was famously (and briefly) owned by Jay-Z, who sold it to Square (now Block) in 2021 for ~$297 million.
- Spotify's Discover Weekly has introduced listeners to an estimated 2.3 billion artist discoveries since launch.
- Tidal pays artists roughly 2–3x more per stream than Spotify, making it a genuine favorite among working musicians.
- Spotify Premium's family plan covers 6 accounts for $17.99/mo — far cheaper per head than Tidal's equivalent.
Tidal's 2015 launch event featured Beyoncé, Rihanna, and Kanye holding hands and pledging to 'change the course of music history' — it did not immediately change the course of music history.
If you wantYou want the best audio quality and own a DAC or high-end headphones
Tidal's lossless FLAC and Master-quality tracks are genuinely night-and-day better through good hardware.
→ Pick Tidal HiFi Plus If you wantYou want the best music discovery and a massive podcast library in one app
Spotify's recommendation engine is the industry gold standard — nothing else comes close.
→ Pick Spotify Premium If you wantYou're on a budget or want to try before you buy
Spotify's free tier and lower Premium price make it the obvious choice for cost-conscious listeners.
→ Pick Spotify Premium If you wantYou want to support artists more directly with your subscription dollars
Tidal's Direct-to-Artist payments and higher per-stream rates mean more of your money actually reaches musicians.
→ Pick Tidal HiFi Plus Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you sign up through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.