Tidal vs. Apple Music: Which One Is Better?
The ongoing competition between Tidal vs. Apple Music, two prominent players in the music streaming industry, is intense. Tidal boasts affordable pricing plans and services focused on artists, while Apple Music offers unique features unavailable on Tidal. This article aims to compare the two services and ultimately determine whether Tidal surpasses Apple Music’s overall quality.
Tidal
Tidal has become widely recognized for its association with renowned celebrities such as Jay Z, Deadmau5, Madonna, and other prominent figures. These influential founders aimed to establish a platform prioritizing artists and their interests. Furthermore, there is an intriguing narrative behind the sale of Tidal, which you can delve into for more details in this article.
Tidal Subscription Cost
They provide an incredible free trial opportunity, allowing users to enjoy their vast collection of music, movies, and podcasts for 30 days without any cost.
Tidal offers different pricing options for its subscription plans. The basic “HiFi” plan is priced at $9.99 per month, while the “HiFi Plus” plan is available for $19.99 per month, with a 30-day trial period. An attractive feature is that Tidal extends a 50% discount on the HiFi and HiFi Plus plans specifically for high school and college students, adding an extra incentive for this demographic.
Tidal Feature
Tidal provides a platform for streaming over 80 million songs, including exclusive releases. Their subscription plans are devoid of advertisements and allow for offline listening. Tidal constantly enhances its service by introducing new features such as HD videos, artist radios, support for surround sound music formats, and Tidal Connect streaming. These additions elevate the overall user experience and cater to diverse preferences.
Advantages for Musicians
Tidal has gained recognition for its Direct Artist Payout Program, significantly supporting artists’ earnings. By subscribing to the HiFi Plus plan, 10% of your subscription fee is allocated directly to the artists you listen to the most. Tidal pays approximately $0.0128 per stream, ensuring artists receive fair compensation for their work. Furthermore, Tidal offers the option to purchase merchandise from artists, providing an additional avenue for supporting musicians financially.
Apple Music
Apple Music, developed by the tech giant responsible for iPhone, iTunes, and other notable products, enters the competition against Tidal. Let’s examine the strengths and offerings of Apple Music in the battle of Apple Music vs. Tidal and determine if Tidal outshines Apple Music.
Apple Music Subscription Price
Apple Music is priced similarly to Tidal, with a standard individual plan available for $9.99 and a family plan priced at $14.99. Recently, Apple Music introduced a new subscription option called “Voice,” which allows users to control the service solely through voice commands and is offered at $4.99 per month. Additionally, Apple Music provides a student plan at $4.99 per month at a discounted price. Furthermore, Apple Music offers a 30-day free trial for most of its subscription options, allowing users to explore the service before committing to a paid subscription.
Apple Music Feature
Apple Music presents an extensive music library, boasting over 90 million songs and a collection of more than 30,000 playlists. Specific subscription plans allow users to download up to 100,000 songs directly to their libraries. The platform offers regularly updated personalized playlists and grants access to live or on-demand radio stations hosted by artists. Another notable feature is the seamless integration with Siri, allowing users to utilize voice commands to play songs from the Apple Music catalog, discover tracks based on lyrics, add music to their library, and perform various other actions.
Advantages for Musicians
In a recent announcement, Apple Music revealed its payment rate to artists at $0.01 per stream. However, it’s important to note that this rate may vary depending on the subscription plan and the specific country or region. On average, Apple Music pays approximately $0.00599265 per stream across all countries. It’s worth mentioning that only the top 23 countries receive a payment rate of $0.01 or higher per stream when considering both master and publishing rights.
Conclusion
Considering all the facts, it is challenging to declare a definitive winner in the Tidal vs. Apple Music competition. Tidal holds an advantage over Apple Music as it offers cheaper pricing options and provides artists with a higher revenue share.
On the other hand, Apple Music boasts a more extensive music library than Tidal and offers notable features like voice control and personalized playlists. Given the distinct benefits of each service, the choice ultimately rests on individual preferences and the willingness to invest in streaming music.
