Tidal
Reddit take
AI summary of the Reddit excerpts below — not a quote
Tidal is widely recommended by the audiophile community as a high-fidelity alternative to Spotify, praised for its superior sound quality and more ethical artist payout structure. While it excels in providing Hi-Res audio and Dolby Atmos content, users frequently report technical frustrations with its offline mode and limited integration with certain smart home ecosystems.
Pros
- High-fidelity audio quality, including Hi-Res tracks and FLAC support
- Significantly higher artist payouts compared to competitors like Spotify
- Native support for Dolby Atmos music
- Granular control over music discovery, including the ability to ban specific songs or artists
- Clean interface that remains focused on music rather than podcasts or audiobooks
Cons
- Offline download functionality is frequently described as buggy or difficult to use
- Mediocre search functionality compared to industry leaders
- Limited compatibility with Amazon devices like Fire TV and Echo speakers
- Niche or back-catalog availability can be inconsistent compared to larger platforms
Caveats
- The benefits of high-resolution audio are significantly diminished when streaming over Bluetooth or using low-end hardware
- Requires a high-quality DAC and sound system to fully realize the audio quality improvements
- Some users report occasional UI bugs, such as tracks looping unexpectedly
Best for
- Audiophiles with dedicated high-end gear like DACs and high-impedance headphones
- Listeners who want to support artists more fairly through their subscription
- Users seeking a music-first platform without podcast clutter
Avoid if
- You rely heavily on the Amazon Alexa or Fire TV ecosystem for music playback
- You require a perfectly stable offline mode for frequent travel or commuting
- You primarily listen via basic Bluetooth speakers or budget earbuds
This summary uses balanced time weighting with about a 6-month half-life. The evidence is older, with a median source age of approximately 288 days, which may not reflect the most recent app updates or catalog changes.
Sentiment
69 positive (82%) · 12 mixed (14%) · 3 negative (4%)
Trust + time weighted score: +81% · raw score 79%
What redditors said (10 of 84)
artists getting 4x more money from your sub should matter and be enough to switch, if you care at all about listening to good music.
You'll get the most out of them if you have access to Hi-Res audio tracks, which you can find on services like Tidal.
We've found that digital-to-analog converters (DACs) can boost the quality of older tracks and make things sound less compressed when you're streaming. You'll get the most out of them if you have access to Hi-Res audio tracks, which you can find on services like Tidal.
But if you want the best music quality and experience, you should try a music service that offers native Dolby Atmos music (Tidal, Amazon Music or Apple Music).
I highly recommend you try a music service that supports Dolby Atmos music; Apple Music, Tidal or Amazon Music.
I would recommend Tidal or Apple Music (and the latter only if you use Apple devices).
Then I went down a rabbithole of streaming services that provide the best music quality, which lead me to tidal. Ended up getting a subscription and I implemented TidaLuna to download the songs. It ain't pretty, but I'll be damned if it ain't some of the best sound quality I've ever heard
You could always get a trial for Tidal for a week or whatever and compare them.
32,049 on both Apple Music & Tidal (38%)
I use Tidal for catálog and convenience.