Honesty is the best policy so we'll be upfront from the start here..we REALLY like Spotify. We won't be comparing TIDAL to Spotify just yet because we need to get to grips with TIDAL first to really see what is it all about.
If you're on Twitter no doubt you would have noticed that #TIDALforALL has been trending for what feels like an eternity and it is being backed by a plethora of artists such as Rihanna, Madonna and Kanye turning their profiles blue. So what is all the fuss? Well, to begin with, Jay-Z. He carries a lot of clout.
Unlike Spotify, TIDAL will not have a free tier so if you want to go on past the 30 day trial you'll need to put your hand in your pocket. Music to the ears (sorry) of artists who have criticised Spotify in the past for paying them what they believe is an absolute pittance for their work.
Tidal boasts streams at 1,411 kilobytes per second compared to 320kbps for premium subscribers of Spotify and 256kbps on iTunes. If you want this Lossless High Fidelity sound, it will come in at £19.99 at month. If you want standard, you'll be paying £9.99 a month. Both options will come with a free 30 day trial so you can make your mind up if it is really worth the extra £10 a month.
It is available on all systems (offline functionality too) and there is also a web player available here if you were keen to find out whether your favourite artists are all signed up.
So, that is TIDAL in a nutshell. We're going to spend a couple of days with in on a trial and report back with our Spotify v TIDAL findings.
Have you already jumped ship? Let us know how you find it.