MUMBAI: Not long from now, rapper/ producer Jay Z will be re-launching his recently acquired music streaming service- Tidal in the US, and he has roped in some famous friends to help spread the word. The music mogul has several big international names including his wife- Beyonce, Coldplay, Kanye West, Nicki Minaj, Rihanna, Jack White’s Third Man Records and Madonna, showing their support for the music service by changing their social media profile pictures to a solid teal colour and using the hashtag #TIDALforALL.
If you want to join us in something exciting, please turn your profile blue #TIDALforALL PH pic.twitter.com/1IxBJnMTGH
— Coldplay (@coldplay) March 30, 2015
Jay Z is expected to unveil his plans for Tidal at an event launch in New York on Monday, 30 March. According to reports, the ‘Holy Grail’ rapper, along with special guests will be announcing a “commitment to a new direction for the music industry from both a creative and business perspective.”
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Together, we can turn the tide and make music history. Start by turning your profile picture blue. #TIDALforALL
— NICKI MINAJ (@NICKIMINAJ) March 30, 2015
Tidal’s re-launch is no doubt gaining a lot of support from artists because it does not offer a free, ad supported plan like Spotify does. Additionally, it offers a high fidelity FLAC audio format, ensuring CD quality sound, and has two monthly subscription options- the $9.99 Premium plan and $19.99 HiFi plan. Currently, its catalogue spans 75,000 music videos, 25 million audio tracks and expert editorial from knowledgeable music journalists.
Earlier in March, Jay Z’s S. Carter Enterprises, through the firm Project Panther Bidco Ltd., bought Tidal and its parent company- Aspiro for $56 million. Along with Tidal, which is currently available in UK, US and Canada, the Scandinavian company also operates another music service- WiMP in Sweden, Norway and other regions in Europe. Both services will now be operated under one name- Tidal Worldwide.
With Jay Z’s eagerly awaited announcement on Tidal, the streaming service competition seems to be heating up, especially for Spotify. Just last week, the New York Times reported that Apple, which bought Beats Music for $3 million last year, is working on a new paid subscription music service that would rival Spotify.
Despite being available in UK, US and Canada, Tidal is not one of the more popular music services. However, that could soon change with the current social media push it is gaining from well known artists. The music streaming service is available on iOS and Android devices, computers and even certain home audio products like Sonos speakers.
