• Spotify's SongDNA tool is cropping up for more beta users
• At the moment it seems that it's only available in Spotify for Artists, but some listeners have reported having early access
• Spotify hasn't said when it's being rolled out, but it's already a hit

Spotify has put its upcoming SongDNA feature on the backbench for a few months, but now that more users are finding it in beta, it's never felt closer — and it’s shaping up to be a serious rival to Tidal’s similar tool.

References to SongDNA, a mind-mapping feature that shows you what other songs your favorite artists have contributed to, were first spotted back in October, but at the time they were simply rumors with no hard evidence. We can now put all the speculation aside, because Spotify has officially confirmed that SongDNA is on the way, and a handful of beta users are already offering their verdicts — and they're all positive.

A post in the r/truespotify community on Reddit (see below) shows that SongDNA is available through Spotify for Artists Preview, an app that gives artists and their teams early access to upcoming features before they’re rolled out to listeners. If you’re an admin or editor in Spotify for Artists, have at least 10 monthly active listeners, and are using version 9.1.28 (or higher) of the Spotify mobile app, you qualify for early access.

SongDNA is a cool feature from r/truespotify

It seems that SongDNA isn’t widely available in AB testing for standard listeners yet, though some have reported seeing it in their Spotify accounts. We’ve reached out to Spotify for more information, and will update this story when we know more — but what we do know is those with access are pleased with what they're seeing.

Beyond its immersive visual elements and insights into song production, users are finding this feature one of the best ways to learn about the connections between their favorite songs, as well as discovering new artists. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg; SongDNA goes the extra mile to show tracks that have been sampled for a song, and cover versions — and I think it could be the most valuable tool Spotify launches this year.

If you love Wikipedia black holes, you’ll long SongDNA

Between October and now, Spotify has expanded its Song Credits tab, which now reveals the complete list of contributors to a song, as well as its handy About the Song tool. But the platform hasn't offered anything quite like SongDNA before — and based on early reactions, it'll introduce a new and interactive way of discovering new music.

Comment from r/truespotify

For me, music discovery is one of the essential parts of the best music streaming services, but I often hit a wall with Spotify because my usual discovery tricks work brilliantly on some days, and then they stop working for a certain period of time. SongDNA provides a constant flow of information, and I can definitely see rival platforms adopting similar features.

Tidal has spotlighted contributors and producers for a while, and Apple Music has also been experimenting with a tool of its own. Last year it rolled out Listening Guides for Apple Music Classical, a feature that gives you the insights to a piece of music, highlighting key details and explaining the story behind the work.

Have you got access to Spotify’s SongDNA? If so, let us know what you think of it in the comments.

As one of TechRadar’s resident electronic music nerds and a producer and DJ in my spare time, I’ve always loved showing people the ropes of DJing. The fundamentals of track selection and mixing are really quite simple, which ostensibly makes it one of the more accessible ways to enhance your music experience in a way even the best speakers and best headphones can't offer on their own.

The problem is that DJ equipment – especially the pro-grade stuff we see in nightclub booths and on festival stages – costs a lot of money. We’re talking about five figure sums in either dollars or pounds for a set of industry-standard players and an accompanying DJ mixer, which is a touch beyond the scope of our audio buying guides.

Take a look at any DJ booth and you’re more than likely to spot the logo of Pioneer DJ, now known as AlphaTheta. But while AlphaTheta is best known for its professional kit, it also makes one of the best cheap DJ devices I’ve ever used, which has now earned a place on my list of Christmas gift recommendations.

Enter the DDJ-FLX2, the cheapest, smallest, and simplest DJ controller from AlphaTheta. Inspired by the layout of the company’s CDJ media players and DJM DJ mixers, the DDJ-FLX2 takes a handful of essential dials and faders, as well as some neat assistive features for newcomers and wild effects controls, and puts it all on a faceplate not much bigger than a sheet of paper.

To get specific, the DDJ-FLX2 is composed of two identical player sections, each with a jogwheel, tempo fader, cue and play buttons, and a performance pad array for loops and effects. The central mixer section has two channel faders, a three-band equalizer with filter, and headphone cue controls. A far cry from AlphaTheta’s pro kit, the DDJ-FLX2 comes in cheap at just $189 / £159 / AU$279.

In my four years DJing I’ve mixed on a variety of systems made by Pioneer DJ and other top brands, and my current home setup relies on Pioneer DJ digital media players. Within the DDJ lineup of controllers, I previously owned the DDJ-FLX4 and DDJ-FLX6, and used each for hundreds of hours with AlphaTheta’s own Rekordbox software.

This is all to say that I know Pioneer DJ / AlphaTheta kit very well, and have built up certain expectations for build quality, functionality, and features – it’s a brand known for high prices, but also for unshakeable reliability. Before using the DDJ-FLX2, I wasn’t sure that such a cheap and simple controller would be able to live up to these past experiences.

However, I’m happy to report that all of that melted away when I loaded up Rekordbox, plugged in the DDJ-FLX2, and was hit with a similar feeling of flow and rhythm to the one I get with my pro setup – the faders are smooth, the jogwheels responsive, and effects as fun as ever. I was also really impressed with the sound quality coming from both the headphone jack and main output – it’s a clean and transparent signal that made the three-band EQ sound great on my 3.5-inch speakers.

Speaking of the EQ, I think there are just enough features here to make the DDJ-FLX2 welcoming to new DJs while making mastery of the unit a satisfying challenge. The jogwheels, while small, track motion well – for club-style mixing they’re solid, and they even hold up to a bit of vinyl-style scratching. I’m also glad to see that Smart Color FX have made it over from the DDJ-FLX4: these are great-sounding and inventive effects that are just a blast to use, from robotic pitch shifters to cavernous reverbs.

An easy setup process makes the DDJ-FLX2 even better for beginners. The unit connects to your phone, tablet, or laptop via an included USB-C cable. The unit also supports Bluetooth, which worked great on my iPhone 15 but wouldn’t connect to my Oppo Find X9 Pro Android phone. It’s bus-powered with a built-in audio interface, which alongside its compact design makes it a great choice for DJing on the go.

As for sourcing your tunes, Rekordbox supports Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal, and Soundcloud integration on both desktop and mobile, so you can stream from your library as well as playing back files from your hard drive.

And there’s more joy for newcomers thanks to the Beat Sync and Smart Fader buttons – the former locks each player in time with the other, while the latter adds a tempo-shifting ability to the crossfader, making it possible to blend two totally different tracks by simply shifting the fader from side to side.

That’s not to say there aren’t some caveats. The big one that could annoy even total newbies the lack of dedicated controls for selecting and loading in tracks. That means you need to use your device’s touchscreen or mouse to load up the next song, which can slow you down and take some momentum out of the mix. This isn’t a huge problem for new DJs learning the ropes, but in faster genres like DnB or techno I can see it becoming an annoyance pretty quickly.

Also, the build quality is a mixed bag. I appreciate that all of the faders are metal with plastic caps and all have a smooth action, but the plastic faceplate looks pretty cheap and the tiny volume dials for the two jacks are placed annoyingly on the left side, right next to where the cables stick out (also, the left channel fader on my unit arrived a bit askew and remains so after trying to realign it – I’ve reached out to AlphaTheta for comment on that).

The DDJ-FLX2 is, otherwise, a fantastic Christmas gift for music lovers, especially those that are on the fence about getting on the decks for the first time – the bevy of beginner-friendly tools, mobile support, and simplified layout make it really easy to get going. If you can live with its limitations, the DDJ-FLX2 is a welcoming and affordable option for new DJs.

I’d still recommend the DDJ-FLX4 ($329 / £279 / AU$499) to DJs with even a little experience or a slightly bigger budget because of its spacious interface, dedicated track selection and gain controls, and more advanced effects section. But at the end of the day, DJing is about loving music, and when it comes to getting the dance started with two tracks playing the DDJ-FLX2 does an impressively good job at an impressively low price.

I’m a resident reviews writer here at TechRadar, and for the last year and a half audio has been my bread and butter. I’ve tested dozens of headphones, earbuds, Bluetooth speakers, and even soundbars here, and even after writing hundreds of articles I still get a real kick out of unboxing a new audio product, connecting it up, and indulging – sometimes overindulging – in a nice, long listening session.

When testing new audio tech, I always play through the TechRadar testing playlist, which is full of songs from a bunch of different genres, and is designed to highlight the capabilities – or lack thereof – of a piece of audio equipment. But as well as bumping this, I have a few tracks of my own that I regularly use for testing, in order to judge everything from bass response, through dynamics, to instrument separation.

I’ve compiled a list of seven go-to tracks I use when testing, as well as some products that can showcase these and other tunes at their very best. Interested? Then why not take a lil’ scroll? You know you want to…

1. Sunny Days by Kolter

Let’s kick things off with a true summertime banger. Sunny Days is a house track by German DJ and producer Kolter, and it’s one that I really enjoy throwing at flashy new audio gear to see how it copes.

As the track opens, high-pitched drums burst onto the scene. I’ll listen out for how they translate – do they sound harsh or tinny? How about if I ramp the volume up real high? If the answer is no, we’re off to a good start.

It's not long before you’re smacked by a deep kick drum, which combines with a soulful vocal sample and smooth keys for an atmospheric, almost hypnotic sound. I always pay close attention to that kick drum, ensuring that it's weighty without smothering other instrumental elements, like those keys for example.

Headphones like the five star-rated Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 are perfect for a track like this. They have an open yet cohesive sound that plays to the expansive nature of the record. Pair that with their ability to replicate hard-hitting, clean bass as well as energetic treble, and you’re in for an audio feast fit for a king.

2. DOWN EAST by Sadao Watanabe

I’m big into jazz-funk fusion, and it feels like I uncover new gems week on week, and one of those is Down East by legendary Japanese musician Sadao Watanabe.

This record has a whole lot going for it, including bass so groovy I guarantee you won’t be able to stop your head from bopping. But when I’m testing, I’m laser-focused on the fidelity of the leading saxophone – Mr Watanabe’s instrument of choice.

Some earbuds I’ve tested, like the Panasonic RP-TCM225, for example, don’t give the sax enough room to breathe and almost push it into the background; what I’m looking for instead is something that can drag it to the fore, resulting in an engaging, rousing listen.

An alternative pair of wired buds that show Down East in its best light would be the Master & Dynamic ME05, which I personally reviewed and enjoyed a whole lot. These offer beautifully balanced sound, with a slight bump in the low end – ideal for funk-infused tracks like this. When listening to this song, I made use of the ME05’s USB-C adapter, which supports up to 32-bit / 384kHz resolution audio, opening me up to higher-than CD quality sound.

Oh, and fun fact: Sadao Watanabe it still performing at the age of 92 – crazy impressive!

3. The Boys Are Back In Town by Yung Gravy

Meme rap was pretty massive when I was in my teens, and Yung Gravy is a true icon of the bizarre sub-genre. But it’s not the goofy 20s style swing sections or zany lyrics that make The Boys Are Back In Town so useful during testing, it’s that rippling sub-bass which rumbles through the majority of its runtime.

I want to ensure whatever I’m testing has the extension to hit this tune’s outlandishly deep notes, which are integral to its impactful, booming sound. If a Bluetooth speaker, for example, lacks the ability to reach down extremely low, the song ends up sounding thin and underpowered.

One speaker that knocked it out of the park with this track is the Tribit Stormbox Blast 2 – easily one of the best Bluetooth speakers around in my book. The sheer might of this beast’s low-end output enabled it to strike each deep, dark note to perfection – I can still feel the ground shaking from the speaker’s wicked performance!

4. Black Eye by Allie X

This one’s a track from our TechRadar testing playlist that I mentioned earlier – something that’s integral to each testing session. I’ve probably found Allie X’s Black Eye to be more useful than almost anything when trialling audio products.

Why? Well, first of all, it’s a great tune for assessing the dynamics of audio tech. Right away, dramatic, haunting strings cut through, and it’s important that a more premium pair of headphones, say, replicate that explosiveness without compromise.

Following on from this, you’re introduced to a deep, rhythmic drum machine, something that trips a lot of lower-quality options up. There’s also a ‘bounce’ effect to the bassline, which gives the song its energetic edge. So, if that bassline sounds lethargic or uncontrolled, it likely indicates that they don’t have the nimbleness or high-calibre bass response to deliver a well-balanced listening experience.

Around the one-minute mark, there’s also some light electronica that adds a splash of color to the record. Headphones and earbuds like the majestic Sony WH-1000XM6 or Sony WF-1000XM5 offer enough detail to uncover this, in part thanks to the inclusion of LDAC – a Bluetooth codec that enables ‘hi-res’ wireless listening.

5. Komm, Susser Tod – M-10 Director’s Edit Version by Arianne, Shiro Sagisu

Anyone who’s watched the 1997 cinematic masterpiece that is The End of Evangelion will be plenty familiar with this number. And I’ve found it to be a highly insightful listen when judging how well a product can handle complexly layered arrangements.

As the track reaches its almost haunting, dramatic climax, there’s a lot going on – a plodding bassline, piercing strings, looping backing vocals, clapping – you name it. It’s crucial, then, for a product to give all of these instruments adequate room in the mix – if it sounds like they’re competing or clashing rather than collaborating, the track loses its extravagance.

Our Reviews Editor, Josh Russell, tested the Cambridge Audio Evo One earlier this year – and this is a shining example of a wireless speaker that can handle layered mixes with ease. In his review Josh said that “everything has a palpable sense of space that makes everything feel much more real and evocative”.

6. I’m Gonna Love You Just A Little More Baby by Barry White (Dolby Atmos mix)

Here’s something a little different. I’ve tested a ton of soundbars here at TechRadar, including some of the best Dolby Atmos soundbars around. And interestingly, a lot of soundbars struggle to deliver fantastic music playback.

So, when I put the quality of Dolby Atmos music replication to the test, I’m Gonna Love You Just A Little More Baby by the eternally smooth Barry White is an absolute go-to. This version of the track is amazing for analyzing the soundstage and Atmos capabilities of a model, with guitars meant to sound as if they’re playing from the sides of the room, rather than from the bar itself. On top of that, percussion dances across the bar, while White’s unmistakable vocals spring from the center.

If a soundbar can master that nuanced, expansive delivery, while still supplying a clean, distortion-free listening experience, it's doing a whole lot right. And one model that captured this track beautifully during my testing was the masterful Marshall Heston 120. This amp-inspired, all-in-one soundbar was able to serve up a three-dimensional, immersive listen, and it's one of the best soundbars I’ve used for music, hands down.

For reference, I always listen to this song – and all the others on this list – via Tidal, a high-resolution streaming service.

7. Foxey Lady by Jimi Hendrix

One last song? Go on then, and I’ll finish off with one of my top tracks from the one and only Jimi Hendrix. So much of my music taste is inspired by my dad, who raised me on his favorite blues, funk, jazz, and rock tracks. A lot of credit goes to him for my fantastic taste, so thanks Dad! Anyway, he would burn me a CD from time to time – remember those things?

I have fond memories of listening to tunes from Gorillaz, Stevie Wonder, and yes – Jimi Hendrix – on that disc, with All Along the Watchtower being a firm favorite. Years later, I decided to listen to a few of Hendrix’s greatest hits, and for some time now, Foxey Lady has been an integral part of my playlist. Little did I know, it would come in handy for my audio testing shenanigans.

Like a lot of Hendrix’s recordings, Foxey Lady pans sounds across the stereo field to conjure a sense of movement, resulting in an entrancing listening experience. So, then, whatever I’m testing needs to plate up strong stereo separation to pull this effect off as intended. We talked up the KEF LS50 Wireless II review for their excellent separation and soundstage, but the Bose SoundLink Max is also a good choice if you want a single, portable unit with stereo sound capabilities.

So, those are just a handful of tracks I use to test out the capabilities of the audio tech we test here at TechRadar. Do you have some tunes you play to test the talents of your equipment? Or do you just want to drop some song recommendations? Then make sure to get chatting in the comments!

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What do you get when you put Kate Bush, Annie Lennox, and Damon Albarn into a room? A silent, ambient music protest album, of course. On Tuesday February 25, over 1000 artists banded together in a moving protest against a UK government proposal that would allow AI developers to use copy-righted music from creative professionals to train algorithms and other AI models such as ChatGPT and Open AI - unless right holders choose to opt-out. Just when I thought the UK government couldn’t get more whack, lo and behold, it just did.

The protest album, titled Is This What We Want? is now available to stream on platforms like Spotify and Tidal. It is a 12-song project consisting of ambient sound recordings from inside empty recording studios and other performance spaces, intending to shed light on the possible impact the proposal will have on creative livelihoods and the UK music industry. It’s believed that one of the songs was recorded at Kate Bush’s studio, and she didn’t hold back with providing comment on the matter, asking; “in the music of the future, will our voices go unheard?”.

The icon has spoken.

Make it F(AI)R

Is This What We Want? is just one of the many concerned reactions to the new proposal that has since sparked the wider Make It Fair campaign, acting as a means of protest, raising public awareness, and tackling legalized content theft. Since the inception of the campaign, it has enlisted the support of several more figures within British music including Ed Sheeran, Radiohead’s Ed O’Brien, and Billy Ocean, as well as creative professionals outside of the music industry.

Some of these names include film and stage producer Barbara Broccoli and national treasure Stephen Fry. Fry, like Kate Bush, has expressed his concerns: “You don’t promote growth in a garden by allowing all the pests to feast on the fruit and flowers, and you don’t promote growth in an economy by allowing all the AIs to feast on the fruits of our creators”.

It’s difficult for me to write this, but it feels like we are witnessing a cultural genocide in the UK, where the looters and destroyers of artists' works are not human. They are, however, being aided by humans.

If you care about music protection, you’ll stream it too – and go to live music gigs

Silent albums and I have a bit of a tumultuous relationship (if you’ve listened to Ethel Cain’s most recent LP, you’ll know what I’m talking about), but after streaming Is This What We Want? on Spotify, I’ve found a whole new appreciation for the art of the ambient album. Turns out, they’re not just there to help you fall asleep at night.

It goes without saying that the first thing that jumps out when listening to Is This What We Want? is the album’s hollowness and static-like frequencies that, when put into the context of the government’s proposal, paint a rather harrowing picture of the music industry’s future. Especially if you have a set of the best earbuds or even better a good set of headphones (I use the Sony WH-1000XM5 noise-cancelling headphones), the album does a solid job of bringing the most otherwise-mundane sounds to the surface, be that the soft meow of a studio cat, the slow dragging of a chair across the floor, or the deep sigh of someone sat at a desk in clear disappointment.

One of the better parts of the protest album is that it doubles as a fundraising opportunity, so from wherever you choose to stream Is This What We Want? profits will be donated to the charity Help Musicians, even though Spotify’s reputation for artist royalties speaks for itself. It gives a whole new definition to the saying ‘silence speaks volumes’.

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When I downloaded and signed up for Tidal recently, I finally made the leap from Spotify because I had to, for coverage on TechRadar – but I must admit I was a little excited to try it out.

I never used to be an audiophile, but I’ve tested enough of the best headphones and best earbuds for TechRadar to become a convert – there’s something magical about higher-resolution audio (this is why we can’t have nice things; we get too used to them).

Tidal’s made a name for itself as a streaming service that dishes out hi-res CD-quality audio. So to me, getting let loose in Tidal was like if 10-year-old me was let loose in Legoland.

Never did I think that I’d be back on Spotify after trying out Tidal's souped up offering. More than that, I didn’t even get through a week of streaming hi-res music before I was clicking on that green-and-black sound wave logo. Three days! My Tidal trial hadn’t even expired!

That’s not to say Tidal is a bad streaming service, (on the contrary, it's one of the best music streaming services) but I had enough issues with it for me to bounce straight off – enough issues in fact, to create a nice little listicle! Audiophiles are already shaking their heads, tutting and closing this article, but people who are on the fence between Tidal and Spotify might find themselves agreeing with some of the things I've said.

Reason 1: the playlist problem

The teething problems with Tidal began as soon as started it. I’ve spent a decade creating a huge number of incredible playlists (and an even huger number of really terrible ones). And while there is a way – arguably a few ways – to convert your Spotify playlists to Tidal, you have to pay if you transfer over 500 songs' worth of playlists. At last count, my library was about ten times that.

I only managed to transfer about eight playlists over to Tidal, and so when I was trying to enjoy my favorite songs in hi-res, I was spending more time re-building my old playlists than I was actually listening to them!

My job is to fiddle around with tech; I don’t want to do that in my spare time too. And after building about five playlists, I got sick of the process and started simply using Spotify for the ones I hadn’t recreated. That was the start of the problems, but it’s not what made me stop Tidal for good…

Reason 2: lagging, buffering and bugging

I had a lot of trouble listening to Tidal.

Whether I streamed on my computer, on my phone or on my iPad, Tidal would often take some time to buffer each song. Sometimes it was a few seconds, sometimes it was literal minutes. It turns out that streaming hi-res audio over the internet takes a lot of loading (as does streaming low-res audio on Tidal, for some reason).

I couldn't exactly get into the flow with my songs if I had to wait patiently for each one to start. And this totally ruled out using Tidal for my workout playlist too; I'm not waiting minutes between each set of weights so my next motivation song can play!

That wasn’t all, though, as I found the PC app very buggy. It often decided to change computer input on a whim, jumping from the default output to other PC outputs for no real reason. When I booted up the app it’d sometimes decide to begin on a random output I’d never use, and I’d only realize when music playback failed.

Nearly every time I used Tidal, I ended up having to fight it simply just to listen to music, which was incredibly infuriating. Spotify may not have high-res audio (yet?) but at least it works!

Reason 3: the accessibility issues

Beyond its issues, Tidal simply isn’t accessible to everyone.

And I’m not just talking about the price, even though the $10.99 / £10.99 / $11.99 monthly cost of Tidal compared to the $0 / £0 / AU$0 of Spotify's Free tier was an intimidating spectre to face for when my free trial ran out.

I’m talking about the tech side of it too. You need pretty premium headphones to make the most of Tidal’s high-res audio, and that isn’t cheap. Moreover, Tidal didn't actually let me listen on its Max quality setting via Bluetooth (ie, the way most people listen), and so I couldn’t even enjoy it most of the time.

I mostly listen to music when I’m out and about, so my Tidal app constantly telling me that I couldn’t listen to music at a high resolution really made me question why I was signed up in the first place. Sure, I could find excellent wired headphones and an adaptor for my phone, or I could listen on my computer with my proper gaming cans. But that's not how I listen to music... at least, it's not the only way.

Spotify Wrapped shows me getting between 50 and 100 hours of music listening time each year for the past few years, and that's not just from one source. It's from when I'm out and about, when I'm working on my computer, when I'm at work, when I'm playing from speakers in the living room or at others' houses; it's from a whole range of methods.

A music streaming app has to be so minimal and easy-to-use that we forget it's its own app or a service, and start thinking it's an everyday part of our tech phone. From my experience, Tidal didn't feel like that.

I've been using Spotify for 10 years now (or maybe more, but my first playlist was created a decade ago) and so Tidal always had an uphill battle to win me over. This time around, it wasn't successful, due to the issues mentioned above that I kept stubbing my toe on. Maybe, as tech gets more advanced, it'll get a leg up over Spotify... but I'll wait until then to try it again.

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Fact one: music streaming has transformed the way we enjoy our favorite songs, albums and podcasts, offering millions of tracks from virtually anywhere at your fingertips.

Fact two: gone are the days of listening to filler because it's easier not to – Yellow Submarine is a playground chant that does its best to ruin the Beatles' Revolver – now you can listen to what you want, when you want. Heck, thanks to the streaming services' built-in algorithms, you can even open your horizons to stuff you've never heard of, instead of listening to Cruel Summer for 94,584th time on the sly because Taylor Swift taught you how to feel.

With so many options available, choosing the right service can feel overwhelming. Fear not, though – whether you’re an audiophile searching for the pristine sound quality that exposes Pulp's multi-channel mixing desk approach to Common People, a completist seeking Frank Zappa's vast back catalog, or someone who wants great value for the whole Bluey-loving family, there’s a platform tailored to your needs.

The best service for you depends a few things, including your budget, file quality preferences, device compatibility and whether you value personalized playlists or exclusive content. But we'll get to all of that. Relax, grab a mug or glass of something, and read on.

• The best music streaming services: Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Qobuz, and more

Though Spotify and Apple Music dominate the market in 2024, slightly more niche platforms such as Tidal and Qobuz cater to specialized needs, such as high-resolution audio, specific sub-genres or even (whisper it) actual human advice, and relative newcomers Amazon and YouTube have their own offerings too.

After extensive testing, we're going to break down the leading options, highlight key features, explore pricing tiers and evaluate extras that could sway your decision. Go ahead and Jump (right in...)

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How to pick a music streaming service: The best options

Each music streaming platform has its own unique strengths – and these might make choosing which is right for you all the easier.

Spotify is the standout one-size-fits-all option, thanks to its robust free tier and exceptional personalization features like AI DJ, Discover Weekly, Spotify Daylist and year-end Spotify Wrapped. The service is ideal for users who love discovering new music and sharing playlists with friends on social media.

Apple Music, on the other hand, is perfect for those immersed in the Cupertino giant's ecosystem – so those that have an iPhone, iPad, Mac, or iPod – offering seamless integration with devices, lossless, hi-res and spatial audio, and expertly curated playlists. Love a bit of karaoke? Check out Apple Music Sing. It's free with your Apple Music subscription and basically, it allows you to turn the vocal in almost any track right down… so that you can provide it!

For audiophiles, Tidal delivers hi-fi-quality sound with its newly streamlined Individual plan, and also offers better artist royalties. Amazon Music Unlimited is a no-brainer choice for Amazon Prime members, blending affordability with a growing library of HD and Ultra HD tracks, and YouTube Music excels in combining video content with audio, offering a unique appeal for those who enjoy discovering rare or niche tracks.

Additionally, platforms like Qobuz and Idagio cater to more specialized audiences, (people who know what they want, want it in hi-res, and can live without the social media stuff) providing high-resolution audio and a focus on classical music respectively.

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How to pick a music streaming service: Key features

First up, library size and content variety are essential. Most major services boast catalogs of 80 to 100 million songs, but the availability of niche genres, podcasts (and increasingly video podcasts), live albums and other exclusive content can vary, and might make a difference.

Sound quality is another crucial factor, especially if you’re an audiophile who enjoys the slightest background 'oooh' from Mick Jagger in Gimme Shelter. While most services provide standard streaming quality, platforms like Tidal and Qobuz stand out with high-resolution audio options.

There have been long-term rumours of Spotify adding a HiFi service – and CEO Daniel Ek even confirmed a "deluxe" version was set to launch at some point – but so far we haven't seen it.

Personalization and curated playlists can enhance your experience by helping you discover new music. Spotify is renowned for its algorithm-driven recommendations, while Apple Music emphasizes human-curated playlists from experts like DJs and artists.

Device compatibility is also vital – your preferred service should work seamlessly across smartphones, smart speakers, gaming consoles and more. If you have an iPhone, Apple Music naturally integrates deeply, while Spotify works well more broadly.

Offline listening is a must-have feature for travelers, and social features like playlist sharing and music discovery through friends add a layer of interactivity, with Spotify leading the charge.

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How to pick a music streaming service: Cost and subscription options

Pricing could be a significant factor when choosing a music streaming service.

For those looking to save, Spotify and YouTube Music offer free ad-supported tiers, though these come with limitations such as lower audio quality and no offline listening.

Premium plans now typically start at £9.99 or $9.99 per month, providing ad-free listening, offline downloads, and enhanced sound quality, although many services have raised prices in recent years due to inflation.

Audiophile services including Tidal, Apple Music and Qobuz charge more for high-resolution audio (there's no free Apple Music tier – and the service discontinued its cheaper Apple Music Voice plan in November 2023), but their offerings justify the extra cost for those who prioritise sound.

Family plans are an excellent choice for households, offering multiple profiles for around £15 or $15 per month. Students can often enjoy discounted rates, with some services providing up to 50% off. (Here's how to get a Spotify student discount, if you wanted that…)

Bundles are also worth checking out: Amazon Music Unlimited is cheaper for Prime members, and Apple Music can be included in the Apple One subscription bundle.

Many services offer free trials lasting one, three or even six months, making it easy to explore features before committing, and there may well be deals around during the holiday season.

• Apple Music vs Spotify vs Amazon Music HD vs Tidal Hi-Fi: which music streaming service is the best?

How to pick a music streaming service: Everything else

Beyond obvious differences such as price and device compatibility, there are several other things to consider.

Exclusive content is a significant draw for some users. Spotify leads the way with its popular podcasts and artist exclusives, while Apple Music offers live radio and unique releases. Smaller platforms can also sometimes offer exclusive content.

Podcasts and video content are increasingly important for modern streaming services. Spotify integrates podcasts seamlessly, while YouTube Music shines with its blend of video and audio.

Some platforms also cater to niche audiences, such as Idagio for classical music enthusiasts or Bandcamp for those who prefer supporting independent artists by buying (and streaming) music directly.

User experience is another factor. A clean interface, intuitive navigation and reliable search functionality can significantly enhance your enjoyment of the service and make discovering new music easier. Put Taylor down, you don't need to listen to her again.

• The best smart speaker: for Google, Alexa and Siri

How to pick a music streaming service: So which is best?

Ultimately, the best music streaming service depends on your personal priorities and preferences, principally among them what content you want to listen to.

If you value personalized playlists and social features, Spotify remains a top choice. Apple Music is a natural fit for users in the Apple ecosystem, offering high-quality audio and excellent device integration. Audiophiles might gravitate toward Tidal or Qobuz for their superior sound quality, while budget-conscious listeners might prefer Amazon Music Unlimited or YouTube Music for their affordability and unique offerings.

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. The ideal service for you will depend on your sound quality needs, content preferences, and budget. Do you have one of the best wireless speakers that supports AirPlay? That's an Apple Music thing; it works using your wi-fi to give you better quality audio. It's worth checking the spec sheet of the speaker (or speakers) you have, to better understand what might work best for you. Or, if you've just signed up for Apple Music and want to really make your playlists sing (any Bluetooth speaker will play files from your service over Bluetooth, but your home wi-fi offers better bandwidth and thus, improved audio) our guide to the best AirPlay speakers is the place to head.

Free trials are an excellent way to explore your options and find the platform that resonates most with your listening habits.

Spotify is the biggest service around, but there are plenty of reasons to pick another option – including hi-res audio and spatial audio content, as well as wireless speakers that support AirPlay or Tidal connect, say. Happy discovering!

More from TechRadar

• The best music streaming services: Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Qobuz, and more
• I changed this one small Spotify feature and it made my music sound dramatically better
• The best headphones tested by our experts, for all budgets

Emails from any of the best music streaming services tend to fall into one of two categories: news of a price hike, or news of new features. But the email we got last night from Tidal doesn't drop into either type, because it's an announcement of a huge change that's coming into effect next month. 

Tidal is waving goodbye to two key formats, MQA and Sony's 360 Reality Audio.
Here's what Tidal has to say (it is not a long email): 

On July 24, 2024, we’re replacing the music in TIDAL’s MQA catalog with FLAC versions. In addition to this change, we're removing all podcasts and music available in 360 Reality Audio. Learn how these changes will impact your Collection.

Tidal has decided to streamline its streaming and throw out some file formats. The end of MQA support wasn't a huge surprise given that Tidal had already launched a big FLAC update in August of last year, and it now seems extremely unlikely that Tidal will be one of the firms to license MQA's successor, AIRIA. 

Tidal said that "we have no further plans to change our audio format offerings". But the end of Sony 360 Reality Audio support (Sony's proprietary spatial audio offering) was more unexpected.

Why is Tidal saying sayonara to Sony spatial audio?

The short answer: Dolby Atmos is where it's at. Tidal says it's focusing on Atmos because of "the number of compatible devices, catalog availability, and artist adoption of the format." 

So what does this mean for your library? 

From 24 July, if you have MQA tracks in your collection Tidal will automatically replace them with FLAC versions. Not all tracks will be replaced immediately, however: Tidal says that some tracks' FLAC versions may not be available straight away or may not be hi-res initially. While "we have at least 16-bit, 44.1 kbps FLAC versions for nearly all MQA tracks today, we may not have a replacement for every single one."

And from the same date, if your collection includes 360 Reality Audio tracks in your downloads or playlists they'll be grayed out and won't be selectable for streaming.

The end of 360 Reality Audio support is not the best news for people who've been enjoying it on earbuds such as Sony's rather good WF-C700N, and it's even worse news for Sony: while the format is still supported by Deezer, by live concert streamer nugs.net and by Amazon Music, this is definitely a big loss for the format and a suggestion that 360 Reality Audio may be joining Betamax and Minidisc in the filing cabinet of forgotten Sony formats. 

Spotify doesn't offer 360 Reality Audio and isn't expected to in Spotify Hi-Fi, while Apple is already on board the Atmos train. 

Tidal is, however, one of the few music platforms that actually cut its prices, in March 2024, so if you're looking for a new music streaming subscription that's changing things up, it might be one to trial… 

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• AIRIA could be the next big thing in wireless hi-res audio – though we used to know it by another name
• After 15 years, I’m ditching Spotify for Tidal in 2024 – here’s why you should too

Spotify has long been considered the best music streaming service thanks to its extensive music library, user-friendly interface, smart recommendations and sleek design. However, the music streaming space has changed since Spotify launched in 2008. Since then, rivals have upped their game and launched new products catering to different listeners. Although Spotify is still our top choice for most people, services like Tidal, Apple Music, and Qobuz offer compelling alternatives tailored to specific needs. So, how do you choose the best music streaming service for you? 

I’ve spent the past few months testing out the best music streaming services for our reviews, like our Tidal review and Spotify review. This has given me a good insight into the nuances of what each service offers, from sound quality and recommendations to functionality and user experience. With that in mind, here are some of my thoughts that should help you choose the best music streaming service for you based on your preferences and listening habits. 

1. Most music streaming services are very similar

Before we get into the unique features of the best music streaming services, let’s acknowledge their similarities. Fundamentally, they all do the basics well. Nearly all offer a vast library of around 100 million tracks and capabilities to save tracks, albums, and artists and create personalized playlists. They also provide music recommendations and generate custom playlists. They even look similar with a grid-like layout and a mostly monochrome color scheme.

This is useful for anyone who can’t decide which of the best music streaming services is right for them. Essentially, you can't make a wrong choice at a basic level – all the leading services offer a similar experience. It also means that if a specific feature or benefit draws you in, like a discount with Amazon Prime or a preference for Apple products, there's no need to overthink it. Let these factors guide your decision because they're similar in every other way.

2. Spotify is the best at music recommendations 

During my testing, I was pleasantly surprised by how well all the top music streaming services adapted to my musical tastes. I found Tidal and Apple Music’s suggestions impressive, but Spotify remains the leader in recommending new tracks and music. It consistently delivered a mix of favorite tunes and fresh recommendations in all its playlists, meaning I was never at a loss for what to listen to next.

Granted, I have been using Spotify the longest. This means there could be some bias in my testing of the recommendation engine. But even if I’d just started using it, the range of recommendations is really robust, especially when compared to others. What I appreciate most is how Spotify's recommendations adapt to my changing preferences, which other services often struggle to match.

That’s why, although I love so many of Spotify’s recommendations, I use Daylist the most. This playlist updates constantly, changing throughout the day, and its creatively named playlists only add to the fun.

3. Tidal and Qobuz deliver the best sound

If you want the music streaming service that sounds the best, then Spotify isn’t for you. The platform has announced plans for a high-resolution audio offering, but it hasn’t launched yet. Other major services, like Amazon Music, Apple Music, Tidal, and Qobuz, offer superior sound quality. However, if you’re not an audiophile, there’s a chance you might not notice the subtle differences between these offerings. But most of us can agree that Tidal and Qobuz offer the best sound quality, depending on what you’re looking for. 

Qobuz is the best option for high-resolution streaming, having abandoned MP3s years ago to focus on lossless audio. It has a big library of high-resolution tracks, offering FLAC 24-bit up to 192 kHz – better than CD quality. Qobuz transparently displays the audio resolution of its tracks with clear labels and provides access to its high-res store even to non-subscribers. Its user interface and recommendations may not match its competitors, but Qobuz has some unique features, like artist interviews and news articles.

Tidal recently changed its pricing plans. Its standard subscription now includes 24-bit, 192 kHz HiRes FLAC audio and immersive audio formats like Dolby Atmos and Sony 360 Reality Audio. If you're seeking a 'Spotify for audiophiles,' Tidal is an excellent choice. It combines high-resolution audio with a user-friendly interface and robust music discovery features.

4. Prime member? Try Amazon Music Unlimited

If you're an Amazon Prime member, you may not realize that Amazon Music Prime is included in your subscription. This limited music streaming service offers ad-free streaming of more than 2 million songs, along with a curated selection of playlists and radio stations. If you’re on a budget and already subscribe to Prime, this could be a cost-effective music streaming option for you.

Amazon Music Unlimited is different. This is Amazon’s premium music subscription service and it removes all of the restrictions found in Amazon Music Prime, providing you with access to more than 100 million tracks, including lossless FLAC audio with quality up to 24-bit/192kHz. While Amazon Music Unlimited requires an additional monthly subscription fee, Prime members receive a discount, reducing the cost to $9.99 / £9.99 / AU$11.99 per month, which is cheaper than most other premium music services.

5. There are several 'free' options to consider

You have several options if you want to try one of the best music streaming services for free. I recommend Spotify’s free tier. You can create playlists, listen to tracks and get recommendations. Yes, there are all sorts of restrictions compared to the premium tier. You can only shuffle most playlists and albums rather than play specific tracks, and you’ll also need to listen to lots of ads. But considering it’s free, it’s a solid option. 

Deezer’s free tier is another option worth considering, featuring a similar setup to Spotify. You can access Deezer’s extensive library in shuffle mode, build your own collection of tracks and playlists, and explore the service's signature recommendation feature, Flow. Like Spotify, this tier is ad-supported.

Or you can take advantage of free trials offered by other services. Tidal offers a 30-day trial that I highly recommend considering if you're curious whether higher-quality audio is a must-have for you. Keep in mind, though, that these trials are temporary.

6. Love Apple? Choose Apple Music

Apple Music has a similar design to other streaming service apps like Tidal, but it also has a distinctly "Apple" look and feel. So, if you appreciate a clean and streamlined aesthetic, Apple Music might be your top choice. Often, it’s not just about the audio quality or advanced features when it comes to picking the best music streaming service; many of us want an easy and seamless experience.

This is especially true for big Apple fans. As you might expect, Apple Music integrates well with other Apple products and services, including the Apple HomePod. Which means you can easily play Apple Music tracks using voice commands.

Beyond its excellent integration and clean design, Apple Music might seem similar to other services. However, it does stand out in several key areas. Apple Music delivers better audio quality than Spotify and offers the same extensive library. Additionally, if you have a digital music library, you can integrate it with Apple Music. And, while its recommendations may not quite match Spotify’s, they’re still fun and accurate.

7. Save money on audiobooks with Spotify

Spotify has quickly become a one-stop destination for all things audio. It’s always offered a vast selection of music, but now the music streaming service is home to more than 5 million top podcasts. While some competitors provide access to exclusive podcasts, they can’t match Spotify’s extensive library.

In addition to music and podcasts, Spotify includes access to 200,000 audiobooks with its premium tier. If you haven't looked at which titles are on offer, I recommend that you do. I was surprised that so many quality books were available at no extra cost, like Neil Gaiman's back catalogue. But even if you're not a fantasy nerd like me, there are plenty of excellent titles. While some users may prefer dedicated podcast or audiobook apps, Spotify’s library could simplify your digital life and save you money.

8. Choosing the right music streaming service comes down to your personal preference  

All of the best music streaming services offer streamlined experiences, great features and access to huge libraries of music, which means you can’t really go wrong. Maybe you have a lot of Apple products or just love the design of Tidal, follow that instinct. What’s more, if you have a specific need, like hi-res audio, you’ll want Qobuz; or if you’ve got an Amazon Prime subscription and a small budget, try Amazon Music Unlimited. No specific needs? Spotify is a good choice and won’t disappoint you.

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Spotify is reportedly set to raise the prices again. This news from a recent Bloomberg report that cites anonymous sources who told the publication of the streaming giant’s future plans. 

According to the insiders, Spotify intends to “increase prices by about $1 to $2 a month” across five markets by April 30. These include the UK, Australia, and Pakistan. The other two regions were not mentioned. Users in the United States are slated to see the same changes, but they won’t happen until later in the year.

The reason why the company is bumping subscriptions up again is to “help cover the cost of audiobooks,” a new type of content that was introduced back in November. Bloomberg explains Spotify has to pay publishers for the books, however the platform only has so much money. They apparently need to charge more to keep them.

New tiers

Although audiobooks have proven themselves to be popular on Spotify, not everyone listens to them. For those who don’t, the company is going to add another subscription plan “that will offer music and podcasts” only, removing audiobooks as an option. This will keep the current price for individual premium plans. People who buy the new tier will have to pay for audiobooks separately.

No updates were given about the long-awaited Supremium plan. It’s presumably still in the works, and the launch of the tier may just be around the corner. A user on the truespotify subreddit shared a screenshot of what appears to be the Dolby Atmos logo appearing on the official player, indicating that spatial audio may be an upcoming feature.

Hearing the news about yet another price yet hike will probably elicit audible groans, especially if Spotify is charging more for content you may not enjoy. If you’re not happy with the direction Spotify is taking and want an alternative, below are the best three recommendations. 

Tidal - Best overall alternative

• $10.99 / £10.99 / AU$12.99 for HiFi tier 
• $19.99 / £19.99 / AU$23.99 for HiFi Plus 

Tidal is the best alternative to Spotify for music fans. It offers great audio quality thanks to high resolution streaming, offer an easy-to-navigate UI, millions of songs, and  thousands of music videos; all for the same cost as a standard Spotify subscription. You can get CD-quality audio coming through your headphones by opting for HiFi Plus, although it is rather expensive at $20 a month. 

It’s important to mention that Tidal doesn’t have a lot of podcasts available. There are a few, but the selection pales in comparison to what Spotify has. This isn't a big deal you’re someone who doesn’t care about podcasts and prefers music. The service, again, is meant for music aficionados who want to hear their favorite artists in an impeccable quality.

Qobuz - Best alternative for audiophiles

• $12.99 / £12.99 / AU$24.99 for the Studio tier
• $17.99 / £17.99 / AU$29.99 for Sublime plan

If you want a service that has the best audio quality out there, check out Qobuz. 

You can stream music in the 24-bit FLAC format up to 192KHz. In plain English, that means songs coming from Qobuz are better than the CD-quality tracks. It blows what Spotify has out of the water. What’s great about the service is you don’t need to pay extra for Hi-Res audio. The 24-bit FLAC format is part of the basic tier. And if you don’t want to commit to a subscription, that’s okay because you can purchase individual albums. 

It is the most expensive alternative. However, at the time of writing, the platform is offering a discount for people who buy the yearly plan. The cost comes out to $10.83 a month for a single person. Similar to Tidal, Qobuz lacks podcasts. Again, it’s aimed at music fans. 

YouTube Music - Best content alternative

• $10.99 / £10.99 for YouTube Music Premium.
• In Australia, it’s a part of YouTube Premium which is $16.99

YouTube Music is an underrated service. Not enough people give it the credit it deserves as a music streaming platform. It does lack hi-res audio. The stream quality on YouTube Music is the same as on Spotify, however, it excels in other areas.

The content library on YouTube Music eclipses what you find on its rival. You get millions of songs, tons of podcasts, and a wide assortment of audiobooks, all for free. Plus, you can control what you listen to at any given time. You won’t be forced to listen to a radio playlist.

Speaking of which, the platform has tons of playlists covering a variety of topics from favorite artists to Adult Swim bumps. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. We didn’t even mention other notable features like the ability to upload your own files, the download function, and the opportunity to find rare releases like early demos.

You can't listen to music without a good pair of headphones. For recommendations, check out TechRadar's list of the best headphones for 2024.

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• Tidal's game-changing feature lets your friends open shared songs in Spotify

Music streaming service Tidal is introducing a great new feature, one we hope other platforms implement: universal links. Now, whenever a Tidal user shares a song with a friend, the recipient will be able to listen to the track “on their preferred streaming service.” They won’t be forced to install the app on their compute. As the company put it, your friends can enjoy “your latest musical obsession, regardless of where they listen.”

The platform itself didn’t make an official announcement. This update appears to have been discovered by a Reddit user on the Tidal subreddit who posted screenshots of the patch notes and the feature in action. We can confirm Tidal Version 2024.03.27 of the desktop app is indeed live and rolling out, as we received the patch on our computer.

Sharing music across platforms doesn’t require any extra steps on behalf of the sender. To begin, click the three dots next to a song’s title, then hover over Share. Select Copy Track Link and send your friend said link. 

Here’s where things get different. 

When the recipient opens the link, they will be taken to a special Tidal web page where they select how they want to listen to the track. Four other streaming services are currently supported at the time of this writing: Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and Amazon Music. You won’t be able to listen right away as you’ll have to wait a few seconds for the Tidal to connect to the third-party app.

Once it's done, pick whatever you want and it’ll open your choice on a web browser. It won’t open their respective desktop app. The patch notes state there are plans to expand support to other services – presumably Deezer is one those. But it’s unknown when that’ll happen.

Leading the charge

This tech isn’t anything new, as similar tools have existed for years now. Deezer, for example, has Shaker, which is an all-in-one playlist feature that allows people to grab songs from their preferred app and pool songs together seamlessly. Songlink is another option, but again you have to make a full playlist. 

What’s exciting about the Tidal update is that this is the first time a major music streaming service is incorporating universal links. It’s a level of flexibility rarely seen anywhere else. You don’t have to create a playlist. You’re free to share one song and just the one song. On top of all this, Tidal is bucking industry trends by becoming cheaper, too. We would love to see Spotify, Apple Music, and the like follow in its footsteps.

We've talked to Tidal, and reps confirm that universal links will also be coming to the mobile Tidal app. The update should be rolling out to all users soon.

Until then, why not check out TechRadar's list of the best headphones for 2024.

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Across the streaming business, prices only seem to be going in one direction, so credit to Tidal for just cutting its monthly fees: the music platform's HiFi Plus plan is being rolled into the standard HiFi plan, so there will just be one single Tidal tier.

If you're already paying for HiFi for $10.99 / £10.99 / AU$12.99 a month, then you get the audio upgrade from 16-bit, 44.1 kHz to 24-bit, 192 kHz for free. If you're already paying for HiFi Plus for $19.99 / £19.99 / AU$23.99, then your Tidal subscription is about to get quite a bit cheaper.

The HiFi Plus tier comes with a few other extras, like a broader selection of FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) tracks, and support for formats like Dolby Atmos and Sony 360 Reality Audio. All these perks are being added to the new, single tier.

According to Tidal (via The Verge), the change is coming on April 10, 2024. Tidal is also retiring the free access tier, and the discounted tier that was previously offered to first responders and those in the military.

Families and students

A few more details: the current Family plan ($16.99 / £16.99 / AU$19.99) is getting the HiFi Plus upgrade as well, for no extra charge. The student discount plan – $4.99 / £4.99 / AU$5.99 – is staying as it is, with no upgrade in quality.

Tidal also offers DJ integrations, which are now becoming the DJ Extension package – this costs extra, so if you make use of these tools, you're still going to be paying the existing HiFi Plus fee every month.

The welcome move puts Tidal on an even footing with Apple Music and Amazon Music, which also offer lossless music quality for the same price a month. Spotify is the odd one out, as even its Premium tier uses lossy audio compression.

Spotify has been promising a lossless audio tier since 2021, but it hasn't shown up yet – though recent leaks suggest it's still on the way, and might be called Spotify Supremium. If it does eventually see the light of day, Tidal's now ready for it.

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No-one really wants to make a New Year's resolution, so this year we recommend committing to a tech resolution instead. These friendlier commitments aren't about self-improvement, giving up indulgences or hitting gyms – instead, they're little projects to help fortify you against the looming threat of January. And best of all, they all involve tech.

We polled the TechRadar team and our many contributors to find out what tech resolutions they'll be making for 2024 – and the results are below. The ideas vary wildly, from an in-depth plan to get back into Blu-rays to another writer's vow to restore their family's old photos using Photoshop.

For every laudable commitment to rediscovering comics on tablets or becoming a board games super-nerd, there are more sensible resolutions too – including one writer's explanation of how they're finally sorting out their passwords nightmare, plus another's plan to save money in 2024 with some nifty Chrome extensions.

Whichever part of your tech life needs some attention or a shot of new year's enthusiasm, you'll find some valuable advice and ideas on how to fix it below. And if it all goes wrong, you can always blame the gadgets...

1. 2024 is the year I feed my OLED TV with 4K Blu-rays, and you should too

Yes, the best streaming services are convenient, user-friendly and offer impressive image quality at times. But they still have notable weaknesses – and we're not just talking about movies vanishing from catalogues or downloads disappearing from your account. 

Read about why TechRadar's Matt Bolton (Managing Editor, Entertainment) has decided to bring 4K Blu-Rays back into his life in 2024 – and why you should consider doing the same, particularly given how easy it is to find second-hand bargains.

• Read the full story: 2024 is the year I feed my OLED TV with 4K Blu-rays, and you should too

2. I’ve had enough of password frustrations – here’s how I’m finally fixing them in 2024

Passwords aren't fun – in fact, they're now positively infuriating if you don't have them under control. 

TechRadar contributor Darren Allen has finally snapped and made a grand plan to tame them in 2024. You can benefit from his wisdom and research in this round-up, covering everything from his pick of the best password managers to his plan to embrace biometrics.

• Read the full story: I’ve had enough of password frustrations – here’s how I’m finally fixing them in 2024

3. I'm a Photoshop pro – here's how to restore your old family photos in 2024

Photo editing software has become ridiculously good in the age of generative AI – and one of the benefits is how easy it now is to restore old photos that are either low-resolution, damaged, lacking in color, or a combination of the above.

TechRadar contributor Chris Rowlands gives you a step-by-step tour to restoring those old family photos in this guide, covering everything from scanning them with your phone to retouching those blemishes. If you don't subscribe to Photoshop, there are also some tips on how to do it for free with online tools, too.

• Read the full story: I'm a Photoshop pro – here's how to restore your old family photos this Christmas

4. Escaping the algorithm – 5 new ways I'm planning to discover movies and music this year

Sometimes it feels like you're trapped in a feedback loop of the same movie, TV and music recommendations, all unimaginatively served up by an apparently all-knowing algorithm. How do you break free and go off piste?

TechRadar contributor David Nield has been wondering the same thing and has made this plan to discover the untrodden streaming worlds that Netflix and Spotify tend to ignore. Read about the podcasts, newsletters, subreddits, iPad magazines and more that could help you join him in 2024.

• Read the full story: Escaping the algorithm – 5 new ways I'm planning to discover movies and music this year

5. How to start using ChatGPT in 2024 – 7 tips for beginners

The internet loves nothing more than telling you how far you're falling behind by not using ChatGPT. But what if you've been really busy doing other stuff in 2023? 

Don't worry – if your New Year's resolution is to get up to speed with AI chatbots, we've made the perfect place for you to start. Our beginner's guide to ChatGPT will tell you how to write more effective prompts, make custom instructions and much more. 

• Read the full story: How to use ChatGPT – 7 tips for beginners

6. I’m ditching Spotify for Tidal in 2024 – here’s why you should too

TechRadar contributor, and former What Hi Fi? staffer, Verity Burns has been a loyal Spotify subscriber for nearly 15 years. So why is her tech resolution to switch to Tidal in 2024?

As with any long-term relationship, it's complicated – but you can find out why Tidal now holds such allure for music fans, and why it could make sense for you to switch, in this helpful breakdown of music streaming in 2024.

• Read the full story: I’m ditching Spotify for Tidal in 2024 – here’s why you should too

7. In 2024 I’m using my cheap tablet to rediscover my love of comic books

After an eight-year break from his X-Men and Spider-Man addiction, TechRadar's Senior Staff Writer Hamish Hector is reinvigorating his long-held love for comics in 2024 – with the help of a cheap, trusty Lenovo tablet.

Read about how Marvel Unlimited is going to fuel his comic book needs in 2024 and why the broader lesson of his project is that tech doesn’t need to be perfect, just perfect for you.

• Read the full story: In 2024 I’m using my cheap tablet to rediscover my love of comic books

8. Why it's a great time to buy second-hand camera lenses – plus our top picks

It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking that only that new piece of impossibly expensive mirrorless glass can take your photography to new heights. But these days, second-hand lenses offer incredible value – and in this guide we show you how to navigate the minefield to land some bargains. 

Whether you prefer wide-angle, telephoto or zoom lenses, our guide takes you through the best places to buy used lenses, the important things to check, and which lenses are offering particularly good value right now for Canon, Nikon and Sony fans.

• Read the full story: Why it's a great time to buy second-hand camera lenses – plus our top picks

9. I’m finally going to use these Chrome extensions to save me money in 2024

It's shaping up to be another financially-trying year for many of us. But rather than staring dolefully at mushrooming bills, TechRadar contributor Darren Allen has resolved to find ways to claw back a little cash  – and one of those things is harnessing the power of Chrome extensions.

Sure, they may not make you a millionaire, but the many shopping assistants, voucher finders and price-watching tools available now can certainly help you make some decent savings – and this guide rounds up some of the best Chrome extensions for doing just that.

• Read the full story: I’m finally going to use these Chrome extensions to save me money in 2024

10. 5 ways I'll be using my Apple Watch to run my life in 2024 

The Apple Watch is probably best-known for its fitness tracking, but did you know about its impressive range of other life-helping skills? 

TechRadar contributor and Apple expert Lloyd Coombes does – and he's written about the ones he'll be using maintain maintain good habits and keep his life running smoothly 2024. If you got an Apple Watch for Christmas, this is a fine primer on some of the smartwatch's lesser-known talents. 

• Read the full story: 5 ways I'll be using my Apple Watch to run my life in 2024

11. I'm a huge board games fan – here are the 7 best ones to help you survive January

In our book, a new year's resolution can be as simple as finding a way to get through the harsh realities of January – and there are few better ways of doing that than by pretending the Christmas holidays haven't ended with some brilliant board games.

Some call it denial, others a wholly necessary response to the least fun month of the year – and TechRadar's Hamish Hector (our resident board game fanatic) is firmly in the latter camp. Join him as he takes you on an uplifting tour around the finest board games you can buy right now.

• Read the full story: I'm a huge board games fan – here are the 7 best ones to help you survive January

12. 5 ways I'm using tech to survive January and romanticize my life in 2024

If board games aren't up your street, there are other emergency ways to help you survive January. TechRadar contributor and author Becca Caddy, who's literally written the book on how to live peacefully with your tech (see Screen Time), explains how she'll be using gadgets to 'romanticize' her life in 2024.

Whether you fancy starting a digital journal, experimenting with soundscapes or basking in finely-tuned smart lights, put aside some time to leaf through her ideas – before heading out for a phone-free walk through a forest.  

• Read the full story: 5 ways I'm using tech to survive January and romanticize my life in 2024

13. How to make your home theater setup sing in 2024 with a few simple tweaks

Sometimes, a new year's resolution is best spent on your favorite piece of tech. So if your own life is perfectly calibrated and singing beautifully (if so, please tell us how) it's time to make sure your home theater is doing the same in 2024 with these handy tips.

TechRadar contributor and former What Hi Fi? staffer Verity Burns tells you how to do everything from perfecting your TV settings (including which modes to avoid), fine-tuning your speaker placement, and arranging your room for the best audio and visual experience. What a way to see in the new year.

• Read the full guide: How to make your home theater setup sing in 2024 with a few simple tweaks

14. New year, new music – here are 7 ways I’m super-charging Spotify in 2024

While some TechRadar writers are ditching Spotify for Tidal, others are going in the other direction and fully embracing Spotify's music discovery powers. Rowan Davies, TechRadar's Editorial Associate and Apprentice Writer, is doing just that and has revealed his seven-stage plan for escaping musical echo chambers and finding hidden gems in 2024.

Rowan has the Spotify Wrapped stats to back up his credentials – 48,650 minutes of listening in 2023, including 1,633 artists across 71 genres. We're also talking about a Beyonce top 0.01%-er and a former music editor here – so if you're looking to become a Spotify power user in 2024, this is the place to start.

• Read the full story: New year, new music – here are 7 ways I’m super-charging Spotify in 2024

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I vividly remember the first time I logged into Spotify, back in early 2009. Having grown up as part of the Limewire generation, the fact that I could suddenly access such a vast catalogue of music, instantly and legally, completely blew my mind.

I quickly made a playlist of all my most loved songs, and sped through new releases to judge their worth for a hard-copy investment. Never again would I have to throw money at an average album to gather dust on a shelf, and that made me – and my bursting shelves – very happy indeed.

After a few months, the dulcet, and somewhat persistent, tones of Roberta from Spotify convinced me to plump for a Premium subscription. Since then, £9.99 / $9.99 / AU$11.99 (and more recently, £10.99 / $10.99 / AU$12.99) has been leaving my account religiously every month. 

But after almost 15 years of dedicated service to the Spotify algorithm, I’ve decided it’s time to finally make the move to Tidal – and here’s why you should, too.

The music sounds better with you

As a former What Hi Fi? staffer, sound quality has always been an important factor for me. And as the biggest distinguishing feature between Spotify and Tidal, it may not be a huge surprise that this is the one of the biggest drivers behind my decision.

In fact, one of the things that pushed me to move to Spotify Premium from free in the first place was not actually the adverts, but the boost in sound quality that subscribers get, from 128kbps to 320kbps. I managed less than a day on the free tier during one money-saving attempt before I handed my card details back over with haste. My ears could hear the difference and once you can, it’s hard to go back.

However, despite a number of its competitors moving to offer “hi-fi quality” sound and more than two years of speculation that Spotify Hi-Fi (or, perhaps, Spotify Supremium) is coming – it is still yet to appear. A big announcement just a few months ago that I felt sure would be the audio upgrade I’d been waiting for, was just the rollout of Spotify audiobooks. A nice-to-have, for sure, but I’d take better sound every time.

Tidal, on the other hand, has been investing in sound quality from the get go. It launched back in 2014 with CD quality 16-bit/44.1kHz sound, and pushed this up to properly high-res 24-bit/192kHz FLAC files in 2023, following the demise of MQA — the format that had previously delivered its better-than-CD sound.

No matter what way you look at it, if you’re a critical listener with decent headphones – and ideally an aptX HD connection to boot – you will be able to hear the difference.

That difference will likely be even clearer if you’re streaming to a good quality speaker, particularly one with Tidal Connect built in. Just like Spotify Connect, this uses Wi-Fi to play your music of choice directly from the service itself, bypassing the quality restrictions of Bluetooth and allowing the full potential of those hi-res tracks to really shine.  

Features for music fans

With Tidal, you don’t even have the catalogue concerns that once came with switching services. While there was a time when Spotify had the edge, and numerous big-name exclusives, you can now be pretty confident that any music you listen to on Spotify will be available on Tidal too. Even more obscure artists and genres have plenty of overlap, and over 100 million tracks on either service, you’re unlikely to find yourself wanting.

Of course, that won’t be the case if you lean into Spotify’s extra-curricular activities – with things like podcasts and audiobooks included as part of your subscription fee that you won’t find on Tidal. But with its focus purely on music, Tidal has a few things up its sleeve that Spotify doesn’t, too — things like HD music videos, exclusive video content with artists and spatial audio support.

Tidal moved quick with spatial audio back in 2019, and now has a solid offering of Dolby Atmos Music and Sony 360 Reality Audio that you can use with the many pairs of headphones now boasting features to make the most of it. Spotify is still yet to add spatial audio to its service, and with no real commitment to the fact that it could be coming any time soon.

The videos are great, too – I particularly like the video playlists for a house party, but I’ve also found the more documentary-style short films are a perfect way to while away some time on public transport. I still have access to all the podcasts I love through my Apple Podcasts app, so I won’t miss having them through my music service. And I definitely won’t miss Joe Rogan.

Better pay for artists

There’s no getting away from the fact that while music streaming has been revolutionary for music listeners, artists have had a thing or two to say about it when it comes to a royalties perspective. Arguably no service is excelling here, but there’s no doubt that some are managing it better than others.

Tidal has long used its “artist-owned” status as a reason that it will pay its artists appropriately, and while figures differ by source, it appears that it is holding true to that.

Some figures suggest that Tidal pays around $0.0125 per stream (approximately £0.01 / AU$0.018), meaning an artist would get paid $12.50 /£10 / AU$18 for 1,000 plays, while an artist on Spotify would receive about $4.30 /£3.40 / AU$6.40 for the same ($0.0043 / $0.0034 / AU$0.0064 per stream).

Of course, it’s not quite as straightforward as that, and there are subscriber base differences to consider, too. But the fact remains that the industry is asking Spotify to do more. Perhaps that pricier hi-fi tier it’s been teasing for so long could help to fund it, eh?

Don’t get me wrong, there are some things I’m going to miss about Spotify. Its music discovery features have helped me find endless new artists and favorite songs, and there’s going to be a degree of FOMO when I can’t join in with sharing my Spotify Wrapped at the end of next year. What a cracking idea that was.

However, TechRadar's Al Griffin (Senior Editor of Home Entertainment in the US) wrote earlier this year that he felt Spotify had become about more than just music and, if you've been holding out for Spotify Hi-Fi, then it was time to “cut the cord”. 

I have to agree. After 15 years, this is no easy separation, but it's one the audiophile in me simply has to do. That is, of course, unless Spotify has a sound quality-focused new year’s resolution up its sleeve, too…­­­

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Looking at Tidal and thinking something feels different? You're right! Following its latest app update, Tidal now offers six million songs in hi-res FLAC format.

This isn't the first sniff we've had of this; Tidal's CEO, Jesse Dorogusker, initially announced back in April during an AMA (ask me anything) on Reddit that Tidal would "be introducing hi-res FLAC for our HiFi Plus subscribers soon" and then confirmed in June that six million hi-res FLAC tracks were available in the iOS app to members of the Tidal Early Access Program, but would come to every HiFi Plus subscriber in August. And now here they are. 

The thing is, it's refreshing to see a streaming service actually make good on its promises. Spotify, you may remember, initially promised a HiFi tier within the year back in February 2021, but despite several promising signs (screenshots of the Spotify HiFi logo in the app as well as a Spotify HiFi onboarding video leaked by a Redditor) we are still waiting…  

Back to Tidal, and for those worried their MQA playlists might disappear overnight following the rollout (as well as the news that MQA officially appointed its administrators on April 3), don't fret: Tidal confirmed that its “existing MQA catalogue will continue to be available on the platform" earlier this year and now its hi-res FLAC streams sit alongside the service’s current MQA hi-res streams. 

Opinion: focusing on audio quality is never a bad thing – especially when it comes without a price hike

Anyone familiar with MQA will know that these hi-res files are a little picky, requiring both a HiFi Plus subscription and a device or software capable of decoding the technology to enjoy them, such as the mobile apps or an MQA-compatible hi-res audio player. 

Because FLACs are more ubiquitous (FLAC, the friendly file!) the introduction of hi-res FLACs to Tidal's library makes the service’s hi-res offering much more accessible to the entry-level audiophile.

The hotly-anticipated rollout has seemingly taken effect in the past week, for users across all platforms. Not spotted it? Update your app. You'll see there are some visual – or rather, verbal – differences on the Tidal web player and apps as a result of the switch.

Essentially, the service has renamed its audio quality levels – most notably by removing the word "Masters" (MQA stands for Master Quality Authenticated) in its top-tier quality for "Max" in the iOS app, or simply "HiRes" if searching for files of better-than CD quality.

To break it down, Tidal is now seemingly listing its songs and albums as: 

• Max – High fidelity lossless audio up to 24-bit / 192kHz with HiRes FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) and Master Quality Authenticated audio (MQA)
• High – Lossless audio with FLAC (16-bit / 44.1kHz)
• Low (up to 320kbps) – the music you love using lower data usage with compressed AAC files. This is where Spotify's audio files max out. 

I've long been touting Tidal's credentials as one of the best music streaming services out there, alongside Qobuz if it's the best quality hi-res audio you're after. That said, for track sharing, sociable perks such as Spotify's AI DJ and Spotify Wrapped – see also, Apple Music Replay and Apple Music Sing – the admittedly expensive service is lagging a little behind, despite its April-launch Live social music streaming feature which lets you DJ into the void. 

For me, focusing on audio quality is never a bad thing – and although Tidal recently hiked its prices for its standard and family plans, HiFi Plus subscription fees are actually staying the same price for now. And since Apple Music increased its prices in November 2022, Amazon Music HD upped its fees in February 2023, Deezer hiked its US prices in October 2022 and Spotify upped the cost of its Premium price plan recently, Tidal's free rollout is to be commended. 

Over the last few months we've seen many of the best music streaming services up their prices, and Tidal is the latest to do so. In the US, the standard plan is going up a dollar a month from $9.99 to $10.99, and the Family Plan is going up two dollars from $14.99 to $16.99 per month. HiFi Plus subscription fees are staying the same price for now.

The changes are happening in other markets too, with the standard plan going up €1 per month in Europe and £1 per month in the UK. The new prices will take effect on August 1, which means that any existing subscriptions will automatically be renew at the new monthly price, according to Billboard. 

Tidal isn't the first streaming service to do this. Apple Music increased its prices in November 2022, Amazon Music HD upped its prices in February 2023 and Deezer increased its US prices in October 2022. Spotify boss Daniel Ek recently told investors that the service would be increasing its prices this year too.

So, what do all the different music streamers cost now? 

How much it costs for standard music streaming plans  as of mid-2023

It looks like there's something of a trend here:

• Tidal costs $10.99 per month
• Apple Music costs $10.99 per month
• Deezer costs $10.99 per month
• Amazon Music (non-Prime customers) costs $10.99 per month

The outlier is Spotify, which is $9.99 per month. But you can probably guess what it's likely to increase to in the not too distant future.

There are cheaper options, such as ad-funded tiers and student tiers. But the bulk of streamers' income comes from standard and family subscribers. For example, it's been reported that 90% of Spotify's revenue comes from subs.

There are multiple reasons for the price hikes. One is that everything is more expensive due to more expensive borrowing, cost of living increases and so on – although having delved through the press releases and announcements I don't see any of the services saying they're upping the royalties they pay to artists, who are also affected by the increasing cost of everything.

But another key reason for the increases is because the various services' investors want to make more money; with very few exceptions, the streamers' real customers are shareholders who want their investment to make big returns. 

To satisfy your investors, you can increase your revenues in two ways: you can attract more customers or you can charge your existing customers more money. Music streaming growth has slowed considerably in recent years. The annual reports by the Recording Industry Association of America and by Edison Research seen by Forbes, which are considered crucial barometers of the state of the industry, both highlight single-digit growth in 2022 after years of double-digit growth, which the sign of an increasingly saturated market. They also indicate that people are shifting from pure music services to spoken word such as podcasts and audiobooks.

With streaming revenues accounting for the lion's share of music business money, that means the pressure is on streamers to increase the amount they make from each subscriber. And that's exactly what the streamers are doing. 

At just $149 (£149 / around AU$225) the WiiM Pro is an inexpensive music streamer that packs the kind of feature set you’d expect to see on streamers priced much higher. That fact alone makes it an incredible value, but the company has just announced that the WiiM Pro has received Roon Ready certification – a feature typically found on the kind of high-end audio components with stratospheric pricing.

In our WiiM Pro review, we found it to be an excellent option for adding not just high-res streaming capability to an existing speaker system, but also for wireless multi-room streaming capability. Same as with a Sonos setup, this lets you listen to tracks from the best music streaming services on a single system, or play them across multiple systems with everything managed by an easy to use control app.

What Roon Ready certification adds to the mix is the ability to use the WiiM Pro as an endpoint for Roon’s sophisticated music management and playback software. If you’re not familiar with Roon, here’s how it’s described in WiiM’s press release announcing the update:

“Roon is a rich and engaging way to browse, organize and listen to music. Artist photos, credits, bios, reviews, lyrics, tour dates and composers are located automatically, then interconnected by links to build a surfable digital magazine. Through Roon Ready, the WiiM Pro offers a multi-room, multi-user networked audio platform featuring bit-perfect playback, DSD and PCM upsampling, multichannel support and Signal Path display.”

You can buy a Roon Ready version of the WiiM Pro now on Amazon. And if you already happen to own a WiiM Pro, you will receive a notification prompting you to upgrade to the latest version of its software to enable the feature.

Analysis: Roon Ready certification makes a great, affordable streamer even better  

I’ve been using the WiiM Pro as the streamer in my speaker system for a few months now, and I'm impressed with how good it sounds for the money. I’m equally impressed that it lets me access Spotify, Tidal, Qobuz, Amazon Music Unlimited, Pandora, Deezer, TuneIn radio and more directly from its control app without having to launch any of those services individually.

Roon works in similar fashion, aggregating high-res-compatible services like Tidal and Qobuz along with internet radio stations and music files stored locally on your network. And it presents everything in a visually stunning app that you can use to control playback from on your phone, tablet, or computer.

Not only that, but Roon’s extensive metadata offers up artist biographies, discographies, song credits, and much more to browse while listening. And it also has an almost frighteningly accurate discovery and recommendation engine, one that puts other streaming music apps to shame. 

WiiM Pro’s characterization of it as a “surfable digital magazine” is completely spot-on – you don't just listening to music when using Roon; you experience it as a multi-media presentation.

As a Roon user, I’m used to making do with that software’s AirPlay support to stream music to devices like the WiiM Pro and the Apple TV 4K. And while AirPlay works fine, you’re not able to take advantage of Roon’s high-res audio compatibility since Apple’s wireless streaming protocol limits resolution to a CD-level quality.

With the WiiM Pro getting upgraded to Roon Ready status, I can now stream music wirelessly in high-res format from Tidal and Qobuz via Roon, which should make an appreciable difference when listening with the best stereo speakers. In some instances you’ll pay thousands of dollars for that privilege. With the upgraded WiiM Pro, however, it will cost a mere $149.

If you're serious about sound quality, we've been saying for some time that Tidal is a better Spotify alternative for audiophiles. And now it's widened that gap even further. While Spotify has been promising to launch a high-res, CD-quality service for years now – although we're of the opinion that Spotify HiFi is never coming – Tidal has just announced a big upgrade to its high-resolution audio quality service.

In April, Tidal said that it would be expanding its support for the lossless FLAC format. It already offers over 100 million tracks in CD quality FLAC, but boss Jesse Dorogusker said that the next step would be to up the quality even further to 24-bit/192kHz hi-res audio. 

And it looks like that is now starting to happen, after Dorogusker took to Reddit on June 29 to confirm that 6 million hi-res FLAC tracks are now available in the iOS app to members of the Tidal Early Access Program. It'll be coming to every HiFi Plus subscriber in August.

Hi-res FLAC is currently an alternative to the hi-res MQA streams Tidal already offers. However, the firm that owns MQA is currently in administration and as a result the format's future is uncertain.

Is hi-res audio really better?

Yes. At the moment, the big name music streamers offer music in up to three quality levels: lossy, where the audio file is compressed for more convenience (and more reliable streaming on low-bandwidth connections); lossless at CD quality; and lossless at higher-than-CD quality.

With lossy audio, some of the musical information is thrown out. Modern formats are very good at doing that without losing too much sound quality, but there's still a noticeable difference between a lossy MP3 or AAC stream and an uncompressed CD quality stream.

If you're not listening on high-end hardware, CD quality is probably as good as you need. But modern music is often recorded at higher than CD quality. A CD is sampled with a bit rate of 16 bits and a sampling rate of 44.1 thousand times per second, while hi-res audio is 24-bit and 192 thousand samples per second or more. 

Using the best headphones or a high-end sound system, you really can hear the difference: the music sounds more alive, and you can often hear details you've never noticed in songs you've listened to a million times. If you want to know how to enjoy Tidal hi-res FLAC and MQA music, look at our guide for more ways to access this audiophile level quality.  

Spotify chief executive Daniel Ek said the company wants to raise monthly subscription prices for its streaming service, but is currently waiting on agreements with major record labels before moving ahead with the price hikes.

That news comes via Billboard, which was reporting on Spotify’s Tuesday morning conference call where first quarter earnings were discussed.

Ek had previously said a US price increase "is one of the things that we would like to do" in the company’s October 2022 earnings call, so the news doesn’t exactly come as a surprise. But it’s the first time the Spotify head has spoken plainly of plans to make the price hike happen, with music industry stakeholders being the only remaining barrier to a more expensive Spotify.

At present, Spotify is the least expensive option among the best music streaming services, a group that also includes Apple Music, Amazon Music Unlimited, and Tidal. Pricing for its $9.99 per month individual plan has held steady even as other music streamers have hiked costs, the most recent being Amazon, which raised prices from $9.99 / £9.99 to $10.99 / £10.99 per month for its individual plan.

Although one would reasonably expect Spotify to follow suit given the competition, there are reasons that make the service a bad value even at its current price. The main one is the company’s continued use of lossy compression for streaming, a technical shortcoming that places serious limitations on audio quality. In contrast, Spotiify’s main competitors all provide Lossless CD-quality streaming, and each also offers tracks and albums in High-Res and Spatial Audio formats.

Another key problem with Spotify is its recent switch to a Tik-Tok style user interface with a vertical-scroll feed designed to inundate users with suggested tracks and music videos. The change is not just a radical departure from the previous version of Spotify, but one that seems several steps removed from the service’s core mission of letting users build and browse a digital music library. Granted, music discovery is a feature that’s built into all music service apps, but Spotify’s recent overhaul is decidedly over the top.

A world beyond Spotify 

Some Spotify users remain with the service simply because it’s the one they started out with. They have invested time building up album collections and playlists, and they don't think those will easily translate to a different streaming platform. The fact that Spotify is the least expensive major music streaming service at present also doesn’t hurt, although Ek’s comments today indicate that the situation is soon going to change.

What alternative options does a Spotify subscriber who is maybe put off by the company’s interface change, along with the prospect of an imminent price hike, have to look forward to?

Apple Music ($10.99 / £10.99 / AU$12.99 per month) offers a similarly extensive music catalog as Spotify and has great playlists and Apple “radio” channels. The Apple Music app is well designed and easy to navigate, and there’s excellent integration with iOS devices such as the iPhones and iPads, as well as the Apple TV 4K.

One key advantage that Apple Music has over other services, Spotify included, is its extensive and well-presented library of Spatial Audio (aka Dolby Atmos) music tracks, which can be listened to using the best headphones and also the Apple HomePod 2 speaker and the new Sonos Era 300 speaker. Apple also recently made its new Apple Classical app free to subscribers.

Amazon Music Unlimited ($10.99 / £10.99 / AU$10.99) also has an extensive music catalog with both Lossless, High-Res, and Spatial Audio tracks. Amazon Prime members get a discount when subscribing to the service, which knocks the price down to $8.99 per month.

Amazon’s service is well integrated with the company’s Echo wireless speakers and Alexa voice control. It can also be used to stream Spatial Audio tracks to Sonos Era 300 speakers.

Tidal ($9.99 / £9.99 / $11.99 a month for Lossless HiFi tier and $19.99 / £19.99 / AU$23.99 per month for High-Res HiFi Plus tier) was one of the first music streaming services to offer High-Res streaming, and as a result has long been the go-to choice for audiophiles. It has an excellent user interface and deep integration with many third-party hi-fi products such as integrated amplifiers and receivers.

While Tidal’s use of the MQA format for High-Res streaming limited its appeal somewhat beyond the audiophile world (a compatible DAC with MQA support needed to be used to extract the highest resolution files for uncompromised listening), the company recently announced it was adding support for FLAC, a more broad-based format. Whether or not this will help justify the service’s higher cost and boost its subscriber count remains to be seen, but it will certainly allow for more listeners to access High-Res audio on their existing devices. 

In a recent Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything), Tidal CEO Jesse Dorogusker revealed the streaming platform will soon be introducing hi-res FLAC audio to HiFi Plus members.

FLAC, or Free Lossless Audio Codec, is a digital audio format that can offer studio-quality sound without requiring a whole lot of storage space. The small file size is important as these platforms need to have enough room for millions of tracks. This particular format already exists on Tidal in the standard HiFi tier where songs are said to have CD-like quality. Music on HiFi Plus, more commonly referred to as Tidal Masters, currently runs on MQA, a controversial format that appears to have been a hot topic in the AMA.

MQA or Master Quality Authenticated is an audio format allowing studio-quality sound to exist on file sizes smaller than FLAC. The company behind the digital music tech, MQA Ltd, recently announced it was “entering into administration” which is the British version of Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the US. This worried TIDAL users as it could’ve spelled the end of HiFi Plus. Fortunately, it's not over.

Potential changes

Switching over to a file format with a larger size than MQA is going to change a lot on the platform, but for now, things will stay mostly static. In a recent report from Digital Trends, a company spokesperson told the publication the “existing MQA catalog will continue to be available on the platform” and that TIDAL is simply “adding hi-res FLAC” as an alternative. Dorogusker also said in the AMA the service will provide new “controls” over FLAC files; seemingly allowing a way for users to adjust their size.

Users' response to this change has been mostly positive from what we can tell. They seem to appreciate that TIDAL will be offering, what some might consider, a true lossless audio format in the service's highest tier.

You see, there’s been some controversy regarding the validity of MQA actually being lossless. Some have gone as far as referring to it as snake oil. A YouTuber by the name of GoldenSound took the time to test the format. According to his findings, MQA wasn’t as good as the company claimed it to be. So, there's a good chance Tidal HiFi Plus will get an audio upgrade.

The future of MQA

Considering the recent bankruptcy news, it's possible MTQ Ltd may soon stop supporting its own format, leaving TIDAL with only FLAC. Jesse Dorogusker didn't say anything about growing the TIDAL Masters catalog. It appears at the moment the platform is more focused on building a FLAC music library. 

We reached out to TIDAL with several questions. Will the MQA tracks stay on the platform and for how long? What exactly are the “controls” Dorogusker mentioned in the AMA as it relates to FLAC files? And is there a specific launch date in mind? This story will be updated if we hear back.

Meanwhile, rival Spotify is content with adding a TikTok-like feed rather than finally adding high-resolution audio. So if you're thinking of jumping ship to Tidal, now's your chance. 

And if you do, be sure to check out TechRadar’s recently updated list of the best over-ear headphones for 2023.  You're going to need a good pair to get the most out of FLAC audio.

Update 5-4-2023: A Tidal representative got back to us and said the "controls" Jesse Dorogusker was talking about on the Reddit AMA relate to users being able to choose the audio resolution of the FLAC file. Users can select either Tidal HiFi Plus, which is the maximum resolution, or Tidal HiFi. Anything below that is a compressed stream. The representative added that Tidal didn't have anything to share regarding the launch of FLAC support and whether or not the MQA tracks will remain on the platform.

I’m a longtime user of Tidal, a music streaming service that was among the first to offer Lossless and High-Res tracks as part of its HiFi and HiFi Plus plans, respectively. For me, that was the main lure of Tidal, though several of the best music streaming services such as Apple Music, Amazon Music Unlimited, and Qobuz have since followed suit.

At $19.99 / £19.99 / AU$23.99 per month for HiFi Plus, Tidal isn’t the cheapest music streaming option – both Apple Music and Amazon Music Unlimited give you Lossless and High-Res audio for around half the price, but it's the one I’ve used to create most of my  playlists, and I have a strong preference for its user interface. Many audio components now also have built-in Tidal support – even some of the best soundbars, including LG’s new models, can now decode MQA, the system Tidal uses for High-Res streaming – so it’s an option that’s firmly embedded in both the hi-fi and home theater worlds.

The music streaming landscape is in something of a transition period, with Spotify being the main case in point with its recent pivot away from music to becoming a more general audio service platform with a Tik-Tok-style user interface. Tidal, too, is starting to see changes, with the latest being the launch of Live, an in-app feature that lets you instantly share music with friends, followers, and the Tidal community as a whole.

I am a DJ, I am what I play 

Live was previously available in a beta version known as “DJ” through the service’s early access program, and DJ-ing is basically what you’re doing when you access the new feature.

Here’s how it works. When you start playing a track in Tidal, pressing a “Live” button in the iOS/Android app interface calls up a screen that lets you start a live streaming session. You can name your session, as well as copy a session link that can be shared via text, email, Twitter, or any other messaging format. Your named session then appears in the main app interface along with your picture (unfortunately, you can only upload a Facebook profile photo at present), and other users can join in your session to listen.

To try out the new feature, I simply followed the process outlined above, adding a number of tracks to my Next Up queue so I would have a good 30-45 minutes of streaming time in my DJ session. It was late afternoon and I wanted to keep working uninterrupted, so I chose quiet “ambient” electronic music tracks and named my playlist Afternoon Ambient. 

After launching, I next headed over to Twitter to post a link to my Live stream to drum up some social media excitement. 

A few tracks in, I was disappointed to see that I was apparently the only listener – a headphones icon in the app with the number 1 next to it being a dead giveaway. Didn’t anyone out there in the Tidal-sphere want to listen to my awesome online mix? But then, suddenly, the number 2 popped up. I had a listener!

One is the loneliest number 

It didn’t take long for that number 2 to change back to a 1, and my heart sank. I was alone again with my music. Maybe the cause was that I hadn’t come up with a compelling enough name for my Live stream to pique the interest of fellow Tidal listeners. Or maybe it was because I don’t have enough Twitter followers, or that none of them are Tidal HiFi or HiFi Plus subscribers (the free, ad-supported Tidal subscription doesn’t get Live). Either way, the feeling was similar to making a social media post and getting no likes.

Granted, these are early days in the development of Tidal’s social component, and Live does seem like a step in the right direction. My colleague Matt Bolton recently made the case that music streaming apps are boring, and that streaming services need to add features that let you customize playlists and provide other creative opportunities. Tidal’s Live definitely falls into the category of creative opportunity.

It would be a great enhancement if Tidal allowed for anyone, not just subscribers, to tune into your Live stream – it would spread the word about the service, and give more people a chance to check it out ( Tidal does offer a free 30-day trial period for both its HiFi and HiFi plus tiers). Users can also only stream and listen to Live sessions in the country where their account is registered, which is a big limitation, in my opinion.

Finally, Live streamed tracks currently only play in compressed AAC quality rather than the Lossless and High-Res formats that HiFi and HiFi Plus subscribers pay good money for, though Tidal has indicated that this situation is only until a higher-quality Live version “becomes available.” 

Okay, enough grumbling. Live is cool, and I’m sure I’ll be doing more Live streams in the future. So subscribe to Tidal and listen to them, please, or I’ll feel like I’m streaming into the void.

I recently opened up the Spotify app on my iPhone after a long period of neglect, and OMG.

Having followed news of the service’s interface overhaul aka the Tik-Tok-ification of Spotify, I was aware I would be seeing something different. But I wasn’t prepared for just how different the app would appear, and how out-of-step this new version is with the core mission of music delivery provided by the best music streaming services.

To be fair, following a series of key, and costly, acquisitions over the past few years, Spotify has positioned itself as more than just a music streaming service. It is now an audio platform, with podcasts and Spotify audiobooks getting equal promotion in its revamped app. There’s a lot going on in there, and for someone like myself who has a more traditional approach to music consumption, along with a more old-school relationship with social media, the new Spotify is thoroughly off-putting.

The kind of change that I would have liked to see in an updated Spotify is an upgrade to Lossless and High-Res music over the lossy compressed library currently available for streaming. That and some Spatial Audio offerings would have been good. But none of those things are going to happen.

“The industry changed and we had to adapt” 

Spotify co-president Gustav Söderström stated in a recent interview that the service is still working on a HiFi tier. That news comes two years after the company first announced it would be adding Lossless CD-quality music, an upgrade it suggested at the time would be rolled out “later this year.”

Instead, we got SpoTik-Tok, which is not surprising. In a TheVerge Decoder podcast interview with Söderström cited in the article linked to above, here’s what the company’s co-president said of the supposedly forthcoming HiFi tier: “We are going to do it, but we’re going to do it in a way where it makes sense for us and for our listeners. The industry changed and we had to adapt.”

The new Spotify’s vertical-scrolling navigation and free-flowing video reels certainly signal an adaptation – over-adaptation, in my opinion. And it means that Spotify is dead-serious about catering to a very specific audience. But that audience doesn’t necessarily care about Lossless audio (HiFi) and they’re certainly not going to pay more for it.

Yes, it’s true: Spotify’s plans for its HiFi tier had involved a price increase over the basic $9.99 per month Premium subscription. That may have made sense when the company first announced its HiFi plans, but since then Apple Music and Amazon Music Unlimited have both made Lossless, High-Res Lossless, and Spatial Audio part of their standard $10.99 / £10.99 / AU$11.99 per month subscription. 

Making sense for us and for our listeners 

Let’s be realistic, there is no longer a world in which a Spotify HiFi tier makes sense anymore. The company is aggressively catering to an audience craving an abundance of content and wants it fed to them in a manner that syncs up with current social media formats. The company most likely awakened to the reality of what they needed to do following a third-quarter operating loss, and subsequent stock value plummet, in 2022, and thus the new app.

This revamped Spotify perfectly encapsulates the company’s ambitions to be everything everywhere all at once when it comes to audio streaming. I’m sure that there are plenty of Spotify users who enjoy using it and also appreciate the stream of sometimes random-seeming content that flows to them as they scroll vertically through the app’s interface.

But I imagine that, like me, many listeners who value Lossless, High-Res, and Spatial Audio are likely to be put off by the changes. Even if the company were to add those features to the Spotify Premium tier at no extra cost – something that at this point they would need to do following Apple Music and Amazon’s moves – the new overstuffed, and overstimulating, app is something of a non-starter for music fans simply looking to access a high-quality digital music collection.

Spotify could always offer a second app, maybe one called Spotify Old, with a less hyperkinetic interface. As someone who cringed when Instagram first introduced Reels and continues to loathe that addition to the platform, I know I would prefer it to the new SpoTik-Tok.

But really, I’m fine with just continuing to use Tidal and Apple Music, two services that I have spent years using and building a digital music collection with, along with creating extensive playlists. I don’t expect either of those services to shake things up in the dramatic manner Spotify has, and if they did I would be seriously upset. 

As for Spotify, if you’ve spent time creating a collection on that platform and have been holding out hope for Spotify HiFi to arrive, it’s probably time to cut the cord. Spotify has been stringing you along long enough. As its co-president said, the company will only add that feature when it makes sense for it and its listeners, and at this point, that time will be never.

High-res audio. That has a nice ring to it, right? Yet most people are content to listen to regular-res audio on streaming services or via some physical format like CD or vinyl LPs. These folks are blissfully unaware that an opportunity exists to step things up to high-res.

Several of the best music streaming services offer high-resolution audio alongside their standard (uncompressed CD-quality) and compressed (reduced quality) streams. On some services, Tidal for instance, you’ll need to pay a higher price to access a high-res tier, while others like Apple Music and Amazon Music Unlimited bundle it into their standard-price plan. Yet others – we’re pointing our finger at you, Spotify – don’t offer high-res audio at all!

Accessing high-res audio isn’t exactly a walk in the park, but it’s now become a bit easier. The new CS1 Endpoint Network Streamer from Canada-based NAD Electronics is a compact device that you can add to your stereo or home theater system to take advantage of the high-res audio offerings on music streaming services. Just plug it in, connect it to your receiver or integrated amp, link up to your home’s Wi-Fi or wired Ethernet network, and you’ll be ready to rock out. 

The affordable (US$349 / £299 / CDN$499) CS1 supports dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and AirPlay for streaming. But what really sounds neat about it is that you can use Tidal Connect and Spotify Connect to stream directly and control playback using the Tidal and Spotify apps. MQA support is onboard to enable playback of high-res Master quality music from Tidal, and the CS1 is a Roon endpoint. You’ll  also be able to use Chromecast to cue up music from compatible apps, and the CS1 will take it from there, streaming tracks in standard or high-res format to its 24-bit/192kHz-capable Texas Instruments’ PCM5141 DAC. 

As for connections, the CS1 sports analog RCA and both optical and coaxial digital outputs. The analog jacks allow for hookup to a wide range of gear old and new, while the digital outputs permit connection to the latest generation of powered speakers, or even a soundbar system.

Analysis: High-res audio doesn’t need to be expensive – or complicated

There are low-cost ways to get into high-res music, but many of those options are for listening with headphones. And while there’s nothing wrong with pursuing audio bliss via the best headphones route, some people – me, for instance – prefer listening to music using a good, old-fashioned stereo speakers-plus-amplifier setup. 

The high-end audio marketplace is filled with integrated amplifiers that are capable of streaming high-resolution audio over a Wi-Fi network from compatible services like Tidal or Qobuz. But many of those components are pricey, and they also require use of a custom, brand-specific app to facilitate streaming, with some apps doing that job much better than others.

Music fans wanting to add both streaming and high-res audio capability to an existing stereo setup that lacks those features might find their choices to be limited. One good option is the Node streaming DAC from NAD’s sister company Bluesound. The Node offers all of the same features as the CS1, but adds on an analog input, an HDMI eARC output, and, most significantly, app-based control using the company’s excellent BluOS control app. But even though the Bluesound Node is very much worth the money given all it does, at $599 / £549 / CDN$699  it still costs more than many people will want to spend.

For such folks, the lower-cost CS1 will come across as a more approachable option for adding streaming and high-res audio capability to an existing system. It’s true that you won’t get to use the BluOS control app used in the company’s pricier streaming-capable products, but not everyone will need the high level of features that app provides (multiroom streaming to multiple components, for instance). With the CS1, you can just fire up Tidal on your phone, tap play, and you’re off and running in high-res.

The NAD CS1 Endpoint Network Streamer will be available in March.

Music streaming giant Spotify has announced it would be cutting 6% of its staff, with around 600 employees in total departing the company.

Spotify’s move is the latest in series of mass layoffs at large tech firms, with Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook parent Meta, and Google parent Alphabet all having recently announced job cuts in response to the current economic downturn. Tech companies had earlier been on a hiring spree as pandemic-fueled spending drove increased need for consumer goods and services.

But Spotify isn’t the only entertainment streaming service to make staff cuts – Netflix trimmed 2% of its workforce back in May of last year as part of a larger cost-saving effort where it canceled a number of projects in development, many of them in the company’s animation department.

Spotify had previously made its own content cuts in a bid to scale back costs. Back in October 2022, the company axed 11 original podcasts, most from the Gimlet and Parcast studios the company had acquired as part of its aggressive push into the podcasting sector. Spotify had spent billions of dollars building up its podcast presence, dropping 200 million alone on its contract with Joe Rogan, the platform's number one audience draw. 

How Spotify’s woes will affect future pricing is unclear, but subscription costs for music streaming services are generally rising, with Apple Music having hiked the price of an individual plan from $9.99 / £9.99 to $10.99 / £10.99 per month (and $4.99 / £4.99 to $5.99 / £5.99 for a student plan) back in October 2022, followed by similar announced price hikes for Amazon Music Unlimited.

CEO Daniel Ek commented in the company’s layoff announcement that “in 2022, the growth of Spotify’s operating expenses outpaced our revenue growth by two times,” and that the situation was “unsustainable long-term in any climate.” Spotify is clearly in hot water, and Ek’s statements seem to indicate that costs for the service, which has maintained a stable $9.99 / £9.99 individual pricing plan since its early days, will soon be going up as the company scrambles to cope with rising expenses and falling revenues.

As reported by Variety, Spotify’s CEO had said previously in an October 2022 earnings call that a price increase “is one of the things we would like to do and it’s something we will [discuss] with our label partners.”

Analysis: A more expensive Spotify will be a hard sell 

Streaming prices are going up for all manner of services, and a price hike for Spotify is something that can be easily swallowed by music listeners who have long used and depended on it. After all, Apple Music and Amazon Music Unlimited are now both more expensive, and the cost of everything is going up from eggs to airline tickets.

Right?

Not so fast. Compared to Apple Music and Amazon Music Unlimited, Spotify was already a bad value. For their $10.99 / £10.99 per month cost, both Apple Music and Amazon Music Unlimited offer lossless and high-res audio, while Spotify continues to stream using a lossy compression format that reduces sound quality. The company had announced plans for a Spotify HiFi tier with lossless high-resolution audio, but that was back in 2021 and we’re still waiting on it. (It’s unclear if the higher-quality tier would be priced significantly more than the company’s current Premium offering.)

Apple Music and Amazon Music Unlimited also both provide tracks and full albums in Spatial Audio – essentially Dolby Atmos for music – and so does Tidal, another music service that delivers lossless streams, and does so at a $9.99 / £9.99 per month cost. Spatial Audio, which can be experienced on either headphones or a full home theater speaker system, continues to impress us with its sound quality and is one of the more exciting advancements to come to music listening in decades.

The cost for both Apple Music and Amazon Music Unlimited can also be lessened by buying into either of those companies’ larger bundled subscription services. Apple offers its Apple One bundle, which includes Apple Music, Apple TV Plus, Apple Arcade, and 50GB iCloud Plus cloud storage for $16.95 / £16.95 for an individual plan, and $22.95 / £22.95 per month for a family plan with up to five accounts. If you’re an Apple user, you’re getting a lot there for your money.

Amazon Music Unlimited, meanwhile, is available at a reduced price to Amazon Prime members (currently $8.99 / £8.99, though that may rise to  $9.99 / £9.99 when the price for the service rises in February).

When you add everything up, Spotify isn’t really providing enough to music fans to justify any potential price increase. It does offer exclusive podcasts and, in the US at least, Spotify audiobooks, but most listeners gravitate to its platform for music. We’ll see what happens over the next few weeks or months as the smoke clears from the company’s workforce cuts, but a more expensive Spotify at this point seems inevitable.

As a prog rock fan, it probably won't surprise many people to know that I love listening to music in surround sound. I’m one of the few who kept an eye out for new SACD releases, but a while back it fell out of fashion, with multi-channel SACD and DVD-Audio releases drying up. It seemed that outside of a few limited-edition (and ridiculously expensive) box sets and rereleases of albums I already owned multiple times, I’d be stuck with stereo.

However, surround-sound audio has recently made a big comeback, mainly thanks to Dolby and Apple. It makes sense that Dolby is leading the charge but Apple has been instrumental in making spatial audio popular by pushing it on its Apple Music service in conjunction with its AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Max headphones.

This has resulted in an explosion of new and old music released in Dolby Atmos, which meant I was desperate to try it. The only problem was I didn’t have Apple AirPods or an Apple Music subscription.

Tidal, Nvidia and Onkyo to the rescue

What I did have was a home theater setup with an Onkyo AV receiver that, while starting to show its age, supports Dolby Atmos. That got me thinking – is getting the full Dolby Atmos music experience confined to using headphones with special Spatial Audio support? The good news is that it’s not, and it works with home theater setups.

On investigation, I also needed a device that could send Dolby Atmos music to my receiver. Luckily, the Nvidia Shield TV Pro plugged into my television could do just that. I could also download the Tidal app onto it, and I knew that Tidal, an Apple Music and Spotify rival that's always put particular emphasis on audio quality (and paying artists more for their music, which is commendable), has a large selection of Dolby Atmos audio tracks. So I signed up and gave it a try.

And I’m glad I did. It took a little bit of digging – it's not immediately clear where to find Dolby Atmos music via the Android TV app – but once I found some curated playlists of Dolby Atmos tracks and checked to see if any of my favorite bands' albums had Dolby Atmos versions, I sat back and started to listen.

For my first attempts, I was listening to the music in a standard 5.1 speaker configuration – front left, center, front right, rear left, and rear right for the ‘5’, and a subwoofer for the ‘.1’. Despite not being a full Dolby Atmos speaker system, as there are no height speakers, the results were excellent. Modern tracks that may have been recorded and mixed with Dolby Atmos sounded fantastic, with active use of the rear channels for an engaging and immersive experience.

Suddenly, I had access to a huge amount of surround sound music from a huge range of artists and genres, rather than being limited to my small collection of SACD and Blu-ray albums. After being so impressed, there was only one thing for me to do: expand my setup and invest in some height speakers.

Do the height speakers make a difference to Dolby Atmos music?

As a film fan, I’d been meaning to upgrade my 5.1 system to a Dolby Atmos 5.1.2 for a while. Because I'm useless at DIY, and I didn’t want to go making holes in the ceiling and trailing speaker wires all over the place. 

Thankfully, you can get up-firing height speakers that essentially bounce the audio from the ceiling to where you’re sitting. This is the technique that the best Dolby Atmos soundbars use, but I was wary of it. I knew the effect wouldn’t be as powerful as if I had physical speakers installed above my head and I’ve never been particularly impressed with virtual surround, preferring the immersion that physical 5.1 speaker setups offer (and suffering through the added frustration and complexities these setups also bring, especially when you’re installing them and figuring out how to get the speaker cables from one end of the room to another without causing trip hazards).

However, plenty of people are impressed with this type of height speaker, and as there was no other way to get the Dolby Atmos effect (I really did not want to drill holes in the ceiling), I decided to get some up-firing speakers that could sit on top of my front speakers.

There were a few other issues that impacted what I could buy. The first was budget. While I didn’t want to go for cheap models that would only offer disappointment, I am also a tech journalist with a young kid, so I don’t have a lot of spare cash.

Another consideration is that up-firing speakers are designed to sit on top of your front speakers, so they need to be roughly the same size. This may not be a problem for some, but I use Monitor Audio Radius 270 floor-standing speakers, which are quite narrow. Monitor Audio does make Dolby Atmos speakers, but they only fit the company’s larger speakers.

With a bit of searching, I found the perfect set: the Onkyo SKH410 Atmos Speakers. And, while they launched as affordable Atmos speakers, I found a pair on eBay that had never been used and were going for a very decent £60 (around $70 / AU$105). At that price, I was willing to give them a chance.

Once they arrived, I balanced them on my front speakers (they fit perfectly), hooked them up to my receiver, and fired up Tidal again.

And, again, I was impressed. While the height speakers didn’t really make it feel like sounds were coming from directly above me (which is an effect you probably wouldn’t get much in music, anyway), what it did do was expand the soundstage, so the whole room filled with music. It isn’t easy to describe (especially as I’m not a music journalist), but the height speakers really did make a difference, and made for a much more immersive experience.

Interestingly, live performances really benefited from Dolby Atmos, with the height speakers giving the sense of presence you might feel at the venue and the surround speakers covering crowd noise and effects. Closing your eyes, you really could imagine being in the crowd – and with me mainly liking bands and artists who are dead, this form of time travel is extremely exciting.

It brought out details I’d previously missed on studio tracks and gave me a whole new appreciation for some songs. It was mind-blowing. While I haven't listened to Dolby Atmos tracks using spatial audio-equipped headphones, I can’t imagine it living up to the expansiveness of a home theater setup.

One of the most remarkable moments I had was listening to The Velvet Underground and Nico. Every speaker was used to its full, to the point where it sounded like the drummer was sitting in the right-hand corner of my living room. Other Dolby Atmos albums and playlists that gave me fantastic experiences were Rumours by Fleetwood Mac, Midnights by Taylor Swift, and Abbey Road by The Beatles. Traveler's Blues is also a great example of how a genre normally made up of stereo and even mono recordings, can be transformed by Dolby Atmos without feeling like a gimmick.

I’m definitely keen to give that a go, however. As for Dolby Atmos music, it’s convinced me I can’t go back to stereo, and Tidal’s growing list of Dolby Atmos tracks could mean I never buy a CD or vinyl again.

High resolution audio (called high-res audio, hi-res audio or HRA) has long been the ultimate goal for audio purist devotees, most of whom initially seemed willing to spend a small fortune for the privilege of better-than-CD-quality tunes either at home or on the go. 

Over time it’s becoming more and more accessible too, which means today there are plenty of ways to buy into high-res audio without the cost-prohibitive prices. This is good news: it means better quality high-res audio is no longer the sole preserve of wealthier audiophiles. 

In this guide we’ll explain the basics of high-res audio, why it makes a difference to your listening experience and, most importantly, the devices you can get today that’ll allow you to enjoy high-res audio sound quality even if you have a modest budget. 

It’s worth mentioning that you can listen to high-res audio in many further ways if you’re willing to pay a premium. But we’ll be focusing on entry-level and mid-range products instead here.

What is high-res audio?

If you want to learn everything there is to know, check out our high-res audio guide but, put simply, high-res is a collection of digital technologies that offer audio playback with a sample rate and/or a bit-rate that’s higher than CD quality, which is specified at 16-bit/44.1kHz. 

You might be surprised to learn there’s no universal standard. So, even though music streaming services and tech companies talk about high-res audio all the time these days, there’s no conclusive, set-in-stone agreement about what it is. 

However, most people agree that a sample rate of more than 44.1 kHz and a high bit-rate of more than 16-bits makes an audio file high-res.

What this means is the audio sample reproduces the full range of sound from recordings that have been mastered from better-than-CD quality music sources, a sound that closely replicates the quality that the musicians and engineers were working with in the studio at the time of recording.

The increased bit depth improves the dynamic range, so you hear more breadth from the recording. We often liken it to looking at a beautiful countryside vista through a smeared window. That’s what an MP3 version of an audio file is like. 

Clean the window and you have the CD version, there’s much greater detail and clarity. Open the window and you’ve got the hi-res version. Your eyes can pick out all of the details you didn’t realise were missing when the window was shut. Think of the tree branches you might now be able to pick out as the leading edges of musical notes. Yes, it's a stretch, but try. 

There’s more to it, but describing the experience in relation to seeing it tends to give people a better idea of what to expect. Essentially, what you hear from high-res will be clearer, more detailed, more dynamically agile and just better than what you’ve heard before. Well, that’s the idea. But one thing stopping you from the wonder of high-res (if you have the file) is having the right equipment to play it. 

How can you listen to high-res audio?

You can’t listen to a high-res audio file on any device. But it’s becoming easier, and cheaper, to find the right streaming services and audio devices to bring high-res audio into your home.

Streaming service: Apple Music

Let’s start with streaming services. Although you’ve been able to download high-res audio files for some time now, streaming high-res audio is relatively new and many of the best music streaming services still don’t offer it. 

Things get complicated when we throw the term lossless into the mix with high-res. If high-res is a sample rate and/or bitrate that’s better than CD quality, there’s an even murkier definition for lossless, which has no specified resolution. Instead, it refers to the fact that no data was thrown out in the encoding process, so you’ll experience no “loss” in detail when you play it. 

Right now, Tidal, Amazon Music HD, Apple Music and Qobuz offer high-res audio, to varying degrees. Most of them offer lossless streaming with some high-res encoded titles. 

The cheapest of the group is Apple Music, which offers its entire library in at least CD quality sound. This is called 'Lossless' by Apple, and refers to files up to 24-bit/48kHz playback – so, some are better-than-CD quality. However, a huge amount of the music on the service is also available in what Apple calls 'Hi-Res Lossless', which include files up to 24-bit/192kHz.

Because of this, it's the low-price music streaming service we'd recommend, even if you don't have an Apple device – it's available on Android or through a web browser, too.

Portable DAC: iFi GO Link

There a DAC (that’s digital to analog converter) inside the devices you use to listen to music, such as your phone and your laptop. It’s able to translate digital audio information into analog sound that you can hear. 

However, converting digital to analog is a big job, and one which the often inexpensive DAC within your device might only be able to do so well. That's why we recommend one of the best portable DACs, so what you hear through your headphones will sound clearer, more agile and generally better than if you’d have left this crucial converting process to the DAC chip in your phone, tablet or laptop. 

Although there are plenty of portable DACs available, if you want to try high-res audio on the cheap we’d recommend the GO Link portable DAC (£59 / $59 / around AU$87) from audio brand iFi. It measures the size of a USB stick and connects to your Mac, PC or smartphone via USB-C with a 3.5mm headphone input at the other end.

Not only does it enable you to improve your sonics and listen to hi-res audio, it’s also a 3.5mm adaptor, which makes it handy if you have a device that doesn’t come with a headphone output.

Wired earbuds: 1MORE Triple Driver In-Ear Headphones

If you have a high-res streaming service and you’ve got your DAC sorted, you’ll need to ensure you have a pair of headphones or earbuds that will make the most of your high-res tunes. 

You can, of course, spend big on a pair of earbuds, but you don’t have to. If you’re a fan of earbuds over headphones, we recommend the 1MORE Triple Driver In-Ear Headphones (£100 / $100 / about AU$168). In our 1MORE Triple Driver In-Ear Headphone review we wrote that these buds “serve up stellar audio, great build quality and an attractive design for not that much money.” 

But the reason we’re mentioning them here is because there’s a Bluetooth module within them that supports high bitrates (up to 990kbps) and enables the reproduction of high-res audio (up to 96kHz/24bit). 

This is why they’re what’s called Hi-Res certified. So even though you could, technically, use a DAC and listen to high-res files with any old headphones to meet certified hi-res status a speaker or headphone need to be capable of reproducing frequencies up to 40 kHz or above – this is well above the conventional frequency response of up to 20 kHz. Most products with this certification also need to be able to convert 24 bit/96 kHz signals from digital files into analogue audio. 

Wired headphones: Grado SR325x headphones

If you prefer over-ear headphones to buds, check out the Grado SR325x headphones ($295 / £254 / about AU$260). They boast a “surgical precision” to music, reproducing the detail in high-res audio tracks with great accuracy. 

They’re an open-backed design, which is less common for headphones these days. Most have closed cups, which means sound is kept within the cup. This is great for isolating noise, but also means you’ll experience a narrower soundstage. Essentially, music will sound like it’s coming from inside your head, which isn’t a very natural or immersive way of listening. 

Compare that to open-backed headphones and the soundstage feels even wider, as if you’re listening to a musician play in a normal room. 

If you like Grado’s open-backed design and want to save even more money, we’d also recommend that you take a look at Grado's SR80x headphones ($125 / £130, about AU$179). In our full Grado SR80x review, we raved over the detail and natural sound.

Portable music player: Hidizs AP80 PRO-X Portable Balanced Lossless MQA Music Player

Not all phones support high-res audio. So if you want to listen to music on the move, it makes sense to get a portable music player instead. Sure, MP3 players aren’t as popular as they once were, but these days you can still pick up a portable music player that can store a whole library of music and supports a range of music formats.

What’s more, with a portable music player you often don’t need that additional DAC, they handle that all-important conversion well already. We recommend taking a look at the Hidizs AP80 PRO-X (£233.74 / $183 / about AUD$233.74). It has Hi-Res Audio and Hi-Res Audio Wireless certification. It doesn’t have a great deal of onboard storage, so you’ll need to get a microSD card separately. However, it does support a range of audio formats with a sample rate of up to 192kHz.

Have a little more to spend? The Astell & Kern A&norma SR25 MKII is the one. We reference it in passing – don't worry, we haven't forgotten that this is feature is for the budget-conscious – but if you're looking to level up or to invest a little further, this is the product we'd point you towards. 

High-res audio needn't cost a pretty penny – but remember to enjoy it, whatever the resolution

We'd like to caveat every statement within this feature with a humble piece of advice: never forget that music enjoyment should be just that – enjoyable. And fun! In hi-fi as in life, if it sounds good to you and you feel happy with the quality, go with it. It's easy to get bogged down with numbers, but if you do not perceive a difference (or you don't care enough about the extra detail you can perceive to pay a reasonable premium for it) you shouldn't feel bad about that. 

We mean only to bring these things to your attention. We can tell you that after hearing high-res audio, we can never go back – but also, we applaud anyone for supporting music and musicians however they can given the current financial climate. Perhaps you'll be tempted to dip your toes into the high-res audio ocean with a few of the entry-level products listed above – the water's lovely… 

For anyone who considers themselves an audio aficionado, or just someone who likes to support musicians and what they do, Tidal is likely going to be the best streaming service out there. The company puts its emphasis on bringing high-quality audio, often matching the quality of the original recording. Along with that, there is also a focus on rewarding the artists you like by offering them more financial aid from your listens.

• Want to check out Tidal? Head to the site to grab a free trial

But if Tidal is the streaming app you've most got your eyes on, how do you actually sign up for it? And even more importantly, how can you download the Tidal app on your Android or iOS devices?

Does Tidal have an app?

Yes, Tidal has an app that you are able to download. This is available on both Android and Apple devices.

This means that you can download the app directly to your smartphone or tablet. However, you do need to have an up-to-date version of the operating software.

For Android, this means anything from Android 7 onwards, and for Apple from iOS 14. Most recent devices made in the last few years will be able to support the Tidal app.

How to download the Tidal app?

Actually downloading the app is easy, and the steps don't differ all too much based on the device you are using. The steps below are the same whether you are using an Android or Apple device, including tablets too.

While you are able to simply download the app and sign up for an account at the same time, it is cheaper to go through the Tidal website first to sign up. This can get you a lower price, guarantee a Tidal free trial, and, quite simply, it's just as easy to do.

1. Once signed up, head to the Google Play Store or Apple App Store
2. Search 'Tidal'
3. Hit download on the Tidal Music app
4. Once downloaded, launch the app
5. Enter your username and password
6. Alternatively, set one up now
7. Voila! You have downloaded the app and you are all ready to go

What features can I get with the Tidal app?

When you sign up for the Tidal app, you get access to a host of different features.

One of the most useful will be offline listening. This allows you to download songs, listening to them back without any internet or data. This is especially useful on flights or if you don't have much data on your mobile plan.

Tidal is best known for its quality of audio. With the Tidal app, you are able to access Master quality audio. Tidal claims that this is a level of quality that will match the original recording of a song. This is one of the highest audio levels available from a streaming app. 

Depending on the Tidal price point you go for, you can choose between HiFi (CD quality) and HiFi Plus (master quality), with a breakdown in our Tidal HiFi vs HiFi Plus guide.

Playing these higher levels of audio can often require a lot of data. Luckily, there is also a feature with Tidal that allows you to automatically change the level of audio for when you're on data or Wi-Fi.

The Tidal app also lets you watch a host of videos and documentaries exclusive to Tidal users. These include music videos, behind the music documentaries and plenty more.

What other devices is the Tidal app available on?

While computers, tablets and smartphones are the obvious platforms to use Tidal with, the app can be used on a huge range of devices. These include:

• Apple and Android smartphones and tablets
• Mac and Windows computers
• Samsung and Apple smartwatches
• DJ equipment from Pioneer, Djay, Denon and more
• Smartcars including Tesla, Mercedes-Benz, Apple CarPlay and more
• Chromecast, Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV, Android TV and other smart TVs
• Sonos, Bluesound, Cambridge Audio, Astell&Kern and other speakers

• Compare all your options with our full guide to the best music streaming services

Happy birthday, compact disc! Developed by Philips and Sony and released to the public in October 1982, the Digital Audio Compact Disc format (later mercifully shortened to just CD) transformed the way people listened to music. It also triggered a steep decline in the sales of vinyl LPs – a format that has since come roaring back – and kick-started a digital music evolution that led to the best music streaming services many of us use and love.

If you weren’t around for that transition, or if streaming is the only way you’ve ever listened to music, it’s hard to describe how major a leap it was to go from playing a format (vinyl) that was easily damaged, with common problems like warps and surface scratches adding audible noise that got in the way of enjoying the sound. (Though some would say that that noise is a big part of vinyl’s charm.)

CDs, in contrast, were dead-silent and noise-free. Not only that, but they required substantially less care and maintenance, and you didn’t have to flip the side halfway through when playing an album. They also had a longer total playing time than LPs, which conveniently allowed for “bonus tracks” to be included on the disc.

Unlike with vinyl LPs, you could take CDs on the road: in-car players let you turn off the radio and listen to your preferred music while driving and portable ones could be paired with headphones for commuting and travel.

All great stuff, right? The truth is, I hated the CD format when it first came out.

Perfect Sound Forever 

A few years following the CD format’s birth, I was working in a record store where we stocked a modest collection of the available discs alongside the endless stacks of new and used records. It was not unusual at that time for people to come in the store and trade their full vinyl collection for enough credit to walk out with a few CDs. Records were getting dumped like trash – though ironically, with the vinyl comeback, many LPs that people tossed in the 1980s now sell for loads of money in vintage vinyl stores and on websites like Discogs.

Along with my disgust at witnessing the wanton abandonment of vinyl, I was irked by the higher pricing for the new format, which added several dollars to the cost of an album. And you needed to buy a new machine – a CD player – to listen to discs, and those were expensive at the format’s beginning.

While average listeners were generally fine with the sound of early CDs, mainly appreciating the removal of background noise from playback, there was a backlash against the format among audiophiles, some of whom found the sound to be anemic in comparison with the lusher presentation of well-maintained vinyl.

This led to a whole industry of small companies making high-end CD players and separate digital-to-analog converters – much of it sold at nosebleed prices – that were designed to satisfy the desire of critical listeners to eke every last drop of sound quality from their CDs.

I held off as long as possible, clinging to my vinyl and turntable, but eventually caved in and bought a cheap portable CD player – as if to declare I wasn’t fully committed to the format. But then I started collecting CDs.

A CD revival? 

Though its ascendence was crushed first by the arrival of digital downloads, and then by streaming, the CD has made a comeback of sorts. According to statistics compiled by the Recording Institute of America (RIAA), U.S. sales volume for CDs in 2021 rose 47.7% year-over-year – the first increase since the format started its steep unit sales nosedive in the mid-2000s.

The reason for the climb? Part of it has to do with… vinyl. A backlog on the vinyl LP production front due to its exploding popularity has forced artists who are not Taylor Swift, and labels that are not Sony or Universal Music, to turn to the CD format for their physical releases. 

Another part of the comeback can be attributed to the pandemic, at the height of which physical media formats of all types experienced a sales bump due to homebound listeners wanting to expand collections and simply exercise their freedom to consume. 

But the CD comeback has crested: the RIAA’s 2022 mid-year music revenue report cites a drop in CD unit sales of 3.7% year-over-year. (Vinyl sales, in comparison, are up 15.7% – a testament to that format’s ongoing durability.)

Of course, streaming is where the action is at now for digital music playback, making any concept of a lingering compact disc revival about as tenable as a cassette tape revival.

After starting out by offering compressed, MP3-quality music, services like Apple Music and Amazon Music Unlimited now offer lossless, CD-quality streams at no additional cost. Not only that, but they go beyond what the CD offers performance-wise by streaming in 24-bit high-resolution audio with sample rates up to 192kHz for specific albums and tracks. (For the CD format, audio is encoded at just 16-bit/44.1kHz resolution.)

So what does the CD now have to offer? Basically, nostalgic appeal for folks like me who came of age in the CD era. I still maintain my racks of CDs, and occasionally play them in a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player (DVD, Blu-ray, and Ultra HD Blu-ray disc players have always supported CD playback) instead of streaming.

But what I love most about playing CDs – and I guess I could say this to a lesser extent about vinyl – is the act of taking a disc out of its packaging, putting it in a player, listening, and then filing it away again. It’s a process that’s incredibly familiar and satisfying. And while I can’t say someone who came of age in the streaming era and has never done that will experience the same warm and fuzzy feeling, it’s enough that I’ll keep my CDs around, even though 90% of the time I’ll instead opt for the convenience – and quality – of streaming.

With August just around the corner, new and continuing college students might be thinking about how to take advantage of student discounts for music streaming services. The two big players here are Spotify and Apple Music, and while the student tiers for both are close in price, there are other things to take into consideration before just blindly jumping on the lower-cost option.

The first thing we’d recommend is to check out our guide to the best music streaming services to get a handle on what each service offers, along with their plus and minus points. Both services also currently add extra subscriptions and other stuff to sweeten the deal for students who newly sign-on, and we’ll cover those points in detail below.

Spotify Premium Student 

Many students were probably already using Spotify for the simple reason that it's free – with ads, of course. But stepping up to the service’s paid student tier is something to consider, mainly to get rid of those ads, but also to get the streaming extras Spotify throws in as part of the deal.

For $4.99 per month, Spotify Premium Student will give you access to the service’s massive music catalogue, personalized playlists, and extensive podcast selection, all of it ad-free. And you’ll also get a free subscription to both Showtime and Hulu’s ad-supported tier. Showtime is normally $10.99 per month and ad-supported Hulu $6.99 per month, so those are great bonuses.

What are the downsides to Spotify? There are numerous issues, but the main one involves sound quality: while other services like Apple Music offer lossless CD-quality and high-resolution audio streams, Spotify continues to use lossy compression for streaming. This despite having announced it would be transitioning to lossless, CD-quality as far back as February 2021.

Another thing Spotify lacks that Apple Music and other services add for free is Spatial Audio. This feature can enhance headphones-listening by providing an expanded sense of immersion in the music, and it works not just with Apple’s AirPods family but with regular headphones and earbuds as well.

Apple Music Student 

The Apple Music Student plan doesn’t enter this comparison on the strongest footing since the company recently hiked its rate from $4.99 to $5.99 per month in the US, Canada, and the UK. Even so, there are other factors to consider that tip the scales in Apple Music’s favor.

As mentioned above, Apple Music offers lossless CD-quality and high-resolution audio, along with Spatial Audio tracks in its extensive library. This gives it a strong sound quality advantage over Spotify with its compressed music offerings.

New subscribers to the Apple Music Student plan also get an Apple TV+ subscription thrown in for free. I wouldn’t have called that much of a bonus when Apple TV+ first started out, but the service has recently added numerous excellent shows to its roster, including Severance, Pachinko, and Slow Horses, and there are plenty of great documentaries to dig into as well.

For a limited time, Apple Music is also offering new student subscribers in the US and the UK a set of Beats Flex wireless earphones, a $70 value. Apple Music plus TV plus Beats ‘phones for $5.99 per month – kinda sounds like a slam dunk, right?

Other student music streaming plans 

Spotify and Apple Music aren’t the only players in this student streaming game. Amazon Music Unlimited has a student plan with the same $4.99 per month cost as Spotify, one that offers full access to its extensive library of lossless and high-resolution audio tracks along with Spatial Audio.

This particular deal only gets better if you’re an Amazon Prime Student member, with the price dropping to just $1 per month. Amazon Prime Student is free for the first 6 months and $7.49 per month after. But it gives you unlimited access to Amazon Prime Video, as well as the free 2-day shipping of stuff that most people sign up with Amazon Prime for in the first place.

Any other student streaming deals out there? Tidal Hi-Fi is just $4.99 per month for students. And while Tidal isn’t tossing anything extra in, this audiophile-approved service offers up both lossless and high-resolution tracks along with music mixed in Dolby Atmos and Sony’s 360 Reality Audio.

What's the deal?

Which service offers the best value? With their combination of pricing and extras, both Spotify and Apple music are great options, though Apple Music’s sound quality advantage is well worth the extra $1 per month, and that deal looks even better if you want a pair of free Beats. Amazon’s student plan also looks good, but makes the most sense if you go all-in as an Amazon Prime Student member.

No matter which plan you run with, going back to school with an ad-free music streaming plan is to return in style.

With Stranger Things Season 4, volume 2 landing on Netflix today, it might be a good idea to figure out your own personal “saviour song,” the one that will deliver you from the clutches of Vecna. Spotify can help with that.

To backtrack a bit – to Stranger Things Season 4, volume 1, specifically – in episode 4 the gang discovers that music can supercharge Max, allowing her to break free from the clutches of Vecna and escape the Upside Down. The song that makes this happen is Kate Bush’s ‘Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)’, a track that charted in the Billboard Top 100 upon its initial release in 1985, but has since climbed to the number 1 spot in the UK and number 4 in the US upon the airing of that episode of the popular Netflix show.

With 465 million ‘Running Up That Hill” streams (and counting) on Spotify, the service took notice and partnered with up Stranger Things, which subsequently tweeted a link to an Upside Down playlist on its official Twitter account:

By clicking that link, Spotify users can check out an Upside Down playlist topped by a personal saviour song as determined by the service’s algorithms. Does it work? Well, sort of. My own saviour song as determined by Spotify is ‘Simba Lines’ by something called Baked Shrimp. I had never heard it before and, after a brief listen, determined it should instead be at the bottom of my list or, better yet, cast into the Upside Down.

The second song, Iggy Pop’s ‘Lust for Life’, was more my speed, and absolutely would provide the burst of energy required for me to evade the ruthless Vecna. So Spotify isn’t 100% off.

Analysis: Spotify’s pop culture partnerships could keep it relevant 

Competition in the music streaming world is fierce, with Apple Music and Amazon Music Unlimited steadily chipping away at Spotify’s dominance along with smaller services like Deezer, Tidal, and Qobuz. Given that situation, Spotify is constantly adding new features – everything from podcasts, to the recently announced audiobooks, to a new Karaoke mode where users can sing along to tracks and the service listens in and rates the performance on a scale of 1-100.

Despite these efforts, Spotify, which has recently seen a big dip in its paid subscriber base, doesn’t exactly stack up as a good value compared to its competitors. A main sticking point is the no-show of Spotify HiFi, a lossless CD-quality tier that the company originally announced back in February 2021. As the company continues to keep that promised upgrade on the back burner, Apple Music and Amazon Music have added both lossless and high-res audio to their basic under-$10 subscription plans, while Tidal offers lossless audio at the same price. Spatial Audio is another compelling feature found on all three of those competing services, and it’s one that Spotify has yet to even mention as a potential upgrade.

What Spotify does have to offer that differentiates it is a free ad-supported service tier, though quality on that is limited to a paltry 160kbps (on the mobile app, 120kbps on desktop). Its $9.99/month Premium tier, in contrast, maxes out at 320kbps. 

Between its free ad-supported tier, clever features like Karaoke mode, and sly marketing partnerships such as the one with Stranger Things, Spotify could manage to stay relevant and keep its listener base stable, even as its paid-service competition provides superior offerings. When you add these all up, the cumulative result might just be Spotify’s very own saviour song.

For all of the audio aficionados out there, Tidal is likely going to be the music streaming service for you. And if you've dived in and are playing around on the app, you might now be asking the big question: What is Tidal Connect?

• Want to check out Tidal? Head to the site to grab a free trial

This feature is all about connection, but if you don't know exactly what it does, it is easy to forget about. In short, on certain speakers, it's the method to get the absolute most out of your audio.

Through Tidal Connect, you can turn your phone into a remote control, allowing you to access Tidal's highest audio quality and stream music uninterrupted while continuing to do other stuff on your device - all very useful features to make the most of!

What is Tidal Connect?

Tidal Connect is very simply an easy way to pair your Tidal account with a host of different devices, no matter which Tidal plan you're signed up to.

When you're listening to music on Tidal, you can click a button on the now playing section and your music will start playing through the chosen device via Tidal Connect.

So, why not just use Bluetooth, Apple AirPlay or some other connection method? When using Tidal Connect, the stream is not traveling through the smartphone, but instead the device becomes a remote.

This means that you can easily switch between different speakers and sound systems without changing Bluetooth connections. It also allows you to make calls, watch videos or listen to other audio from your device without interrupting the stream.

Some connection types like Google Chromecast will also limit audio quality. By using Tidal Connect with a speaker you will be able to play the max quality available from that sound system.

What devices can I use Tidal Connect on?

Tidal Connect is currently available on the large majority of devices. This includes big name speaker brands like Cambridge Audio, Bluesound, Matrix Audio and more.

You can use Tidal Connect via any iOS 13 device, Android 6 or higher handset or any Desktop for Mac or Windows.

However, it is important to note that not every speaker works with Tidal Connect and while the list could grow, it is worth checking first whether your speaker is compatible.

A full list of devices is available on the Tidal website.

How to use Tidal Connect

Tidal Connect is easy to use and can be sorted in a few easy steps:

Smartphones and tablets:

1. You first need to select a song, album or podcast you want to listen to.

2. Once you've started playing it, click the device selector up in the top corner.

This will look like a little speaker with a few sound waves coming off it. Once you've clicked this, it will come up with all of the available speakers and devices that you can connect to via Tidal Connect.

3. Simply choose the one you're looking for and voila! 

The song will now be playing through the speaker. You can then change songs in the Tidal app and it will continue to play through the speaker until you disconnect.

This process will be the exact same on Android and Apple devices including both smartphones and tablets.

Desktops including Mac and Windows:

For computers, the process is almost exactly the same, with one difference.

When you play the song on a computer, the device selector option will appear on the bottom right. Click it and you'll get your list of available speakers pop up.

• Compare all your options with our full guide to the best music streaming services

Tidal has set itself apart from the other music streaming services with its high-quality audio, Dolby Atmos playlists, unique podcasts, alongside a host of other features aimed at those who love HiFi audio and great sound. Not sure if this is right for you? A Tidal free trial could help you make your final decision.

• Want to check out Tidal? Head to the site to grab a free trial

While you can cancel a Tidal subscription at any time, its nice to be able to test the goods before you fully commit. While we happily gave it 4.5 stars in our Tidal review, you could easily find Apple or Spotify is better suited to you.

Below we've outlined everything you need to know about the service's free trials, which Tidal plans you can have a trial on, and whether there is any other ways to try it out for free.

Is there a Tidal free trial available?

To put it simply, yes. You can sign up for a free trial before signing up for Tidal's full service. This is available on both the Tidal HiFi and Tidal HiFi Plus plans.

This is available in most regions and is available for a 30-day period. However, you do have to enter your card details when signing up for it, so just be sure to cancel before your month free is up to avoid being charged if you no longer wish to continue with Tidal thereafter.

You cannot sign up to the free trial if you've already set up a Tidal account, or have used your email for an account in the past.

Alternatively, customers in the US can sign up for a free plan. Like Spotify's free option, this does include adverts occasionally but otherwise you'll get access to Tidal's full library.

How do I claim a Tidal free trial?

Claiming Tidal's free trial is simple. Head on over to Tidal's website (or go through the app for Apple or Android). Once you get there, you'll be greeted by a 'start free trial' option.

When you click this, you'll be asked to sign up to the service. Here you'll have to add an email, or sign up using your Facebook, Apple or Twitter account.

After that, you'll have to enter your card details, but as we said above, you can cancel any payments before they come out at the end of the 30-day trial period if you don't want to continue.

How much does Tidal cost?

Tidal has two different plans available right now - Tidal HiFi and HiFi Plus. One is more affordable with less features, and the other comes with a lot more features but a higher price. You can read more about what is included with our Tidal plans guide.

Tidal's more affordable HiFi level will cost you £9.99/$9.99/AU$11.99. That is the exact same price that you will be paying if you sign up for Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon or Deezer's more affordable plan.

If you want higher quality audio, you can upgrade to Tidal's HiFi Plus option instead. This sees your monthly subscription fee jump to £19.99/$19.99/AU$23.99.

Both plans can be discounted as students, families or in the US, as a first responder or member of the military.

Are there any other ways to get Tidal for free?

While the main way to get Tidal for free is with a free trial, there are other ways to get the service without paying out for it. This is mostly when Tidal is included as an add-on with another service.

Most commonly, this is through a cell phone plan. Sign up for a Sprint Unlimited Plus Plan and you can get Tidal included for free. Alternatively, T-Mobile customers can get themselves a 90-day free trial of the service.

Car owners with a Mercedes can connect with Mercedes Me and get a free 3-month subscription to Tidal.

Unfortunately, other countries don't get the same opportunities to get free Tidal with phone plans or other subscriptions. No phone carriers in the UK, Australia or any country outside of the US include it.

• Compare all your options with our full guide to the best music streaming services

Tidal is one of the many music streaming services now on the market. But with its high-quality audio and strong payouts for artists, it is a special option for high fidelity audio fans... but what will that unique aspect cost you?

• Want to check out Tidal? Head to the site to grab a free trial

Like some of its competitors, Tidal keeps the options open with one cheaper plan and then a pricier option for those looking to reap the full benefits. Which option is better for you will depend both on how much you're looking to spend and what you want to get from your music streaming (and also where our Tidal HiFI vs Tidal HiFi Plus guide will prove invaluable).

Below we've broken down everything you need to know about Tidal prices, available deals and all of the ways you can save money when signing up for this popular platform.

Tidal price

How much you'll end up paying for Tidal depends completely on which plan you choose to go with. There are two available options right now - Tidal HiFi or Tidal HiFi Plus.

Tidal HiFi

Tidal's more affordable plan will currently cost you £9.99/$9.99/AU$11.99 a month. That puts this in line with a lot of other streaming platforms for price right now.

However, while this is a great value way to stream, it does lack a lot of the features that make Tidal stand out, mostly around audio quality and benefits to artists.

You can reduce that price, either by applying as a student for a 50% discount or by signing up for a family plan (more on that below).

Tidal HiFi Plus

If you know you want to get access to every part of what makes Tidal stand out, its the HiFi Plus plan that you'll want to go for. While it does carry a steep rise in price, it's well worth it for fans of great quality audio - the main feature we praised in our Tidal review.

Currently HiFi Plus comes at a price of £19.99/$19.99/AU$23.99. That is significantly more expensive than the HiFi plan but does offer a lot more features and is in line with higher-quality streaming plans from other brands.

Tidal deals and free trial availability

Unfortunately, Tidal doesn't seem to be big on its discounts. However, there are a couple of ways that you can save on the price of a new plan.

Tidal doesn't do yearly subscriptions so you will always be signing up for a month at a time. While that will be at full price for most people, students can cut 50% off the price of either plan.

First responders and military in the US can also get a discount when signing up for either of Tidal's plans. If you're in a family, you can also choose to sign up for a family plan to get a discount. A family plan is actually one of the cheapest ways to get Tidal, offering the use of Tidal on six accounts. This costs less than signing up for two separate Tidal plans so is the best option as long as you have at least two people looking to sign up.

Even if you know you want to be signed up to Tidal for a while, you can get a 30-day free trial when you first sign up to the service. This is available across all plans and countries, and it works with the student, family and military discounts.

Tidal is also free with a number of services in the US. If you're on a Sprint Unlimited Plus Plan for example, you can get Tidal for free. T-Mobile customers can get a 90-day free trial and you can get a free 3-month subscription when you connect your Mercedes Me and Tidal accounts.

How the Tidal price compares to other music streaming services

- Spotify
Spotify is currently the most popular music streaming platform, and therefore will likely be the main one you're comparing. It carries a similar number of songs to Tidal.

Currently Spotify will cost you $9.99 / £9.99 / AU$11.99 a month which is identical to the pricing of Tidal's HiFi plan. Spotify doesn't have a premium plan but also like Tidal, it includes discounts for students, families and uniquely, couples.

- Apple Music
Apple Music is Tidal's closest competitor in terms of style, number of songs available, similar features and attitude to paying artists. It also matches both Spotify and Tidal when it comes to price.

Apple Music will cost you $9.99 / $9.99 / AU$11.99 per month. Like its competitors, Apple Music offers discounts for both students and those signing up as a whole family. 

- Amazon Music
Amazon Music carries a similar number of songs to Tidal, but more importantly, it uses a similar higher level of audio quality to Tidal.

Amazon Music's plan costs $7.99 / £7.99 / AU$6.99 per month if you’re a Prime member – or $9.99 / £9.99 / AU$11.99 if you don’t have Prime. 

Considering it is offering high-quality audio like Tidal, this is a great way to make the most of your speakers without the cost of Tidal's HiFi Plus plan.

- Deezer
Deezer, like Amazon and Tidal, offers two plans - one for normal streaming and one for HiFi quality audio.

Go for the cheaper plan and you'll pay the same as all of the other standard plans - $9.99 / £9.99 / AU$11.99 per month. However, Deezer also has a HiFi option costing $14.99 / £14.99 / AU$14.99 per month.

Like its competitors, there are a number of available discounts for Deezer including family plans, student discounts and a saving for signing up for an annual plan.

• Compare all your options with our full guide to the best music streaming services

You've done your research and decided that when it comes to music streaming platforms, Tidal is the one for you. The next step? Deciding between the two available plans - will it be Tidal HiFi or Tidal HiFi Plus?

• Want to check out Tidal? Head to the site to grab a free trial

Unlike many other streaming platforms out there, Tidal's two plans offer very different packages. One keeps things affordable but holds back on features, while the other sees a steep rise in price but also a wealth of added bonuses.

With Tidal's main focus being on the quality of your audio, it will be no surprise that the more expensive Tidal HiFi Plus offers a much higher quality to your music... but is it worth the jump in price? We outline each plan below so you can make an executive decision when it comes to your preferred music streaming platform.

What you get with Tidal HiFi

Tidal HiFi is the music streaming service's base package. If you simply want access to Tidal's library without having to pay too much, this will be the option for you.

HiFi includes songs at a quality of up to 1411kbps (CD quality). This is the same quality you'll get on most basic streaming options. This plan gets you access to Tidal's full library of songs which is currently around 80 million but is constantly growing.

You'll also get access to Tidal's collection of 350,000+ videos, too. These include behind the scenes of music videos and songs being made, documentaries about musicians and the industry, as well as other exclusive content only found on Tidal.

With Tidal HiFi, you'll be able to download songs and listen to them offline, track and share your listening habits and favorite artists, and you'll have absolutely no ads with this plan.

What you get with Tidal HiFi Plus

While Tidal HiFi Plus does add a fair bit to the monthly price, it does also add a number of interesting features, mostly around the quality of the audio that you are experiencing, along with everything you get with the regular HiFi option.

Firstly, up to 10% of your subscription is directed straight to the artists you listen to the most. On top of that, your top artists will get paid based on your streaming habits (a better pay out for your dedication).

The other benefit of Tidal HiFi Plus is the different audio types. While HiFi plays at CD quality, this plan boosts the quality to a maximum of 9216kbps. This is part of Tidal's Masters scheme. With this, you'll be getting audio at the level of the original recording. That is the highest possible resolution, or in other words, an unedited version of the song.

Along with the Masters audio (which is available on a huge range of songs), you'll also get songs that use Dolby Atmos or Sony's 360 Reality Audio. These both work to emphasis the sound stage of a song. Through certain headphones and speakers, these two audio types can make the audio sound like it is playing all around you or filling the room, creating a more dramatic effect.

A lot of these more advanced features were what especially stood out to us in our 4.5 star Tidal review.

What do Tidal HiFi and HiFi Plus cost?

It will come as absolutely no surprise that the increase in royalties and audio quality with HiFi Plus boosts the price considerably.

With both the HiFi and HiFi Plus plans, you can get a 30-day free trial, or if you're in the US, there is a free version available with occasional ad breaks.

Once your free trial ends, the HiFi plan will cost you £9.99/$9.99/AU$11.99 a month. That is roughly the same price as the likes of Spotify and Apple Music's base plans.

Alternatively, you can upgrade to HiFi Plus at a price of £19.99/$19.99/AU$23.99. That is a steep rise in price but it is where you will find the bulk of Tidal's added features.

On both of these tiers, you can get discounts in a few ways. Tidal offers a 50% student discount, family plans or even a discount for military or first responders in the US.

Tidal HiFi vs Tidal HiFi Plus: what subscription plan is best for me?

Deciding which plan is best for you really comes down to one big question - how much do you value high-quality audio.

If you just like to listen to music, played through a normal pair of headphones, your laptop speaker or a TV, the HiFi plan will be the one for you. This will save you money while still getting you full access to Tidal's full library and all of its videos.

However, if you are really into your audio, Tidal's HiFi Plus plan will be worth the upgrade. This is mostly due to Tidal's Master quality audio, but the Dolby Atmos and Sony 360 audio are nice added features if you have compatible gear.

If you've spent a lot of money to get good stereo speakers or some of the best headphones, and connected up with an amplifier to really get the most out of your audio, the HiFi Plus will likely be a no-brainer.

It is of course important to remember that your extra money is also going towards a better pay-out for your favorite artists.

• Compare all your options with our full guide to the best music streaming services

There are plenty of music streaming services to choose from right now, but for the fans of hi-fidelity audio and those looking to reap the benefits of a good speaker system, Tidal could be the best choice overall.

Originally founded back in 2014, Tidal has carved out a position in the market on the basis of exclusivity, audio quality and support for artists.

• Want to check out Tidal? Head to the site to grab a free trial

Despite the likes of Apple and Amazon rapidly improving the quality of their audio, Tidal has managed to tame its competitors with its Masters quality audio - one of the highest available from a streaming platform.

But with most of Tidal's more impressive features locked behind its pricier plan, is this the best streaming platform for you? We've broken down Tidal's benefits, drawbacks, pricing and everything else you could need to know below.

What is Tidal?

Tidal is a music streaming service that started back in 2014. It was bought by Jay-Z in 2015 who developed the platform for years before its sale to Twitter's ex-CEO Jack Dorsey in 2021.

It has two distinct selling points that separate it from its competitors - audio quality and artist representation.

While Tidal offers a similar number of songs to the likes of Spotify and Apple Music, the emphasis is on offering the highest audio quality possible. Through its MQA project, Tidal is able to offer audio at the level of its original recording, unlike the CD quality found with most songs streamed.

This is available on most of Tidal's library, and it also has other special audio types including Dolby Atmos and 360 audio.

The other key feature of Tidal is how it pays artists. It is one of the higher-paying services per stream for musicians, and if you sign up to the Tidal HiFi Plus plan, 10% of your monthly fee will go towards your favorite artist.

To learn more about what we think of the service, you can head to our in-depth Tidal review.

What can I listen to on Tidal?

Tidal has rapidly grown its music library since it first started, and now it isn't that far behind Spotify in terms of available songs. There are currently around 80 million songs available and that number will continue to grow.

Among the number are, of course all major albums and artists. And of the songs you won't be able to find in Tidal's library largely be ones that are more niche or from far smaller artists.

Unlike some other streaming services, Tidal doesn't offer the ability to listen to popular podcasts. Instead it has a small curated list of podcasts, mostly around the world of hip-hop music.

You can also watch videos (mostly music vids), with around 350,000 to work through. This is one of Tidal's more unusual features, and one that isn't found on the likes of Spotify, Apple Music or Deezer.

If you have Tidal HiFi Plus, you'll also get access to higher quality audio music. This includes Dolby Atmos, Sony's 360 reality audio and Tidal Masters - remastered versions of songs at the highest resolution.

How much does Tidal cost?

There are currently two plans available from Tidal:

Tidal HiFi

The cheaper of the two plans is known as HiFi and will cost you £9.99/$9.99/AU$11.99 a month.

With this plan, you get access to all of the music and videos that Tidal offers without any ads, an unlimited number of skips and the ability to listen offline.

Tidal HiFi Plus

Step things up to Tidal's HiFi Plus and you'll see quite a sharp rise in price, costing £19.99/$19.99/AU$23.99. This plan is where Tidal comes into its own in terms of audio quality and features.

Along with everything you get with the regular HiFi plan, you also get access to Dolby Atmos sound, Sony's 360 reality audio and Masters tracks - a redesigned version of songs at the highest resolution possible. 10% of your HiFi Plus plan goes directly to your favorite artists as well.

Other pricing

On both plans, students can get a 50% discount or, like Spotify, you can sign up for a family account with five plans for a reduced price.

There are also discounts for military and first responders in the US.

Can I get Tidal for free?

Exclusively for customers in the US, there is now a completely free version of Tidal. This is known as Tidal Free and still gets you access to the service's full selection of songs.

However, this free tier does come with periodic ad interruptions while you are listening to music. Even though you're not paying for the service here, Tidal will still pay artists for each stream from you.

In both the US and all other regions, Tidal also offers a free trial when you sign up to either of its paid plans. This lasts for 30 days and you can cancel at any time during this period without paying a penny.

How to sign up to Tidal

Signing up for Tidal is easy. You can do it on a computer, tablet or smartphone by either heading to the website or by first going through the app.

If you want to do it through Tidal's website, you can head to its pricing page. Here you can choose between the HiFi or HiFi Plus plan and start your free trial. You can also start a free trial as a family or student from this page.

Once you've decided on your preferred plan, you'll just have to create an account with an email, password and date of birth. You can also sign up using your Facebook, Apple account or Twitter.

After filling in these details, you will be taken to a page to select your subscription and add a payment method or voucher (money won't be taken until after your trial). The process is the same if you download the app first. Sign up using your email and password and then select your preferred plan.

What devices is Tidal available on?

Like most of the major streaming services, Tidal can be connected to most common devices that you would play music from.

This obviously includes Android and IOS devices (both tablets and smartphones), as well as Mac and Windows computers. It can also be connected to a massive range of smart speakers (more on that below).

Less obvious devices are compatible with Tidal, too. Both Samsung and Apple watches can run Tidal, as well as most major DJ software, a number of smart cars, and the main TV streaming services including Roku, Chromecast, Apple TV, Amazon Fire and Android TV.

However, somewhat surprisingly, you can't get Tidal on gaming consoles. This includes the PS5 and Xbox Series S and X.

A full list of compatible devices can be found on the Tidal website, where we describe it as "the streaming service you need if you care about audiophile-approved listening".

Top Tidal features

Videos and podcasts

Access to videos and podcasts isn't a unique feature for a streaming platform, but Tidal stands out by offering exclusive content. These are mostly videos about the Hip-Hop industry, behind-the scenes of songs and more.

There are roughly 350,000 videos available on Tidal including live sessions of popular artists, a video series about activists and artists, music videos in HD, and commentary from musicians  on popular albums.

MQA audio (Tidal HiFi Plus only)

A recent partnership between Tidal and MQA - short for Master Qualified Authentication -  allows you to get some of the highest quality audio available from a streaming platform. If you have a speaker or headphones that can support the quality, you can listen to music in pretty much its original master recording quality.

These songs are labelled on Tidal and it is available on an absolutely huge array of songs. Most major hits and legacy albums can be found with Master recordings on Tidal.

Sony 360 audio (Tidal HiFi Plus only)

Sony's 360 Reality Audio feature is uniquely available on select headphones and speakers. This includes Sony headphones and speakers, as well as other devices like the Amazon Echo Studio. On select tracks (highlighted on Tidal), the music will sound like it is placed all around you, with instruments playing at different points, not just from left and right.

Dolby Atmos (Tidal HiFi Plus only)

If you have a speaker or pair of headphones that can utilize Dolby Atmos - like the Apple AirPods Max or Sonos Beam - you can play certain tracks with this feature in mind.

Dolby Atmos is a surround-sound utility, spreading your audio across different height channels. This gives the effect of audio coming at you in a 3D effect, much like you're in the room with it.

Artist royalties (Tidal HiFi Plus only)

Tidal is one of the best paying streaming services for artists. However, if you sign up to Tidal's HiFi Plus plan, you'll be contributing even more to your favorite artists.

Up to 10% of your subscription is directed to the artists that you listen to the most, and your top artists also get paid based on your streaming habits. This means your devotion can secure a musician a better fee from Tidal.

What smart speakers work with Tidal?

Tidal is compatible with most smart speaker brands. As well as the names that you will know like Sonos, Yamaha, Astell&Kern and Cambridge Audio, you can use Tidal with a huge range of smart speakers.

A full list of options can be found on the Tidal website. However, it is worth noting that not every single smart speaker will be able to get you the full ability of Tidal, especially with a Tidal HiFi Plus plan.

For example, certain songs on Tidal use Dolby Atmos audio but only a select few speakers are capable of playing Dolby Atmos. The same goes for Tidal's MQA quality sound.

How does Tidal compare to the competition?

Spotify:
The world's most popular streaming service, Spotify is likely to be another option on your radar. It has a similar library size to Tidal with both platforms quoting around 80 million songs.

While Spotify doesn't have videos like Tidal, it does have access to a huge range of popular podcasts that Tidal doesn't, and some of the better algorithms for finding new music.

Spotify has a free plan or it costs $9.99/£9.99/AU$11.99. You can also sign up for a family plan at $15.99/£16.99/AU$18.99.

Want to know more about how the two compare? Then check out our dedicated Spotify vs Tidal head-to-head.

Apple Music
In design and overall feel, Apple Music is the closest to Tidal. Apple currently states around 90 million available songs and like Tidal, offers some of the better audio quality and pay for artists.

Apple Music comes in at a very similar price to Spotify and Tidal's regular HiFi plan. It costs $9.99/£9.99/AU$11.99 or roughly half that price for students. Apple also has a family plan costing $14.99/£14.99/AU$17.99.

Unlike Spotify or Tidal in the US, there is no free tier available.

Amazon Music
Another option for Hi-Fi audio, Amazon Music has two big selling points - Ultra HD music (Hi-Fi like Tidal, Apple and Deezer) and a discount for Amazon Prime subscribers.

It has around 70 million songs available and while it has no free tier, it does offer a 30-day free trial. After that, it costs $9.99/£9.99/AU$9.99. If you're on Prime, you can save $1/1£/AU$1 on that price.

Deezer
Deezer has a lot in common with Tidal. It has support for Sony's 360 audio and high-quality audio streams, but it costs much less than Tidal's HiFi Plus plan. However, with a smaller library around 70 million and lacking many added features, you are getting less for your money.

Deezer has a free tier available, or if you want higher quality, Deezer Hi-Fi costs $14.99/£14.99/AU$14.99.

All pricing correct at the date of publish

• Compare all your options with our full guide to the best music streaming services

He may be celebrating his 75th birthday this year, but Rocketman Elton John still knows how to keep up with the latest in musical trends: his greatest hits album, Diamonds: The Ultimate Greatest Hits, is now available in a new Dolby Atmos spatial audio mix.

Provided your audio device supports the immersive Dolby Atmos format, you can listen to the album in its new mix on streaming platforms Apple Music, Amazon Music and Tidal. 48 of Elton John’s most-lovsongs, from Tiny Dancer to Your Song, have been remastered so that the instrumentation and melodies appear to be coming from all around you, as though you’red e sat in the center of a room with the band playing nearby.

“I feel unbelievably lucky that at 75 I still love what I do so much,” said Elton John of the release, who also has previously partnered for an actually-excellent Apple Music 1 show that showcases the latest up-and-coming stars. 

“I'm still so energized about music and excited I get to play, listen and talk about this every single day. Being back on the road is a blast and the thrill of playing live is as amazing as it was 50 years ago. I have so much to pass on to the new generation of fans and artists alike, and I'm determined to keep giving back to the industry that has given me so much.”

New life for old tunes 

Dolby Atmos and other spatial audio platforms like Sony’s 360 Reality Audio are breathing new life into classic recordings.

Recently, our Senior Editor, Home Entertainment had a revelatory listening experience sitting down to listen to The Beatles Abbey Road album in a new spatial audio mix.

“Dolby Atmos mixes don’t work for every album, and can sometimes sound a bit artificial - but it works so, so well for Abbey Road,” she said. 

“It’s an album that has so much dynamic contrast, and scales everything from a simple voice with guitar to huge orchestral numbers. Placing all those different elements in a virtual sphere opens the mix up - and for an album recorded in the late sixties, it sounds remarkably modern in its production.”

With pop music as a genre’s earliest output now old enough to merit a place in a museum despite its every growing catalogue of new hits and stars, finding new ways to repackage older artists’ works and reintroduce them to new artists is a growing trend. Dolby Atmos and spatial audio’s transformative properties are one of the less cynical ways to do so that record labels have found over the years – streaming formats allow them to be recirculated without having to spend on a new flash–in-the-pan physical format, like ill-fated Mini Discs. 

But there’s so far been less uptake from newer artists. Whether that’s because of financial constraints or otherwise, it’d be great to hear the sound of the future coming from the musicians of the present, rather than the past – especially as monetizing modern musicians’ work tends to be far more difficult than that of the legends of the golden age of the recording industry who’ve already made a fair bit of coin.

• Read our guide to the best Dolby Atmos speakers you can buy today

Ever wanted to try out a music streaming service other than Spotify, but were put off by the hassle of building up your favorite playlists again? Fear not, as it's actually possible to transfer your Spotify playlists to streaming services like Apple Music, Deezer, Tidal and Amazon Music without the added stress of trawling through each app's catalog.

It's reasonable to feel compelled to check out other streamers. The ongoing Joe Rogan podcast controversy at Spotify - understandably - has left some subscribers feeling uncomfortable with where there money is going. Not to mention the fact that artists like Neil Young and Joni Mitchell have had their music libraries removed from Spotify in protest.

Even if you steer clear of the drama, you may be considering a move to a music streaming service that offers higher quality streams. Apple Music offers spatial and lossless audio support, lending a growing selection of its tracks a more detailed and immersive sound. Deezer, Tidal, and Amazon Music also offer hi-res audio options for paying subscribers. Meanwhile, we're still waiting for a Spotify HiFi release date - that's the company's new streaming tier, which was expected to bring higher quality streams to the platform (but not hi-res audio). 

Spotify isn't the only player in town when it comes to worthwhile music streaming services, but if you were ever keen on listening to the competition, you may want to be armed with your own arsenal of music in order to take these other apps for a proper spin. Read on to find out how you can transfer your favorite Spotify playlists to Apple Music, Deezer, Tidal and more.

Getting started

There's unfortunately no official method provided by the big streamers in order to conveniently transfer your playlists from app to app, and that's a real shame. However, it is a realistic limitation. Not every streamer has the exact same library of music, and not necessarily the same file format, even. That can naturally cause conflicts between individual songs and their metadata.

Thankfully, a reliable and safe third-party method exists to carry your Spotify playlists to Apple Music, Deezer, Tidal and more. A website named Soundiiz makes the process relatively stress-free, and while similar playlist transferring sites exist - such as Tune My Music, Soundiiz is the most polished and user-friendly site that we've tried.

This is largely down to Soundiiz's easy-to-understand user interface. Upon logging in to Soundiiz, you'll see a list of the best music streaming apps lined up in a sidebar to the left of the page. This sidebar easily lets you connect your accounts, thus prepping them for transferring playlists between each. And of course, it doesn't just work from Spotify's end, as you're also able to transfer playlists to Spotify from any other streaming app available on Soundiiz, too.

How to set up an account with Soundiiz

When you first visit the Soundiiz website, you'll be greeted by the homepage that breaks down everything you can do with the service. To get started, you'll need to set up an account, but don't worry - the basic Soundiiz account is completely free, and you will not be charged unless you opt into the Premium plan.

First, click the 'Start now' button on the homepage, and you'll be taken to the sign-in page, where you can choose to sign up with any of your existing Google, Facebook, Twitter, Apple or Spotify accounts. If you don't have any of these - or simply don't want to link Soundiiz to any of them, you can scroll down a bit and click on 'Sign up' to create an individual Soundiiz account.

Once you're signed up, you can begin the playlist transferal process. 

How to connect Soundiiz to your Spotify account

As mentioned, the sidebar on the left of the Soundiiz dashboard displays a list of the most commonly used music streaming services. Spotify, Tidal, Deezer and more are present and accounted for, but Soundiiz supports a total of 47 different apps, meaning you're likely to be covered even if you use a less popular service.

Our first port of call, though, is getting your Spotify account connected to Soundiiz. To do so, find the Spotify icon on the sidebar to the left (it should be towards the very top of the list). Click it to bring up a prompt to connect your account. By clicking 'Connect' here, a separate Spotify login window will appear, where you can enter your Spotify login details.

If you're a little worried about connecting your Spotify account to a third-party site, rest assured that Spotify recognizes Soundiiz as a legitimate tool, and you'll be prompted to agree to authorize Soundiiz before it will connect to your Spotify account.

With your Spotify account now connected to Soundiiz, you'll see that the red dot next to the Spotify icon has changed to green, indicating that your accounts are connected. Click the Spotify icon once more, and you'll see that Soundiiz has listed all the playlists you've created on Spotify. Now you're almost ready to transfer our playlists.

First, though, you'll need to repeat the process you just performed for Spotify with the streaming service you wish to transfer your playlists to. To do so, simply follow the steps we just did for Spotify with your desired transfer location, be that Apple Music, Tidal or another. Do keep in mind, though, that any app with a blue arrow icon next to it only supports transfers from the app, and not to it. Amazon Music is one example of this on the sidebar.

That said, Soundiiz seems to be an outlier here. Other playlist transferring sites like Tune My Music do seem to support transfer from Spotify to Amazon Music, so if you ever need to do that in future, we'd suggest using that website to do so, or waiting until Soundiiz offers this as a feature.

Once you've got Spotify and at least one other streaming service connected to Soundiiz, we can finally begin the playlist transferal process.

How to transfer playlists from Spotify to another app

Now that you've got Spotify and at least one other account linked up to Soundiiz, you can start transferring your music from Spotify to another music streaming service. From the dashboard, click 'Transfer' on the left-side menu, and a new window will pop up.

Of the options that appear, you can only select 'Playlists' on the free account. It's worth noting that Premium Soundiiz accounts can transfer individual artists, albums and tracks - something to think about if you want to really get your Spotify experience on another platform.

Click 'Playlists', and then you'll then be prompted to select your source platform. This is the app you'll be transferring your playlists from, which in this case is Spotify. Go ahead and select Spotify from the list of options.

The next menu prompts you to select the playlist you wish to transfer. To do so, simply click the checkbox next to your desired playlist followed by 'Confirm and continue'.

You can then edit the name of the playlist, enter a description, delete duplicate tracks and choose to set the playlist's privacy. However, only a title is required to proceed, so confirm any changes you want to make, then click 'Save configuration'.

The next menu unfortunately reveals another limitation of the free Soundiiz account: you can only transfer a maximum of 200 songs at a time. If your playlists are larger than that, then you'll need a Premium Soundiiz account to transfer the whole lot at once. You've also probably gathered that, with the free account, you can only choose to transfer songs from one playlist at a time.

Double check your desired songs are there, then click 'Confirm'. Finally, you'll be asked to choose your destination. This will be the app that your playlist is transferred to. And that's everything. Soundiiz will display a progress bar showing how far along the transfer process it is, alongside an estimated completion time. You can then head over to your selected destination app to make sure the transfer completed successfully.

Final thoughts

Until the biggest music streaming services band together to form an official standard for transferring music between apps, third-party tools like Soundiiz are your best bet at getting it done with relatively few substantial drawbacks. 

Obviously, some annoyances arise with features being locked behind a Premium account, or some apps strictly supporting a transfer-only option, but Soundiiz and apps like it are a reliable and easy-to-use option, nonetheless.

• Apple Music vs Spotify vs Amazon Music HD vs Tidal Hi-Fi

Payments giant Square has announced that will change its name to Block in much the same way as Facebook recently rebranded as Meta.

As the Square brand has become synonymous with the company's Seller business which includes mobile payments, POS systems, small business software and more, Block will be the name for the company as a corporate entity. At the same time, the change to Block acknowledges the company's growth so far while creating room for further growth.

Since its launch in 2009, Square has added Cash App, TIDAL and TBD54566975 to its business but going forward, Block will serve as an “overarching ecosystem of many businesses” that are all united by their shared purpose of economic development.

In a press release, former Twitter CEO and cofounder and CEO of Block, Jack Dorsey explained that despite Square's new name, its purpose remains the same, saying:

“We built the Square brand for our Seller business, which is where it belongs. Block is a new name, but our purpose of economic empowerment remains the same. No matter how we grow or change, we will continue to build tools to help increase access to the economy.”

First a square now a block

The name change from Square to Block distinguishes the corporate entity from its businesses or building blocks and there will be no organizational changes. The new name also has many associated meanings for the company in addition to building blocks including neighborhood blocks and their local businesses, obstacles to overcome, a section of code, a blockchain and even communities coming together at block parties.

Under Block, Square, Cash App, Tidal and TBD54566975 will continue to maintain their respective brands while a foundational workforce made up of teams such as Counsel, People and Finance will continue to help guide the company's ecosystem at the corporate level. It's also worth noting that Square Crypto which is a separate initiative of the company dedicated to advancing Bitcoin will change its name to Spiral as a result of Square's name change to Block.

Square is expected to change its legal name “Square, Inc.” to “Block, Inc.” on or around December 10 after satisfying all legal requirements. However, its NYSE ticker symbol “SQ” will not change at this time.

While Facebook recently restructured in a similar way with its Meta rebrand, Google actually started the trend in 2015 when it abruptly renamed itself to Alphabet in 2015.

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Spotify has removed the shuffle button from album streaming pages - and apparently, all it took was for Adele to request that her new album be heard in the order she intended. 

Whether you believe that Spotify was really doing Adele a favor - or if the jovial Twitter exchange is part of a marketing push for the singer's first album in six years - the music streaming service is right to encourage listeners to experience albums as the artist intended. 

Before the 1940s and the invention of the 12-inch LP (long-play) vinyl record, artists were limited to the 78 RPM gramophone record, which could only hold three to five minutes of music per side. 

Even with technology making it possible for artists to put out longer releases, it took a couple of decades for the album to take off as a concept - the careers of 50s superstars like Elvis Presley were driven primarily by single sales. 

While jazz and classical artists embraced albums much earlier, it wasn't until the release of The Beatles' Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band in 1967 that we truly entered the 'album era' - and the format endured as the main way we consumed our music until fairly recently. 

In 2019, albums sales declined by 17% year-on-year - and digital music downloads and music streaming services have a lot to answer for.

The decline of the album

Nowadays, we consume our music via playlists, with services like Spotify, Apple Music, and Tidal using a mixture of human curation and clever algorithms to create collections of singles to suit different moods, genres, or situations. 

According to a 2020 study of 8,000 people by Deezer, 54% of respondents were listening to fewer albums than they did 5-10 years ago. Think about it - when was the last time you listened to an album all the way through? When was the last time you listened to a new album from an artist you hadn't come across before?

Deezer puts this down to fans preferring to hear "a mix of tracks from different artists", as well as having too much music to choose from and busier schedules. 10% of respondents also felt that "artists don't make albums like they used to". 

Deezer may be right in saying that people prefer to mix up their music listening sessions. However, it fails to identify how Deezer, and other music streaming services, have a hand in influencing our listening habits, from making shuffling the order of tracks on an album the default listening option to making 'one-hit-wonder' singles more attractive to record labels that want to land a spot on Spotify's New Music Friday playlist.

We miss out as a result. Listen to Sgt. Pepper on shuffle, and you no longer start with the title track; this sets up the album as a live performance, with the sounds of an orchestra warming up and Paul McCartney serving as a master of ceremonies. 

As Kenneth Womack writes in his 2007 book Long and Winding Roads: The Evolving Artistry of the Beatles, the lyrics and positioning of the music as a live performance breaks the fourth wall between the artist and their audience - and that's lost if you don't listen to the album in order. 

Whether you believe that fully appreciating Adele's latest album relies so heavily on its track listing probably depends largely on how much you enjoy her music to begin with - it's certainly not being marketed as a concept album or pop opera in the same way Sgt Pepper was. 

Regardless, removing shuffle as the default way to listen to albums is a smart, and an unusually artist-friendly move from Spotify - and the company isn't exactly known for being kind to musicians, facing allegations of unfair artist compensation and supporting the practice of 'pay for play',  in which labels pay for songs to be placed on popular playlists followed by many users.

Marketing ploy or not, we're glad to see Spotify is doing something positive to encourage users to enjoy albums all the way through.

Those that do want to shuffle Adele's new album on Spotify still can, too. All you need to do is click on an album track to bring up the 'Now Playing' screen, where you can select the shuffle button yourself. 

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Watch out Spotify, Tidal has announced a new free tier of the service that will allow you to stream 80 million songs from its library without ads.

The Tidal Free, as it’s aptly named, will vary from the company’s famed HiFi and HiFi Plus tiers by offering a significantly lower bitrate for audio streaming (160Kbps vs 1411Kbps on HiFi) and Tidal says it will interrupt users periodically to remind them about Hi-Fi. That last bit could change later, but for now Tidal says it won’t have ads.

That being said, the Free tier will also miss out on niceties like lyrics or offline downloads. Those features will be reserved for the paid tiers of the service. 

Finally, according to Billboard, there will also be a difference in how the service pays artists based on which streaming tiers they use. For example, if a user has the Free tier, their listening habits won’t directly contribute money directly to your favorite artists - they’ll be paid based on a collective number of listens. That’s different from the new Direct Artist Payout plan coming to Tidal HiFi Plus that will send 10% of your monthly subscription fee to your most-listened to artist. 

Analysis: Is this Tidal’s big attempt to take on Spotify? 

For years, Tidal has differentiated itself from other audio streaming services by its commitment to CD-quality audio - but that selling point has since been copied by Apple Music and, soon, Spotify HiFi. 

This new free tier seems like the obvious way to attract new customers as other services continue to copy Tidal’s strategic advantage. 

Still, it does sound like a better user experience - ads are the worst part of Spotify’s base subscription tier and currently Apple doesn’t have a free way to choose songs on Apple Music. Being able to choose which songs you listen to without ads is the ideal scenario.

How long that will be the case, however, remains to be seen. 

• Not sure where to stream music? Check out our guide to the best music streaming services 2021: Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal and more

It seems like everyone loves Apple Music. 

A combination of exclusive artist partnerships and an ever-expanding track catalogue has seen the service come on leaps and bounds since launching in 2015, while the recent arrival of Lossless and Spatial Audio for its iOS and Android users threatens to push it to the front of the queue when it comes to the best music streaming platforms out there.

What's more, Apple announced back in 2019 that its music service had surpassed 60 million users globally, a figure that was rising at a rate of around two million new subscribers per month. It hasn’t published updated numbers since then, but that pace would see the platform boast around 110 million users as of right now – just 50 million shy of Spotify’s 160 million.

But for me, Spotify is still the track star of the streaming world, and it’s about time somebody stood up for the Swedes – especially after TechRadar’s own Audio & Music Editor, Olivia Tambini, declared Apple Music the best option for iOS users earlier this week. 

• Spotify is testing a cheaper Premium tier called Spotify Plus
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It’s worth noting that I am no Apple oppositionist. On this very site, I have professed my enduring love for iPhones and the Apple ecosystem as a whole. But I don’t yet feel compelled to ditch Spotify for its American counterpart – for several reasons.

Scandi style

The first is Spotify’s superior user interface (UI). On both its mobile and desktop applications, access to music, artists, playlists and podcasts is as simple as it can be, with well-sized tiles and cover artwork laid out in an easily-digestible format. This is particularly true on mobile, where content is split across just three tabs – Home, Search and Your Library – to keep the experience streamlined and undemanding. 

Spotify’s UI is also super dynamic. The latest tracks or episodes from my favourite creators are always bumped to the top of my feed, and though the Home section is the least useful of the three – often becoming becoming a dumping ground for new content – I never run the risk of missing out on surprise releases that might otherwise be condemned to the roulette of discovery playlists. 

Spotify was founded in Stockholm, and its app embraces the simple, clean and cheerful philosophy that is so emblematic of Scandinavian design – think IKEA and Volvo, but for music.

There’s little doubt that using Apple Music has become a much improved experience since its iOS 14 update, but it still suffers from a blocky and convoluted menu system so unbecoming of a brand that’s famously design-led in its thinking.

Voyage of discovery

Yes, Apple Music has a bigger track library – but what’s a few million here or there? The more important metric is one that measures just how much of that library is made accessible to the user in a way that isn’t shoehorned into view like old stock in a shop window.

That metric isn’t quantifiable as a figure, but Spotify’s ability to make me listen to and care about artists I otherwise wouldn’t bat an eyelid towards is quite remarkable.

Have you ever heard of Tom The Mail Man? Neither had I, until Spotify sneakily added his tracks – which at the time were recorded in his friend’s bedroom – into my Discover Weekly playlist. Now, I’ve got alerts on for all his new releases. 

The point being, I’m all for discovering emerging artists as long as their music doesn’t sound amateurish, and Spotify does a great job of sourcing tracks that never sound out of place in my tracklist.

Apple Music, for all its exclusive creator and curator partnerships, can’t get close to Spotify’s algorithm-based approach to song recommendations. Sure, it’s nice that Tim Cook and co. enlist the services of real people when curating discovery playlists for their platform, but Spotify has managed to crack that nut through an impressive sequence of code which delivers a welcome surprise nine out of 10 times.

This is the main reason that the ‘Apple Music has more songs’ boat doesn't really float with me. 5 million more tracks in an ocean of 75 million is inconsequential, especially when Spotify does a far better job of exposing users to its 70 million-strong library.

Again, this is not intended as a slight at the quality of Apple Music as a service – I’ve used both, and it is a great platform – but rather a defence of a competing service which gets unfair flack based on meaningless library stats. 

Sharing is caring

And then, we come to Spotify’s social features. Granted, this is decidedly lower down on the pecking order of most important streaming service features, but I actually find myself using the platform’s extensive social options all the time.

Sharing tracks to other apps like Instagram, Snapchat and WhatsApp is a breeze, and is made more interesting thanks to the auto-generated music videos that sometimes accompany songs posted to your social media stories. It’s also super useful that users on these platforms can then listen to the same tracks via the single touch of a button, without the need to sign in to an account.

The app’s integration with Facebook is a nice touch, too. On desktop, it’s always fun to see what your friends are listening to in real-time – especially when you catch a gym buff rocking out to Les Misérables.

Spotify also gives you the ability to publish your recent listening history to Facebook, which then allows your Facebook friends to like or comment on your activity. Admittedly, this isn’t something I’ve ever done – not everyone rates Justin Bieber, you know – but it seems like a cool idea, in principle.

On that point, though, listening history is tracked extensively by Spotify, and if you’re OK with Mark Zuckerberg knowing you had Olivia Rodrigo on repeat for three days, features like Spotify Wrapped make for entertaining and enlightening reading come the end of each year.

Apple Music offers some of these social features too. You can likewise see what your friends are listening to and share playlists between users, and those options unique to Spotify – like Facebook integration and Spotify Wrapped – might seem superfluous novelties to those who prefer to keep their music to themselves. And that’s fair.

But superior social features nonetheless mark another feather in Spotify’s cap, and one worth flagging to the naysayers reluctant to acknowledge the platform’s merits.

Truce?

The point of this article hasn’t been to bash Apple Music. Think of it as less an attack on one service, and more a defence of another. Spotify is still great, even for iPhone users, and it’s a fact easily forgotten when its biggest rival is introducing impressive new features left, right and center.

It’s not beyond the realm of possibility that Apple Music will jump ahead of Spotify in the years to come, but right now, the stellar user experience and recommendation smarts of the latter make it just as impressive as it ever has been.

Now, what’s all this fuss about Tidal? 

• Spotify will soon let you download music to your Wear OS smartwatch 

Apple has announced that high-resolution audio support is coming to Apple Music for no extra cost to subscribers – but puzzlingly, it’s a feature that Apple’s most-dedicated supporters won’t be able to take advantage of.

Going forwards, Apple Music will offer lossless audio at between 24-bit/48kHz and 24-bit/192kHz without a price hike for users, giving the richest and most detailed possible playback from its digital music download and streaming service. 

The problem is, none of Apple’s current mobile hardware or headphones support the 'Hi-Res Lossless' capabilities of the update. Apple Music’s new Hi-Res lossless feature won’t work on iPhone 12 (which is capable of lossless at 24-bit/48kHz, but not the higher ranges necessary for the hi-res offering), while AirPods Max and AirPods Pro use the AAC codec, but not the Apple Lossless Audio Codec (ALAC) required for hi-res audio. This means you’ll have to use competing products outside of the Apple ecosystem in order to hear Apple Music at its best.

“Due to the large file sizes and bandwidth needed for Lossless and Hi-Res Lossless Audio, subscribers will need to opt in to the experience. Hi-Res Lossless also requires external equipment, such as a USB digital-to-analog converter (DAC),” reads a statement from Apple in regards to the update.

Think you can get around it with a wired connection to the AirPods Max? Think again. Speaking to The Verge, Apple outlined the problem with that solution.

“When you play a 24-bit/48 kHz Apple Music lossless track from an iPhone into the AirPods Max using both the cable and Lightning dongle, the audio is converted to analog and then re-digitized to 48kHz. That re-digitization step is the reason that Apple can’t say you’re hearing pure lossless audio; it’s not an identical match to the source."

For now then, if you’re using an iPhone you’ll need an external DAC and a pair of wired headphones, introducing another cost on top of already expensive products. 

• Check out our guides to the best portable DACs and best over-ear headphones

Why has Apple snubbed AirPods users?

Having its flagship products not work fully with its flagship services is uncharacteristically messy from Apple, which usually takes a unified approach to its product launches – and it seems like the company’s hand was forced. 

The announcement of Apple Music’s lossless support was unceremonious by Apple standards, released via an email – and was followed very soon after by an announcement from Amazon, which said that its high-quality streaming tier, Amazon Music HD, will be available to all eligible Amazon Music Unlimited subscribers without an accompanying price hike.

Did Apple learn of Amazon’s plans and scramble to make its own hi-res music streaming announcement? It’s certainly possible. 

It’s also possible that Apple’s own announcement was originally supposed to coincide with the launch of the AirPods 3, which are rumored to be coming this year. 

Still, we’re expecting the AirPods 3 to be an upgrade to the company’s entry-level wireless earbuds, and we wouldn’t necessarily expect hi-res audio support to come with them. That’s something we might have expected from the AirPods Max, which are billed as Apple headphones for audiophiles. 

Furthermore, even if Apple did release an updated version of the AirPods Max that are capable of playing hi-res audio, iPhones are still incapable of handling audio above 24-bit/48kHz – you’d still need a portable DAC to work its magic. 

For Apple Music subscribers to enjoy the new Lossless Audio feature with Apple products, Apple would need to upgrade its headphones and its iPhones, and potentially release its first portable DAC. 

Launching an Apple-branded DAC isn’t outside the realms of possibility. After all, Apple has a reputation for selling crucial accessories separately from the products that require them – just look at the AirPods Max and the Lightning-to-3.5mm audio cable that you need to fork out an additional $35 for if you want to use the headphones with a wired connection. But a DAC is a niche, almost hobbyist product, – and likely not on Apple's radar when it comes to cash-generating gear.

Democratizing hi-res audio

In spite of the frustrating limitations with Apple’s audio hardware, we’re hesitant to be overly critical of Apple. After all, Apple Music and Amazon Music Unlimited are the only music streaming services we can think of that offer hi-res audio at no extra cost to subscribers. That’s no small thing, and it could force the other major streaming services, such as Spotify, Deezer, and Tidal, to do the same. 

Not all Apple devices are incapable of handling lossless audio, either. Apple has confirmed support for Lossless Audio streaming for both its Apple TV and HomePod devices as well as any MacOS computer – so don’t feel like iOS or iPadOS are your only gateways to the high-end audio formats.

It’s still strange that Apple has overlooked AirPods owners with this latest announcement – here’s hoping that another announcement about new Apple headphones or and iPhone with hi-res audio capabilities will follow soon.

• Apple and Amazon have proven hi-res audio shouldn’t be a luxury
• Apple Music vs Spotify vs Amazon Music HD vs Tidal Hi-Fi: which music streaming service is the best?

Both Apple and Amazon long since released updates to their respective music streaming services – Apple Music and Amazon Music – with Apple Music’s entire library becoming available to stream in hi-res audio, and a select catalogue of songs also playable with Dolby Atmos audio.

Amazon Music HD, the streamer’s premium hi-res tier, is now available to all subscribers for free, having previously cost customers an extra $5 / £5 per month.

So, how do they both now compare to rival music streaming platforms?

We know Spotify is planning to eventually launch a similar CD-quality audio service  – called Spotify HiFi – which was originally scheduled to launch in 2021. However, that year has been and gone with precious few updates - even Spotify's CEO isn't sure as to when HiFi will make its debut on the streaming service. Still, you might be wondering how Apple and Amazon’s music streaming services now compete with the standard Spotify Premium subscription available today.

That, and the recent Joe Rogan Experience podcast controversies - which have led several artists to pull their music from Spotify in protest - has had a knock-on effect to its subscribers, many of which are undoubtedly looking at other streaming platforms for their audio fix.

Throw Tidal into the mix, which already offers a high-fidelity subscription option, and audiophiles are spoilt for choice when looking for a music streaming service with a focus on exceptional sound quality.

In this guide, we compare all four services – Apple Music, Amazon Music, Spotify, and Tidal HiFi – as they exist now, with a focus on their price, availability and features. 

Price and availability

Arriving for subscribers last year in June 2021, spatial and lossless audio options became part of Apple’s existing Apple Music plans at no extra cost. That means users  have access to the new audio formats for the standard price of $9.99 / £9.99 / AU$11.99 per month, or $14.99 / £14.99 / AU$17.99 for a family subscription for up to six people. A cheaper plan is also available for students ($4.99 / £4.99 / AU$5.99).

Unlike Apple Music – which requires a paid subscription beyond a free timed trial – Spotify offers a free version of its platform, though the intrusion of ads and inability to listen to tracks offline means many opt for Spotify’s Premium plan, which costs $9.99 / £9.99 / AU$11.99. 

Family and student plans are also available worldwide, priced at $15.99 / £16.99 / AU$17.99 and $4.99 / £5.99 / $5.99, respectively. Spotify Premium Duo, designed for couples or two friends, costs $12.99 / £13.99 / AU$15.99 a month for two accounts. It’s worth noting that these prices reflect recent increases imposed by Spotify, so don’t expect them to change any time soon. 

Given that Apple Music by-and-large remains the same price as Spotify, then, even in spite of the audio upgrades arriving for the former, you’re actually getting a better deal from Apple right now. That's largely down to Apple Music's hi-res audio support, while Spotify suffers due to its perpetual HiFi delay.

Like Apple, Amazon is also offering a high-res upgrade for its music streaming service for no extra cost. Amazon Music is priced at $7.99 / £7.99 / AU$6.99 per month for Prime members and $9.99 / £9.99 / £11.99 per month for non-Prime customers, with similar discounts available for the Family Plan. The Amazon Music HD tier was previously an additional cost per month for subscribers to the Individual or Family Plan, but Amazon recently scrapped the charge.

If you’re a Prime subscriber, then, Amazon Music is still the cheapest of the major streaming platforms, offering value for money which is made even more apparent when compared to Tidal. 

Of the three hi-res music streamers in this guide, Tidal Hi-Fi remains the most expensive at $19.99 / £19.99 / AU$23.99 per month – double the $9.99 / £9.99 / $11.99 monthly cost of its standard offering – with the justification of improved audio quality somewhat undermined by Apple and Amazon’s now-equivalent high-res services. 

Tidal is only available in 60 countries, too, with large markets like India and China yet to gain access to the platform.

Music catalogue

The latest upgrade to Apple Music offers subscribers the same level of access as the standard subscription – a library of around 75 million songs and counting – as well as Apple-exclusive radio stations like Apple Music 1 (formerly Beats 1), Apple Music Hits and Apple Music Country. 

Impressively, Apple says every one of those songs will soon become available to stream in lossless audio, with several thousand also available in Spatial Audio format. More compatible tracks are expected to be added in the future. 

The same is true of Amazon Music, which is set to bring lossless audio to its entire 70 million-song library alongside access to a rapidly-growing catalog of tracks remixed in 3D Audio formats such as Dolby Atmos and Sony 360RA. Seven million of those tracks are available in Ultra-HD, or true hi-res audio.

Spotify, in comparison, boasts an equally large library of around 70 million tracks, though a patchy track record when it comes to paying royalties has meant some big-name artists – including Taylor Swift, Jay-Z and The Beatles – have occasionally withdrawn their songs from the service. 

Most of this music finds its way back into the Spotify library, mind, but it’s worth mentioning that the service has endured some high-profile withdrawals in its history. Even today, artists like Neil Young and Joni Mitchell have voluntarily pulled their music from the service, owing to the Covid-19 anti-vax conspiracies voiced on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast. In short, the platform has its share of controversies, which often negatively impacts its subscribers.

Like Spotify, Tidal boasts a library of more than 70 million tracks, though the same is also true of specific artists occasionally withdrawing their music from the service (or never arriving at all). As with all four platforms, it’s worth checking beforehand whether your favourite music-maker is available to stream on your chosen service.

One particular benefit to Tidal, though, is its collection of video content. It has a section dedicated to videos – more than 250,000, apparently – which includes full-length concerts and classic music videos.

Sound quality

Naturally, the biggest differentiator between the four titans of music streaming is their ability (or inability) to stream high-res audio. 

With the upgrade to Apple Music, Apple gives subscribers the opportunity to stream its entire library of tracks in lossless audio, a format which better preserves the integrity of original audio files.

The platform’s new lossless format starts at CD quality, which is 16 bit at 44.1 kHz, and goes all the way up to 24 bit at 192 kHz, depending on the selection of the user. In layman’s terms, that means every song on Apple Music is getting the studio treatment.

As well as lossless audio, though, Apple's service includes Spatial Audio with support for Dolby Atmos – technology which aims to mimic surround sound. By default, the service will automatically play Dolby Atmos tracks on all AirPods and Beats headphones with an H1 or W1 chip, as well as the built-in speakers in the latest versions of iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

Like Apple, Amazon Music HD benefits from a similar library-wide audio upgrade, with all tracks available to stream in CD quality. In addition to lossless and Dolby Atmos enhancements, customers will also be able to stream more than 7 million songs in Ultra HD (which Amazon says is better than CD quality), with a depth of 24 bits and a sample rate of up to 192 kHz – that’s the same as the highest resolution available with Apple Music, though Amazon’s hi-res library is far more limited.

With Spotify yet to launch its equivalent HiFi service, then, the audio quality offered by Spotify Premium is expectedly less impressive. Subscribers can choose between five sound quality levels: automatic (which changes quality based on your network connection), low, normal, high, and very high. 

At the low setting, music streams at 24kbps. At the normal setting – which is enabled by default, and likely what most users are exposed to – that figure increases to 96kbps. Switch to the high-quality setting and the bit-rate bumps up to 160kbps, while the very high setting uses 320kbps, which is the closest to lossless streaming as you’ll get with the platform right now.  

That’s not to say audio quality on Spotify is bad – it more than competes with the standard variant of Tidal, for example – but you won’t be exposed to the same CD-level sound as you’ll find on Tidal Hi-Fi, and now Apple Music and Amazon Music HD.

For comparison, Tidal Hi-Fi offers nearly four times the data per song as the highest setting available on Spotify. The service streams at 1411kbps and uses FLAC format, which doesn’t strip back aspects of original recordings which might otherwise be lost by MP3’s tendency to compress files.

For a more in-depth look at what makes hi-res audio so much better than MP3, check out our guide, but perhaps the best way to describe the difference is the comparison between standard definition (SD) and high definition (HD) displays. Before the arrival of the latter, most TV-watchers were satisfied with the quality the picture offered by SD – and then HD came along to prove what the technology was capable of. 

The same is true of high-res audio. For those not in-the-know when it comes to sound quality, the MP3 audio offered by the likes of Spotify’s standard subscription might seem competent enough – it’s only when you directly compare it with CD-quality sound that MP3 comes up short.

With the arrival of lossless and Dolby-enhanced audio on Apple Music and Amazon Music alongside Tidal Hi-Fi – not to mention the impending arrival of Spotify Hi-Fi – high-res music listening is primed to become more widespread than ever.

So, which is best?

As of February 2022, both Apple Music and Amazon Music will hands-down offer the best value for money when it comes to high-quality music streaming. 

For no extra cost, subscribers to either platform will be able to enjoy high-res audio quality similar to that which is currently offered by Tidal Hi-Fi at double the price. 

For most, Spotify’s premium plan will still offer a good value service and access to a huge library of songs, but if you’re after superior audio quality without breaking the bank, it’s hard to look past Apple Music and Amazon Music as the kings of the music streamers – for now, at least.

Hi-res audio: once the preserve of obsessive audiophiles who spend all their extra cash on the very best headphones and pricey Tidal subscriptions, the best-sounding music is becoming a little more attainable thanks to Apple Music and Amazon Music Unlimited. 

Both companies announced that they would be bringing hi-res audio to their streaming platforms at no extra cost to subscribers, in a surprising move that’s bound to shake up rivals like Spotify, Tidal, and Deezer. 

To our knowledge, it’s the first time that a music streaming service has offered hi-res audio without tacking on a premium price tag – and in the case of Amazon, it’s actually made its existing, more expensive hi-res tier (Amazon Music HD) free for all subscribers. 

So, will the other major streaming services follow suit? We think it’s about time. 

• Read our Apple Music review
• The best headphones you can buy today
• Apple AirPods 3 price, release date, and rumors

What is hi-res audio?

Hi-res audio is lossless audio that’s capable of reproducing the full range of sound from recordings that have been mastered from better-than-CD quality music sources. In other words, hi-res music files closely replicate the sound created in the studio at the time of recording, revealing far more detail and clarity in the music than ‘lossy’ formats like MP3. 

While hi-res audio is growing in popularity, it’s not a new concept. However, it’s becoming far more accessible than it used to be, with a growing number of music streaming services offering 24-bit/192kHz files transferred at a rate of 9,216kbps. 

However, these streaming services often hide their hi-res audio files behind expensive subscription prices; for example,Tidal Premium costs $9.99 / £9.99 / $11.99 a month while Tidal HiFi is far more expensive at $19.99 / £19.99 / AU$23.99 a month. 

That could all be about to change with the latest announcements from Amazon and Apple,  as the two tech giants bring hi-res audio to all subscribers – no extra cost necessary.

What’s next for streaming services?

Apple and Amazon’s announcement comes not long after Spotify announced that it would be introducing a new streaming tier, Spotify HiFi.

Spotify HiFi, which is launching later this year, is set to bring CD-quality files streaming to the world’s most popular music platform. Although it will offer lossless audio at upwards of 1411kpbs, Spotify hasn’t committed to truly hi-res audio yet.

What’s more, Spotify HiFi is expected to cost more than a regular Premium subscription – but Apple and Amazon’s delivery of hi-res audio at no extra cost could force the streaming giant’s hand, and cause it to offer the service for free to existing subscribers. 

It could spell trouble for the likes of Tidal too, which has traditionally been marketed as an upscale alternative to the likes of Spotify, with its collection of hi-res Tidal Masters. If Apple and Amazon can offer the same service for free, why would anyone fork out for a Tidal HiFi subscription?

It seems that there’s no real reason for making hi-res streaming more expensive than the lossy files we’ve become accustomed to. Over the last decade, storage has become more affordable, playback hardware has become faster, and broadband and mobile downloading has become more affordable. In short, hi-res audio is more attainable than ever, and music streaming prices should reflect that.

There are, of course, other costs associated with hi-res music. To fully appreciate higher-quality music files, you’ll need a decent pair of headphones or speakers, and you may even want to invest in an external DAC for your phone or PC to really get the most out of your music. 

Still, making hi-res streaming less expensive is the first step in democratising high quality music, and making it more accessible for casual music listeners. Hi-res audio is no longer the sole preserve of audiophiles, and Apple and Amazon are the first companies to recognize this. Here’s hoping the other major streaming services follow suit soon.

• How to get the most out of your music streaming service

Music streaming platforms have been with us for over a decade now. They’ve brought us choice, as you no longer have to rely on what’s stocked in your local record shop, or what albums you can borrow from friends. Now, you can pick whatever you like from millions upon millions of songs. Want to listen to Queen’s Greatest Hits while doing the laundry? Or Lebanese torch songs while putting it out to dry? You can. But, as amazing as this is, the choice they present can be quite daunting. That blinking cursor, what to type in... what should you listen to? 

With most streaming services costing around $10 / £10 / AU$12 a month, some people choose to subscribe to more than one, as each has their own advantages and quirks. So, if you’ve ever wanted to get more out of streaming, this is the place to be. Streaming services are a great way of discovering new music, both recently released and heritage acts who are new to you. They’re also platforms not just for music but spoken word and videos too, with a wealth of exclusive podcasts and concert footage available. 

Top tips for any music streaming service

There are similarities between the three platforms we’re going to look at: Spotify, Apple Music, and Tidal. So first we’ll give a rundown of how to get the best out of any music platform, and these tips can be used for pretty much any platform including Deezer and Amazon Music. Then we’ll go into detail about what makes each one special.

Moving playlists

If you’re swapping playlists between services, then we’d recommend an online transfer website such as tunemymusic.com. It’s not completely free but for the price of a frothy coffee you can move all the playlists you like for a month. The website has also been recommended by Tidal themselves.

Likes, listens, and dislikes

Each of the three streaming services we’re going to take a look at uses a mix of algorithms, human music curators, and the data that you supply in order to recommend music. You can – and should – take an active role in this by liking tracks. Push the heart button on an artist, track or album and that’ll add data to your profile. This will allow the app to figure out what else you might enjoy. It’ll add music to playlists and let you know about relevant new album releases. Liking is a faster way of building a music profile than just racking up hours of listening. It also saves the music to your online library allowing you to access it faster next time. Apple Music slightly differs here as it also has a Dislike button, but according to users, it has little effect on your future suggestions.

Ethics

It’s an important question to ask yourself when using streaming services: how much of your subscription payment actually reaches the artists who created the music in the first place? There’s much debate on the subject and unfortunately, the worst of the bunch for paying artists is Spotify. It pays around $0.00437 per stream, considerably less than Apple’s $0.00783 per stream and artist-centric Tidal, which gives out an even higher rate of $0.01284 per stream. This still won’t pay the bills for most mid-range artists, and we certainly don’t think that you should cancel your Spotify subscription because of this. Instead, consider other ways of paying artists the money they deserve. Spotify has set up a donate button, perhaps feeling the heat from artists such as Nadine Shah, who’s been very vocal about how little she earns from streaming. EDM artist Marshmello was one of the first to sign up to Spotify’s new scheme. On a participating artist’s page you’ll see a ‘Make A Contribution’ button, this will take you to an external site where 100% of your donation goes directly to the artist. 

Home hardware and car integration

Both Tidal and Spotify can connect to Sonos speakers directly without having to use the app. Tap the icon that looks like a speaker beside the play button and it will list all available devices, including Google Cast devices like TVs. Apple Music can only connect to newer Sonos speakers that have AirPlay built in. You can work around this by adding Apple Music to your Sonos app, but you’ll have to play the music through the Sonos app instead of Apple Music.

Casting to a TV is pretty much the same on all the major services, as they can all connect using Chromecast. Frustratingly, you can’t Chromecast from an Apple device using Apple Music, so you’ll need to be running Android with Apple Music installed. AirPlay is Apple’s version of ChromeCast and will connect to your Apple TV or a compatible TV such as one made by Samsung.

Connecting your streaming services to a car is similar to casting, and you can use Wi-Fi in some cars, but we’d recommend plugging the phone in by USB to avoid any connection issues. The two main platforms are Android Auto and Apple’s CarPlay. Both are supported by the major players. However Tidal has the upper hand as you can stream their Hi-Res Audio Masters to a car, ensuring the best quality music on your ride. If you can, download several albums to your device before you set off to make sure you don’t have any breaks in sound due to bad signal.

And if you’re having trouble connecting to your car, then take a listen to Spotify’s podcast “How To Use Spotify With Your Car” which details exactly how to use Spotify with each different system. They really do think of everything, speaking of which...

How to get the most out of Spotify

Spotify is the most well-known and most popular of all the streaming services. It began life as a small start-up in Stockholm, Sweden. Founders Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon wanted to create a platform to stream music, as music lovers were turning to pirates in order to listen to MP3s. Record labels were falling behind the digital age and instead of trying to find solutions they were blaming the pirates and users. Spotify solved the problem by offering a flat fee and access to the world’s music at the touch of a button. Well, we say solved, as it also created some new problems particularly when it came to paying the artists who created the music in the first place. Despite this, streaming is here to stay and to be honest, it’s brilliant. So where to start with Spotify?

• Read our full Spotify review

Music discovery

This is where Spotify really flexes its muscles. With an in-house team of music selectors, you’ll find a playlist to suit your every mood, tastes, and future obsession that you didn’t even know you had yet. The biggest playlists on Spotify at the moment are Today’s Top Hits, Global 50, and the highly influential Rap Caviar. There are also mood-based playlists such as ‘Songs to Sing in the Shower’ and ‘Yoga and Meditation’. 

Many will know the two bespoke playlists Discover Weekly and Release Radar, which you’ll find in the Made For You section. Both are based on your tastes, so that’s what you’ve liked and what you listen to. That’s then mixed in with Spotify’s algorithms and their music team’s selections. Discover Weekly is mainly about music you might not have heard of and is in some way related to your likes. It’s not time specific, so old and new music can pop up there. You might find that it throws up music that you already know really well in there, but that’s because you haven’t told Spotify that you like it. Release Radar is all about new music, it arrives just for you every Friday and it’s packed full of music that’s only just been released. It’s such a good playlist, that you’ll find yourself looking forward to it each week. But remember, it’s only as good as the data you give it, so keep liking and listening.

Beyond these two is a wealth of playlists that can help expand your musical knowledge. Just hit Browse and you’ll see a panel of boxes to suit moods and genres. Radar is where you’ll find stacks of playlists dedicated to the bright new things of tomorrow. Playlists here are mainly split into areas of the globe, from US Latin to new music from France and India. Search for Fresh Finds and you’ll find genre based playlists that are updated with future hits every Wednesday. 

Of course, it being the biggest streaming service, you‘ll find that your favorite artists and labels have more than likely posted a Spotify playlist on socials that you can follow. They’re less likely to do this than with say Tidal or Deezer.

Spotify also provides the famous Spotify Unwrapped at the end of each year, counting up your favorite artists, album and genres. The genres should be taken with a pinch of salt (I bet you didn’t know that you’d been listening to Chamber Psych all of last year). 

Sharing is caring

Spotify leads the pack when it comes to collaborative playlist making. Just create a regular playlist, and in the top right corner you’ll see an icon that looks like a person with a plus beside them. Tap here and it’ll generate a link you can send to friends. They can then add anything they like and their username will be displayed by the track so you know who’s added what. 

Group Session is currently in Beta and it’s available on Android and iOS. Unlike collaborative playlists, these playlists also share a play button, meaning if you’re partying in two different countries, you’ll still be listening to exactly the same track at the same time. You’ll find the option at the bottom of the Connect menu that looks like a speaker near the play button.

Sharing playlists can either be done using the share icon or using Spotify Codes. You may have seen them around, they look like a row of vertical black lines of different lengths. They’re generated underneath the artwork when you push the three dots in the corner. Note that you can’t generate them in iOS, but you can capture them. So if you’ve seen one out and about, and want to know what music it’s linked to, go to Spotify’s search, push the camera icon, and you’ll be able to capture it and have a listen.

Casting, lyrics, and searching

In full screen mode, which is accessed by tapping on the artwork while playing, you’ll find a few extra features particularly when playing popular tracks. For instance, most of Arianna Grande’s catalogue features short videos that loop. On other songs, such as Redbone by Childish Gambino you’ll see “Behind The Lyrics” at the bottom of the page. Tap this to bring up Spotify Genius, which will display a mixture of facts and lyrics. It’s not really suitable for karaoke as not all the lyrics are shown, but the facts are interesting and give real insight into the songs. Beyond this we’re waiting for the much rumored Spotify Karaoke to appear.

Spotify has a powerful search engine. You can use “label:Warp” and it will find everything on dance label Warp Records. You can combine searches using AND and NOT or + and -. So typing in “label:warner AND artist:Neil Young” will find you the only song on Spotify that Neil Young has released on Warner.

Sound quality and downloads

Spotify Premium offers three tiers of audio quality, Normal 96kbps, High 160kbps and Very High 320kpbs. It’s fine for general listening, and most won’t notice the compression.

Later this year, Spotify HiFi will be available to Premium subscribers in "select regions" and will deliver music as "CD-quality, lossless audio format[s] to your device and Spotify Connect enabled speakers". No firm release date has been announced yet, but Spotify says that it will be rolled out in these (yet to be confirmed) regions "later this year", with the company teasing that it will have "more details to share soon". Pricing is also yet to be announced, but as an optional add-on for Premium users, it probably won't be free.. 

If you have a cap on your mobile data usage, consider using the Data Saver option in Settings, this will bring the quality down to 24kbit/s and will also disable unnecessary graphics. In Settings you can also specify what quality you’d like when using Wi-Fi or when using cellular data. If you are worried about data usage while on the move, then Spotify offers a very simple way of downloading music. At the top of an album or playlist is a large switch to download – use this when you’ve got Wi-Fi so you can enjoy your music when you haven’t.

Podcasts

Spotify isn’t just about music, the company now has its own in-house podcast production arm called Spotify Studios and has been buying up well-respected production companies such as Gimlet. The hugely successful Joe Rogan Experience is now exclusive to Spotify. Podcasts haven’t traditionally been exclusives, even Apple who pioneered them didn’t really delve into exclusives. So in reality you’ll still find many of Spotify Originals podcasts on Apple’s platform and other places too – sometimes they’ll appear first exclusively on Spotify then be accessible elsewhere after a time.

Spotify has also launched a new podcast subscription service, just over a week after Apple Podcasts Subscriptions was announced at the tech giant's spring event. 

Spotify's new subscription model allows podcast creators to charge fans extra for exclusive content via its podcast production platform Anchor, and it's launching in the US immediately before being rolled out globally.

How to get the most out of Apple Music

Arising from the ashes of iTunes and headphone maker Beats’ own streaming service Beats Music in 2015 is relative newcomer, Apple Music. Apple’s pedigree in music is not to be sniffed at; as creators of the iPod, the next giant leap in portable music from Sony’s groundbreaking Walkman, they made digital music accessible to more people than ever before. 

Like Spotify, Apple Music features stacks of playlists including time sensitive suggestions. For example, a Cooking Dinner playlist will pop up in the evenings and the Afternoon Listening selection will be packed full of relaxing tunes.

Unlike Spotify, there’s no outright free ad-supported option, but there’s a free trial for everyone that lasts a generous three months. It’s priced at exactly the same as Spotify at $9.99 / £9.99 / AU$11.99  for an individual user and $14.99 /£14.99 / AU$17.99 for a family of up to six people. Apple offers a flat data rate, capped at 256kbps, which is lower than Spotify’s max of 320kbps.

• Read our full Apple Music review

Apple Music radio

Who says radio is dead? Well, Apple Music doesn’t think so because they’ve got three live radio stations, with staff poached from the BBC’s best music stations. Music Hits provides a playlist of well-known hits from the ’80s, ’90s, and 2000s. From that we’d recommend the show Strombo, with each show featuring a guest, such as hip-hop group The Roots or American College Rock veterans Weezer who pick their fave tracks. See if your favorite artist has done a show.

Apple Music 1 is the main of the three live stations and features former BBC Radio 1 and MTV DJ, Zane Lowe. His weekday showNew Music Daily (NMD) and The Zane Lowe Show are jam-packed full of the latest tunes featuring everyone from former hairy rockers Kings of Leon to up-and-coming experimental soul artist Serpentwithfeet. The Apple Music 1 List show is a go to program for pop fans who want to find a new obsession. And if country music’s your bag, then saddle up and take a ride over to their third station Apple Music Country. Apple also offers exclusive video interviews with artists such as Rick Rubin and Taylor Swift. 

Artist-focused playlists

Apple Music has a really in-depth selection of playlists to get to know an artist’s repertoire. ‘Essentials’ playlists are a run down of an act’s best songs, ‘Deep Cuts’ are a deeper selection of music you might have missed and then there’s ‘Inspired’ and ‘Inspired by’ which looks at their influences and who they’ve subsequently influenced. These artist-based playlists are created by Apple as opposed to Spotify’s, which are often not made in-house, and instead created by their subscribers, which can lead to more random selections.

Lyrics and karaoke

Apple Music is forging a new path for streaming services, as it offers full lyrics and a workable Karaoke mode for many bigger songs. For instance, you can go full screen mode while playing the wonderful Cranes In The Sky by Solange by tapping on the artwork. In the bottom right corner of the app you’ll see an icon that looks like a speech bubble with quotation marks – push that and you’ll enter lyric mode. The lyrics will pop up on screen in real-time, perfect for Karaoke. You can even scroll down while it’s playing and then tap on a lyric to skip to that exact part of the song. If you’re using Apple TV you can cast them onto a screen, however we found that when using Android and ChromeCast it was a bit unreliable at displaying the lyrics.

How to get the most out of Tidal

Tidal was originally launched in 2014, but many of us first heard of it when a year later it was relaunched by Jay-Z and his best mates Madonna, Jack White, and the now-divorced Daft Punk (who didn’t even take their helmets off). Billed as being artist-owned, it aims to get a better deal for both musicians and listeners. For musicians, Tidal pays higher than most per stream, working out at nearly double of what Spotify pays. Plus, listeners get much higher quality streams, if they’re willing to pay extra for a HiFi subscription.

• Read our full Tidal review

Tidal Rising

Tidal Rising showcases the best new music on offer and there's a plethora of Rising playlists to choose from. The biggest of which consists of 100 tracks, which features music from a wide range of genres. Unlike Spotify, which uses your data mixed in with it’s own algorithms to generate a list of music it thinks you’ll like, Tidal Rising comes straight from Tidal’s own music team. If you want playlists generated by what you’ve liked in Tidal then you’ll need to head to ‘My Collection’

There,Tidal will generate several playlists called ‘My Mix’. They will only appear once you’ve listened to and liked enough music, and will create up to eight separate playlists based on your listening, each concentrating on a different genre. These only update every now and then, rather than Spotify’s Friday playlist release schedule. If you like a particular My Mix, hit save and it’ll save as a separate playlist and won’t disappear when it gets automatically updated.

Tidal Masters

In the early days of streaming, many audiophiles eschewed streaming and stuck with downloads, as the services just weren’t up to scratch in the audio quality department. Streaming meant a much lower bit rate as internet service providers couldn’t cope with high data transfers. That has changed thankfully, and Tidal is leading the way with their Tidal Masters series. 

To get the very best out of Tidal, we’d recommend that you go for the HiFi tier ($19.99 / £19.99 / AU$23.99 a month). Neither Spotify or Apple Music offer anything nearly as good (even if Spotify HiFi is on the horizon). High quality audio in Tidal will have a gold ‘Master’ or ‘M’ beside it to denote its superior sound quality. The bitrate is beyond CD quality (44.1 KHz/16 bit), as it’s typically 96kHz/24-bit. Masters is the result of a partnership with MQA to bring studio quality audio to your app without lots of compression or requiring massive data transfers. 

But that’s not all it does. Many high resolution audio files are simply conversions of CD masters or masters designed for other platforms. Instead, MQA cuts out the middleman and gives you audio straight from the producer’s studio rather than a conversion of a conversion. And as a subscriber to their HiFi tier, you’ll be able to download these Hi-Res tracks and save them to your device, which is particularly handy when listening to music in the car. 

Exclusive videos and 360 Reality Audio

Unlike many other streaming apps, Tidal has a dedicated section for videos accessible from the home page. Here you can watch many full length concerts in full as well as classic Hip Hop videos all within the app and they can be cast in HD to your TV. 

360 Reality Audio uses Sony’s spatial audio technology to separate instruments and sounds into a virtual 3D space. That means if you’re listening to Santana’s 1968 concert at Fillmore you’ll be able to pick out the bongo player on your right and Santana’s guitar solo will appear right in front of you. Once paired with a pair of compatible Sony headphones, you can even customize the sound to the shape of your ears. Tidal also has an online magazine with some great long form articles about artists.

Beyond Spotify, Apple, and Tidal

If you’re after extremely high quality audio and don’t want to go with Tidal, then have a look at veteran French streaming service Qobuz. It specialises in classical music, which shines when played in Hi-Res. Deezer also has a Hi-Res tier, which is worth looking at, and it has a workable karaoke mode similar to Apple Music.

You might not know that one of the biggest streaming services in the world right now is Amazon Music. A slimmed down version of Amazon Music is given away with every Prime subscription with access to just 2 million songs. Amazon Music Unlimited has two tiers much like Tidal, Standard and HD, and they’re priced very similarly and a discount is available to Prime users. Somewhat unexpectedly, Amazon Music Unlimited pays quite highly per stream at $0.012. But, if you really want to put money in a musician's pockets, look at Bandcamp. There you can pay artists directly, and you can buy real-life records from there too – remember those?

• The best headphones you can buy today

Choosing the best music streaming service for your needs can be tricky. While streaming is still relatively new in the grand scheme of music listening, there are so many platforms to choose from these days. But which is right for you in the battle of Spotify vs Tidal? 

Spotify is currently the world’s most popular streaming service, hitting 165 million subscribers in July 2021 and continuing to grow, despite mounting competition from the likes of Apple Music. 

However, Spotify isn’t perfect as a service. We're still stuck with lossy audio streams as Spotify Hi-Fi has yet to launch, and the controversy surrounding Joe Rogan has started to push users and creators away from the platform.

This is where Tidal can come in. With a focus on providing Hi-Res Audio at a CD-like level of quality, the platform was acquired in 2015 by hip-hop star Jay-Z, becoming the first major music service to be owned by the artists themselves. Tidal claims to pay higher royalties than its competitors to artists and songwriters.

It’s not just about ethics and audio quality, though; both Spotify and Tidal offer different user experiences, pricing structures, and music catalogs - so finding the best choice for your needs can be confusing.

Check out our full Spotify review and Tidal review for an in-depth look at both products. We've also put together this handy guide to both services so you can compare them in one easy place, and hopefully find out whether Spotify or Tidal is the best streaming service for you. 

Spotify vs Tidal: Price and availability 

Both Spotify and Tidal offer a number of different subscription tiers. 

In the UK, Spotify is the only service that offers a free plan (though it is ad-supported and you can’t listen to tracks in the order you want). But in the US, you can use Tidal Access, which limits your listening to a selection of tracks curated by Tidal.

The cheapest paid Spotify plan is Spotify Premium, which costs $9.99 / £9.99 / AU$11.99 per month, and gives you unlimited access to its 80 million-plus track library on your laptop, phone, and tablet. Spotify Premium also lets you download tracks to three devices at a time for offline playback. 

Discounts are available for students, and you can even get Premium and access to mindfulness app Headspace under one discounted plan. Students get Headspace access as part of their Premium package.

If there are a few people in your household that want to use Spotify, you can save money by signing up to a Spotify Premium for Family account, which allows up to six people to connect to Spotify at one time (if you try to do this with a regular account, you’ll get bumped off the service as soon as another user plays a song). This tier costs $15.99 / £16.99 / AU$17.99, and requires all members to live under the same roof. 

There's now also a Premium Duo account option, too. Ideal for couples, it's the same as the Family account, but only for two of you. This tier costs $12.99 / £13.99 / AU$15.99

There are a number of Tidal price points and they all come with a month-long Tidal free trial. It used to offer a cheaper premium tier with quality aligned with Spotify's, but now the lowest tier includes Hi-Res Audio. This tier is called Tidal HiFi, and it costs $9.99 / £9.99 / AU$11.99, and offers streams at a bitrate of 1411 Kbps.

One tier up is HiFi Plus. This is $19.99 / £19.99 / AU$23.99 for lossless High Fidelity sound quality (also at 1411 Kbps), as well as Master Quality audio (up to 9216 Kbps), and immersive audio, that's 360 Reality Audio and Dolby Atmos Music.

Like Spotify, there are also family-friendly options here, too. Family HiFi is $14.99 / £14.99 / AU$17.99 a month, which includes up to 5 additional family members with the same 1411 Kbps of sound quality as regular HiFi. And there's a family version of HiFi Plus, which offers the same extras for 5 more accounts for $29.99 / £29.99 / AU$35.99.

There's also a 50 percent discount for students who sign up to Tidal, as well as discounts for people serving in the military and first responders in the US.

So Spotify doesn’t provide higher fidelity listening for audiophiles like Tidal does – at least not yet. 

Spotify vs Tidal: User interface

One of the reasons that Spotify is so popular is down to its easy-to-use interface. When you open up the app, you’ll find a number of personalized playlists - your ‘Daily Mixes’ – that have been curated by Spotify based on your listening habits, alongside your top artists, top playlists, and new releases. 

That’s a thing to note about Spotify; there are a lot of playlists. That might sound daunting, but it’s a strategy that works as its algorithms ultimately tailor the app to each user.

Everything is laid out in colorful tiles that pop against Spotify’s dark background. The tile system is just small enough to make selecting new albums and playlists easy while packing in plenty into a timeline of content that’s ultimately curated to what you’ve been listening to and what you might want to jump into next. 

On the desktop app and web player, there’s a sidebar on the left of the screen that lets you navigate new music releases, radio stations, as well as your library, playlists, recently played songs, and more. In the mobile app, these sections are a little more hidden away to save space, and it’s worth noting that the layout of the desktop and mobile platforms are a little different.

Searching is very intuitive and even if you misspell an artist’s name, Spotify will generally find what you’re looking for. 

Tidal uses a similar tile-based interface on a dark background, and you’ll find curated playlists, recommended albums, and charts on your home screen. Clicking the sidebar will take you to your ‘My Music’ area, where you’ll find all your saved tracks, and browsing is generally very easy. 

You can’t search by genre, unlike Spotify, which is a shame for a platform aimed at true music lovers. Search generally isn't terribly smart - misspell an album or artist name even by one character or one piece of punctuation, and you'll be left with zero results. A bit of optimization here wouldn't hurt, but as long as you're careful you won't have any problems with it.

Saying that, Tidal does boast one cool feature that Spotify doesn’t; audio-search is essentially like having Shazam built directly into the app. Press the button and it’ll listen out for any song it can pick up in your environment, identify it, and allow you to save it to your own Tidal library.

Spotify vs Tidal: Compatibility 

You can get Spotify on Android, iOS and Windows Phone devices. If you use a laptop or desktop, Spotify also supports OS X and Windows, and there’s a flash-based web player, too. 

Support for Tidal is largely the same, so you can get it on devices that run iOS 11 and higher, Android 5 and higher, macOS, and Windows. Both streaming platforms are also supported by a number of more left-field gadgets, including AV receivers, TVs, and even cars. 

Spotify vs Tidal: Music catalogue and discovery 

Spotify boasts more than 80 million songs, which is currently the same as Tidal. 

Spotify’s strong influx of tracks helped it take off in its early days, and with a reported 40,000 tracks added on average every single day – it’s showing no signs of slowing down. 

The streaming giant has a heavy focus on promoting new tracks and breakthrough artists, through curated playlists like New Music Friday acting as a launchpad for fledgling artists to break through into the big time. 

Curated playlists are almost always the first thing you see when you load any version of the app, with the service seemingly designing playlists for almost every music sub-genre. These are constantly being updated too, so your favorite ones never grate following extended use.

As we mentioned before, you’ll also find personalized playlists based on your listening habits, which is a fantastic way to discover new music, as well as revisit some of your favorite tracks. 

Spotify does have some glaring omissions in its music catalog, however, largely down to artists who don’t want to make their music available to stream anywhere or artists who have a particular dislike of Spotify’s royalty payments.

You won’t find artists like Joanna Newsom and Garth Brooks on Spotify, and for a while, you couldn't even listen to The Beatles – though you’ll find their entire discography on the streaming platform these days (thank goodness).

Some of the artists who are absent from Spotify have close ties to Jay-Z and therefore favor his platform, Tidal. Beyoncé’s 2019 album Lemonade debuted on Tidal exclusively, for example.

That means Tidal’s catalog can feel somewhat skewed towards hip-hop and rap artists, though it’s possible that this is down to the platform’s editorial curation of its tracks. 

That being said, Tidal does a good job of curating music playlists based on your listening habits, and you’ll find that just a few weeks of use will give its algorithms enough information to serve you truly exciting recommendations.

Aside from these personalized recommendations, Tidal also signposts the most popular playlists and releases on its service, as well as mood-based playlists, and the Tidal Rising section, which flies the flag for new talent. 

Both platforms also offer podcasts, though it seems like Spotify is taking this area a little more seriously, having spent over $200 million to acquire two podcast production companies in 2019 and signing a deal in 2020 believed to be worth around $100 million to exclusively distribute Joe Rogan's podcast - though this may have backfired somewhat.

Spotify vs Tidal: Audio quality

If you subscribe to Spotify Premium, you can choose between three sound quality levels: normal, high, and extreme. When using the mobile and desktop apps, Spotify uses Ogg Vorbis. This was a semi-popular format a decade ago, and Spotify continues to use it because it's open-source so Spotify doesn't have to pay a license fee for it.

At Standard setting, music streams at 96kbps, while switching up to the high-quality setting bumps the bitrate up to 160kbps. The extreme setting uses 320kbps, which is perceptually close to lossless. Spotify doesn't yet offer any lossless or Hi-Res streaming, which is one reason why audiophiles might want to consider another service. 

If you’re dead-set on the best possible audio quality, then Tidal is your best bet. For that, you’ll need a Tidal HiFi subscription, which allows you to stream lossless 16-bit FLAC and ALAC audio – though there are also thousands of TIDAL Masters files that stream at 24-bit. 

Why bother with lossless streaming? Well, Hi-Res Audio codecs are capable of reproducing the full range of sound from recordings that have been mastered from better-than-CD quality music sources, a sound that closely replicates the quality that the musicians and engineers were working with in the studio at the time of recording.

The increased bit depth of HRA improves the dynamic range, basically giving you a greater breadth of things to actually hear from the recording, making tracks sound more detailed and clear. 

It’s a little like the difference between SD and HD television; the former works just fine, but you’ll notice a real difference in quality if you make the upgrade to higher resolution audio.

Takeaway

Choosing between Spotify and Tidal largely comes down to whether you care about Hi-Res Audio; if you do, you won’t find it in Spotify, and you should absolutely opt for Tidal. 

It’s also worth considering Tidal if you’re a devoted fan of specific artists like Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Kanye West, and others – these artists are likely to release music exclusively on Tidal, at least to begin with, with releases trickling down to Spotify months later. 

Even with these few omissions, Spotify and Tidal are pretty much on the same level in terms of music catalogue and discovery, and both platforms’ cheapest subscription tiers cost the same (though only Spotify offers a free service in all regions).

Spotify does win out in terms of its interface; while the two platforms are pretty similar in this regard, Spotify’s search function is much better than Tidal’s, and it’s just a little bit easier to navigate as a platform. 

Tidal review: Two-minute review

Tidal is our top streaming service recommendation if you're after the best possible audio experience. Since it launched in 2014, Tidal has positioned itself as a solid rival to other platforms, with a strong commitment to prioritizing both artists and sound quality. In recent years, it has expanded its offering to include over 100 million tracks, mirroring Spotify's library size, and enhanced both its user interface and social sharing capabilities.

Despite the fact it looks similar to Spotify, Tidal sets itself apart in two significant ways. First, it ensures artists receive fairer compensation per stream compared to many competitors. Second, it provides listeners with exceptional CD-quality audio.

Tidal isn’t for casual listeners. But for those who take their audio experience seriously, Tidal offers a sonic paradise. Particularly for anyone who owns high-quality audio gear, like the best noise cancelling headphones or the best surround sound system, Tidal's lossless and high-resolution audio files are designed to complement sophisticated setups, deliver a rich and immersive listening experience. Not sure if this applies to you? Start with the 30-day free trial. You might not notice a difference between Tidal and your music streaming service of choice, but you might notice the difference immediately and realize what you’ve been missing out on.

While Tidal is a leading choice for high-fidelity music streaming, it’s not without competition. Deezer also caters to the high-resolution audio market, and both Amazon Music Unlimited and Qobuz offer CD-quality streams. However, Tidal's combination of a user-friendly interface, exclusive content and commitment to audio excellence secures its position as a top pick for audiophiles who prioritize quality and artist connection above all else. 

Tidal review: Pricing and subscription

• Individual subscription: $10.99 / £10.99 / $11.99 for Tidal HiFi
• DJ add-on: $9 / £9 per month
• A 30-day free trial

You used to have two subscription options with Tidal, Tidal HiFi and Tidal HiFi Plus – but not any more; not since April 2024, when the service bundled its once-'Hi-Fi Plus' streaming option down to an Apple Music-matching price – ie. $10.99 / £10.99 / AU$12.99 per month (rather than $19.99 / £19.99 / AU$23.99 a month. Yes, we know that's huge). 

For this fee, you get the Tidal high-resolution 'Plus' audio option (with a lovely lossless audio tier), for Tidal HiFi money. There's also a $9 / £9 DJ add-on, which gives you catalog access and stem separation via select DJ partners, a half-price student tier (also hi-res, and you can also add your DJ stems here, if you wish) as well as a $16.99 / £16.99 family membership for up to six members of your household. 

Is there a free version of Tidal? That's a tricky question to answer. Sign-up for one of the two options above and you get a 30-day free trial before your subscription kicks in to check it's right for you.

Back in 2021, Tidal also announced it would be launching a Tidal Free plan in the US, a free version of the music streaming service. A number of people then signed up, but as far as we can tell, that option no longer exists and Tidal never made an official announcement saying it was no longer an option. Since then, users have posted to Reddit and other forums saying they were prompted to sign-up for a subscription after using Tidal Free.

Tidal review: Key specs

Tidal review: Music library and content

• More than 100 million tracks
• Over 650,000 videos
• Limited number of podcasts

There are currently more than 100 million tracks on Tidal, which is the same amount you'll find on Spotify and Apple Music. There used to be a time when you’d need to check a music streaming service has your favorite artist before you sign up, but that’s no longer the case now. Although it’s worth mentioning you’re likely to find artists on Tidal who leave (or temporarily leave) Spotify over its various controversies.

Unlike many other music streaming services, Tidal also has a section specially for videos. Right now there are more than 650,000 videos on the platform. You can watch many full length shows and concerts, exclusive content, as well as some classic videos, either within the app or cast them to your TV. This is a cool addition, but you won’t find videos from all of your favorite artists here.

Tidal has added podcasts to its offering. Tidal says it has “curated a selection of podcast series that focus on intimate storytelling”, which means you’ll find a small library of shows that tend to focus on music, creativity and culture. This is a nice addition, but don’t expect the huge selection you’ll find on Spotify covering a range of subjects.

Tidal review: Apps and compatibility

• Mobile and desktop app
• Nice and slick experience
• Tidal Connect for seamless streaming 

Tidal has a mobile app and a desktop app, but you can also listen via a web player too. There are a few key sections in both apps. Home is where you’ll find lots of suggested mixes, artists and albums based on what you’ve listened to before. In Videos you’ll have access to video playlists, documentaries and live content. Go to Explore to search by genre, moods and activities or by quality categories, like HiRes and Dolby Atmos. My Activity is where your most streamed and played artists appear and Your Account is where you can access your collection of mixes, radio stations, playlists, albums, tracks, videos and artists. 

In the desktop app the larger screen the menu is displayed down the left hand side and there you’ll also find all of your playlists. There are standard sharing features too, to Facebook, X and you can copy the track link or even an embed code. In the mobile app, you can share directly to Facebook Stories or Instagram Stories. Some people won’t care about this feature, others will love the Stories-worthy image Tidal creates for you out of the artwork for the track you’re listening to, which you can then share instantly. 

The Tidal apps might be the nicest to use and best-looking compared to its rivals. The design is very similar to Spotify with a grid-like layout, but it feels a little cleaner and less cluttered to scroll through your options. I also like the simple black and gray color palette with bright turquoise accents, as well as the neat font.

Like Spotify, Tidal has a feature called Spotify Connect, which allows you to stream tracks straight from the cloud to a range of other devices, including Cambridge Audio and KEF sound systems, as well as within some cars thanks to Apple’s AirPlay and Android Auto. Simply find the little icon that looks like a speaker in the top right hand corner of whatever you’re playing and compatible devices will appear. 

Tidal review: Playlists and recommendations

• Great recommendations
• Mixes are spot on
• Tidal Rising is fun

Spotify is considered the king of playlists perfectly crafted for you, but Tidal clearly has a powerful algorithm working behind-the-scenes to make solid recommendations too. When you first sign up for the service, you’re encouraged to pick three of your favorite artists. This informs your first mix, called your Welcome Mix. Based on only three artists, I wasn't holding out much hope with this playlist, but it was spot on taste-wise and I listened to nothing else for the first morning I signed up.

The more you like and listen to music, the more Tidal will learn about your tastes and generate different playlists called mixes. Each is based on your listening and focuses on a different genre. These don’t update as regularly as Spotify’s, but tend to do a great job at predicting what users will like. Make sure to hit save if you like a particular mix, this way you can save it as a separate playlist before it gets refreshed. 

The mix of playlist recommendations and updates doesn’t feel as expansive as what Spotify offers, there also aren’t as many fun themed playlists, like Spotify's Wrapped or Daylist, but it’s not too far off. And if you're the kind of person who just wants quality music and doesn't need the themed playlists, then you'll love it here at Tidal.

When it comes to recommendations, a great feature of Tidal’s service is Tidal Rising, which you can find in the explore tab. This is where Tidal spotlights up-and-coming artists from all over the world. It’s a fun way to stay ahead of trends and discover new talent. If you’re at all worried that services like Spotify might serve up the same kind of music and the same kind of artists over and over, Tidal Rising is a good antidote.

Unfortunately, you can’t add local music files to Tidal. This is a bit of a shame but shouldn’t be a dealbreaker for most people. If it is, look at Spotify or Deezer instead. However, you can transfer your music library and your playlists from other music streaming services to your Tidal library via third-party apps. 

Tidal review: Audio quality

• Tidal offers up to 9,216kbps or 24-bit/192kHz with HiRes FLAC
• You'll need good audio tech to make the most of Tidal

You’ll get a great audio experience with Tidal, with a bitrate of up to 9,216kbps or 24-bit/192kHz with HiRes FLAC. 

When you have Tidal, you also have three sound quality options to choose from, which you can manually select. Max is up to 9,216kbps or 24-bit/192kHz, which Tidal says is HiRes Free Lossless Audio Codec (HiRes FLAC). This is best if you’re on 5G or WiFi. High is up to 1411kbps or 16-bit/441.kHz, which Tidal calls “studio quality” in a FLAC format. And finally, Low 320kbps, which Tidal recommends if you have a weak signal. Low actually matches the bitrate on offer from Spotify. With Tidal HiFi, you’ll only get access to High and Low.

I spent a lot of time trialling them, and with the right audio equipment (more on that soon), I could definitely tell a difference between the two options. In summary, Max files are just so much better. With Max, tracks sounded clearer, more detailed and more expansive. This means if you really care about audiophile-grade sound and you have the right kit for it, you’re going to love Tidal.

However, the quality of the sound you hear will depend on a couple of factors. The first is the format and quality of the track you’re playing. In 2023, Tidal made some changes to its service. Before then, it was really its Masters tracks. These had an MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) format. This claims to be a superior format, but not everyone is a fan and not all audio devices support MQA decoding. This could be why Tidal has since moved its focus away from MQA, and no longer seems to refer to tracks as Masters. It now instead calls these higher quality tracks Max tracks or just HiRes tracks.

Tidal says it now offers the best quality version of these tracks, which might be FLAC, or it might be MQA. These tracks are now labelled as HiRes in the Tidal app. Go to Explore and scroll down to HiRes to see them. What seems to be happening here is Tidal is migrating tracks to lossless hi-res audio in the open-source FLAC format. So now you’ll play a HiRes track and it might be MQA or not. Take a look at the image above and you’ll see that Water by Tyla has a small MQA label. Whereas Back on 74 by Jungle has a 24-bit, 44.1Hz FLAC label.

It’s also worth mentioning FLAC will never sound quite as good through an average mobile device's headphone jack as it does from a device with more competent audio hardware. That means you might want to upgrade your headphones or sound system to really make the most of Tidal if you don’t have compatible tech already. 

With Tidal, you used to get Dolby Atmos Music with Sony 360 Reality Audio, but the streaming platform cut ties and ended support for the Sony proprietary spatial audio solution in July 2024. Apple Music , however, does offer Spatial Audio, so it's worth considering this if you like your music truly immersive… 

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• Which is the best music streaming service for you?

Given the innumerable ways you can listen to music nowadays – from the ease of streaming services like Tidal and Spotify to the old school sentimentality of radio – it makes sense to bring all your audio services together into one central system. 

It’s good news, then, that British Audio company Cambridge Audio has announced its new all-in-one music player, the Evo – and it might be the best-looking streamer on the market.

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• Everything you need to know about Hi-Res audio   

The Evo’s minimalist aesthetic should see it slip comfortably into the setups of most living rooms, with a design that takes inspiration from the company’s first ever product, the P40, which launched back in 1968. 

A combination of walnut wood side panels and black anodised aluminum keeps things modern, though, and Cambridge Audio says the Evo also comes with a choice of panels made from Richlite, a new material made primarily from recycled paper. 

At the front of the all-in-one streamer sits a dual-concentric rotary dial, alongside a 6.8-inch LCD display panel that’ll mean you’ll be able to spot what’s playing from a fair distance – if you can’t already hear it, that is.

The Cambridge Audio Evo is powered by a Hypex NCore Class D amplification, which essentially means the detail of your music is preserved while the system remains compact and energy efficient. It’s available in two models: the Evo 150, rated at 150 watts per channel, and Evo 75, at 75 watts per channel.

As for its connections, Cambridge Audio says the Evo comes packed with a wide array of digital and analogue ports, meaning you’ll be able to link up any source – from your CD player to your turntable. Along with optical, coaxial and RCA inputs, there’s also a TV ARC input for connecting your TV using a HDMI cable.

If you prefer to keep things personal, though, a 3.5mm port will let you plug in your favourite pair of headphones and listen to music at your leisure. You can also connect your wireless devices, too, using the Evo’s built-in Bluetooth connectivity.

Stream queen

As you’d expect from an all-in-one music streamer, at the heart of the Evo lies Cambridge Audio’s StreamMagic platform, which allows you to access any number of streaming services at the tap of a button.

You can use the StreamMagic app or the included remote to easily switch between inputs and play all your music from every connected source. Cambridge Audio says both models use ESS Sabre DACs to ensure all digital music is converted to analogue sound without compromising on detail.

That means you’ll be able to stream music from AirPlay, Spotify, Bluetooth, Chromecast, Tidal and more from one centralised system – which is a pretty handy trick. 

The Cambridge Audio Evo 150 and Evo 75 will be available from April 2021, and cost $3,000 / £2,249 (around AU$3,900) and $2,250 / £1,799 (around AU$2,950), respectively. 

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Spotify has introduced yet another upgrade, which should make it easier to find songs you love based on how you're feeling, or the music genre you want to listen to.

You'll soon be able to categorize tracks in your 'Liked Songs' playlist by genre and mood, so you can easily find the perfect soundtrack to your day, rather than listening through your entire eclectic catalog of saved tracks. 

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You'll be able to use the new feature if you have at least 30 tracks in your 'Liked Songs' collection, with the ability to filter the tracks within by up to 15 personalized mood and genre categories, including soulful, moody, chill, dancehall, J-pop, bluegrass, and more.

Free and Premium subscribers will be able to take advantage, and it's set to roll out over the coming weeks to iOS and Android devices in English-speaking countries, including the US, the UK, and Australia.

Spotify HiFi and the K-Pop Exodus

The new feature comes just days after the streaming service announced its new high-quality streaming tier, Spotify HiFi. 

Spotify HiFi will be available to Premium subscribers in "select regions" and will deliver music as "CD-quality, lossless audio format[s] to your device and Spotify Connect-enabled speakers", in a move that could entice music lovers away from services like Tidal, Amazon Music HD, and Deezer. 

No firm release date has been announced yet, but Spotify says that it will be rolled out in these (yet to be confirmed) regions "later this year", with the company teasing that it will have "more details to share soon".

It hasn't all been good news for Spotify in recent days, though. Hundreds of K-pop songs have disappeared from the platform, after a dispute with the South Korean music distributor Kakao M (which also owns the country's top streaming service, MelOn), leaving fans of the genre in the lurch.

In a statement, Spotify said: "The fact that we have not yet reached agreement on a new global deal is unfortunate for their artists, as well as for fans and listeners worldwide. It is our hope that this disruption will be temporary and we can resolve the situation soon."

• Spotify HiFi release date, price, and everything we know so far

Spotify is finally adding high-quality, lossless streaming to its service, in a move that could entice Tidal, Deezer, and Amazon Music Unlimited users over to the popular music streaming platform.

Spotify HiFi will be available to Premium subscribers in "select regions" and will deliver music as "CD-quality, lossless audio format[s] to your device and Spotify Connect enabled speakers".

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No firm release date has been announced yet, but Spotify says that it will be rolled out in these (yet to be confirmed) regions "later this year", with the company teasing that it will have "more details to share soon".

Pricing is also yet to be announced, but as an optional add-on for Premium users, it probably won't be free. 

Aside from its free basic streaming tier that comes with adverts, Spotify Premium is the cheapest tier available, costing $9.99 / £9.99 / AU$11.99 per month. 

In an effort to undercut the competition, Spotify could price its HiFi streaming tier at around $12.99 / £12.99 / AU$16 per month, compared to Amazon's $14.99 / £14.99 and Tidal's $19.99 / £19.99 / AU$23.99 Hi-Res streaming tiers.

About time

Spotify says that "high quality music streaming is consistently one of the most requested new features by our users", and it's little wonder when you consider how many other streaming services have already offered this for years.

Up until now, Spotify audio was limited at 320kbps, unlike CDs, which max out at 1,411kbps – and the upgrade should offer far higher levels of detail and clarity for those with discerning ears. 

The announcement could seriously worry the likes of Tidal and Amazon Music Unlimited, even though it doesn't quite hit the quality levels of Hi-Res, higher bit-rate audio those services offer. Spotify's popularity could well mean the difference in sound quality isn't enough to jump ship.

It puts even more space between Apple Music and the rest of the competition, many of whom won't have this higher-quality tier to subscribe to.

Whether Spotify will dominate the 'HD listening' streaming market as it has done with regular streaming will largely depend on how much it decides to charge for the privilege – and if it can undercut the competition, its easy-to-navigate interface, excellent playlist curation, and wealth of songs could cement its place as the world's most popular streaming service for years to come.

Editor's note: this story previously stated that Spotify HiFI would offer Hi-Res Audio. This mistake has now been rectified.

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[Update: Tidal seems to be back up and running, with users able to login to the app once more. We've reached out to Tidal to find out more about the outages and to confirm whether the service has been restored globally. In the meantime, you can read our original story below.]

Tidal appears to be suffering a widespread outage, as users around the world have found themselves unable to log in to the music streaming service.

Disgruntled music fans have taken to Twitter, claiming that, as well as being unable to login via the Tidal app, have been booted off the service mid-song and met with error messages. 

We were able to login to the webplayer on our laptop, but the reports suggest it's the mobile app which is currently experiencing issues. We're investigating the reports, and are contacting Tidal to find out more information.

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What's new with Tidal?

Tidal recently announced its answer to Apple AirPlay and Spotify Connect, allowing users to wirelessly cast music to their speakers via the app for the first time. 

Tidal Connect is available to Premium and Hi-Fi subscribers, and you'll be able to find it by opening the 'Now Playing' screen while listening to a song, clicking the device selector in the bottom left of the screen, and choosing your compatible device.

The introduction of a casting feature for Hi-Res Audio could certainly make the world of complex Hi-Fi setups a little less daunting for the uninitiated, as well as luring away users from the world's most popular music streaming service, Spotify.

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