Tidal VS Spotify: Which Streaming Service Should You Use?
According to Confucius, ‘Music produces a kind of pleasure, which human nature cannot do without’. However, it also produces nine-figure revenue for the companies operating in the music streaming industry. By 2020, the total revenue of this industry was estimated as $19.747m, expected to show an annual growth rate of 9.7%. These numbers look attractive enough to make companies constantly improve their services and offerings for the customers despite their current market share. In this article I will compare Tidal to Spotify in terms of content, music discovery, streaming quality, pricing and social features. So, if you have not selected your music streaming provider yet, or you are just curious and want to know more about the subject, you will find this article useful.
What should you know first?
Spotify is a world’s biggest music streaming platform with 286 million monthly active users and 35% of the global market share. It has been successfully operating since 2008 and thus, it has a 6-year longer presence on the market than Tidal. Besides, Spotify covers 92 countries and offers better app support than Tidal. Tidal is available only in 56 countries with over 3m subscribers and has relatively moderate app support.
Content and music discovery
As the basic premise of both platforms is the same, in terms of content they stand on the same page. However, Tidal offers larger library size and does a better job when it comes to exclusives. It is also a better choice to upload and stream all types of music-related videos, movies and performances. On the other hand, when it comes to podcasts, Spotify is the ultimate winner. Both apps browse the music by genre, mood, activity etc. and offer tailored playlists. But in terms of music discovery, Spotify wins.
Social features: which platform is better to promote your personal brand?
If you want to promote your personal brand, check what your friends are listening to or simply share your favorite music to your other social media accounts, then you should go with Spotify. It offers some amazing features such as monitoring the number of listeners and followers. This analytical information helps you to identify the market trends and measure your success. However, attracting followers and engaging new audiences can be extremely challenging, especially for newcomers. Luckily, there is a solution to this problem. You can organically grow your presence by buying Spotify plays and followers on Spotifystorm.
If the streaming quality is the most important
In terms of streaming quality, Tidal is more praised than Spotify. Tidal offers four different audio settings – from Normal to High to HiFi and Master. Spotify is a bit more diverse and lets you select the most suitable plan for you out of five options (Automatic, Low, Normal, High, Premium). However, the streaming quality of Tidal’s High mode is the same as Spotify’s Premium. Besides, if you are looking for lossless music, then Tidal should be your choice.
Does pricing always matter?
Both platforms follow almost similar pricing strategies – discounts for students and special plans for family members. Unlikely to Tidal, Spotify offers a free plan, but the access to its features is very limited. However, if you have a thing for high streaming quality, you have better select Tidal’s HiFi mode, but be ready to pay double the price.
Conclusion
Undoubtedly, both platforms provide high-quality service and your choice should be based solely on your preferences and expectations. Spotify is a better choice if you are more interested in using social features, discovering exciting podcasts or using extensive app support. However, if you are more concerned about high streaming quality, larger library size and videos rather than you should definitely go with Tidal.