Tidal is a service for streaming high-quality audio that focuses on audio quality. It has lossless streaming, which means that the music is streamed at a much higher quality than with other streaming services. Tidal also has a large collection of music, some of which is only available on Tidal. Tidal also has music videos, documentaries, and interviews with musicians, making it a great choice for music fans who want a more immersive experience.
YouTube Music, on the other hand, is a music streaming service that is built into YouTube. It has a huge library of traditional audio tracks as well as music videos, live performances, covers, and remixes. YouTube Music also has a unique feature called “Smart Downloads,” which uses the user’s listening history and preferences to automatically download music for offline listening. This can be especially helpful for people who have limited data plans or shaky internet connections.
Tidal vs YouTube Music Pricing
Price-wise, Tidal and YouTube Music are both the same. You can stream music for free on YouTube Music, but ads will pop up from time to time. On the other hand, there is no completely free option for Tidal. Instead, it has a 30-day trial, and if you don’t pay, you can’t stream music after that.
Both YouTube Music and Tidal cost $9.99 per month to start. The family plan for Tidal costs $14.99, while the family plan for YouTube Music costs $17.99. With Tidal’s HiFi Plus plan, which costs $19.99 per month, you can listen to higher-quality audio.
There is not a higher-quality audio option on YouTube Music, but you could pay $11.99 for YouTube Premium. This gives you access to all the other videos and exclusive content on YouTube, as well as all the music, making it possible to say that you are getting more for your money.
Tidal vs YouTube Music: Comparison Table
| Feature | Tidal | YouTube Music |
|---|---|---|
| Music Catalog | Over 70 million songs | Over 70 million songs |
| Audio Quality | Lossless, Hi-Res, and MQA options available | Variable bit rate, up to 256kbps for non-premium, 320kbps for premium |
| Price (Individual) | $9.99 per month for standard, $19.99 for Hi-Fi | $9.99 per month for premium, $14.99 for family plan |
| Price (Family) | $14.99 per month for standard, $29.99 for Hi-Fi | $14.99 for family plan |
| Free Option | 30-day free trial | Ad-supported free version available |
| Offline Playback | Yes | Yes |
| Podcasts | No | Yes |
| Social Features | Yes | Yes |
| User Interface | Clean and modern | Simple and intuitive |
| Exclusive Content | Yes | Yes |
| Official link | Visit Website | Visit Website |
Tidal vs YouTube Music Features
Tidal or YouTube Music are two popular music streaming services that offer a wide range of features to their users. Tidal is known for its high audio quality. It gives users access to high-resolution music files that make listening to music better.
It also has exclusive content from artists, like behind-the-scenes videos and interviews, as well as curated playlists and personalized recommendations based on the user’s listening habits. Tidal also has a social feature that lets people share music with their friends and follow their favorite artists to find out when they release new music.
On the other hand, YouTube Music is well-known for its huge music library, which has both official and user-made music. It also has music videos, live performances, and covers, making it a one-stop-shop for all music-related content. YouTube Music also has a feature called “personalized mixtape,” which makes a playlist of songs based on what the user likes. It also has a feature called “Smart Downloads,” which automatically downloads up to 500 songs for offline listening based on the user’s listening history and preferences.
Tidal vs YouTube Music UI and Available Platforms
Both YouTube Music and Tidal work well on iOS and Android systems. Apple CarPlay, Windows, Android Auto, mac OS, Apple TV, Android Wear, Android TV, and the Apple Watch are some of these. YouTube Music Premium vs. Tidal can also be played on other TVs and Sonos wireless speakers. Also, both Airplay and Chromecast work great with these services. These streaming services work with Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant, and they also have web players.
Another important thing is that the user interface of the YouTube Music mobile app is almost the same as that of the YouTube app. In addition to the three tabs, you can find subscriptions in the library section of YouTube Music. On the “Home” tab, you can find the song or video that was suggested to you. On the “Explore” tab, you can find news and popular music. Lastly, use the media player to switch between videos and songs quickly.
Tidal’s user interface features older but unique icons and fonts. You can use the separate tab to find the music you want. Also, this streaming service has a tab for searching, which makes it easy to find your favorite songs. You can find all of your videos and songs in the “My Collection” section.
The media player on Tidal is another thing that makes it stand out. It shows you some extra information that you can’t see when you use the YouTube Music app. Tidal also shows the streaming quality of the music that is being played.
Tidal vs YouTube Music Library
When it comes to the number of songs, YouTube Music is ahead of the Tidal platform. The interface for YouTube Music has more playlists that include videos than Tidal. Users are impressed by the YouTube Music Library because it lets them stream music and watch videos. Also, you can add up to 100,000 songs to your library on YouTube Music.
Tidal vs YouTube Music Sound Quality
When it comes to sound quality, Tidal is better than YouTube Music. Tidal stands out from other streaming services because it puts a lot of emphasis on the quality of the sound. If you pay for a premium Tidal account, you can stream music with lossless high-fidelity sound. This means that the bit rate of the audio is 1411kps.
The quality of YouTube Music depends on the bitrate you choose, but the highest bitrate you can use is 256kps. This tells you that the songs on Tidal have a much better sound quality. But only audiophiles with good sound systems will be able to tell the difference. With cheap headphones, it will be hard to tell what the sound.
Tidal: Pros and Cons
Pros
- Excellent sound quality
- Optional hi-res audio tier
- Long-form editorial pieces
- Music-focused podcasts
Cons
- Free tier lacks Tidal’s defining perks
- Relatively expensive
YouTube Music: Pros and Cons
Pros
- Can search for songs by lyrics
- Collaborative playlists
- Family and Student plans
- Free version
Cons
- Doesn’t offer much non-music programming
- Lacks hi-res audio
Which one should you consider?
This comparison of YouTube Music and Tidal has shown that there are only a few small differences between the two best streaming services. So, the streaming service you choose will depend entirely on your own preferences. By the way, you can use the DRmare Tidal Music Converter to help you listen to Tidal music tracks anywhere and at any time. With this smart program, it’s easy to get music from Tidal as regular audio tracks, which you can then listen to anywhere.
FAQs
Is Tidal actually better than Spotify?
If you want high-quality sound, TIDAL is your friend. Normal, High, HiFi, and Master Quality Authenticated are the four streaming quality settings that come with a TIDAL HiFi Plus membership. (MQA). TIDAL lets you cast to smart devices.
Is Tidal sound quality actually better?
Tidal HiFi uses FLAC to deliver more than 80 million lossless tracks (16-bit, 44.1kHz audio files) that are much better than standard definition MP3s or the basic, compressed streams of most of its competitors. With its HD-quality streams, Amazon Music Unlimited is the only service that comes close to what Tidal has to offer.
