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Hi-res stream goes Tidal

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WiMP HiFi, the Scandinavian music streaming service, today announced it will introduce TIDAL to the UK and the U.S. later this autumn. Unlike any other service currently on the market, TIDAL will offer high fidelity sound quality, high definition music videos and curated editorial by experienced music journalists. TIDAL, which will be available across iOS, Android, network players and PC/Macs, will offer “true high fidelity” lossless sound quality.  Music will be available in FLAC on all platforms apart from iOS, where ALAC (Apple Lossless) is used, and available to stream in 44.1 kHz / 16 bit (1411kbps).  For a single monthly subscription, TIDAL claims it is the first to offer both quantity and quality with an extensive music library of 25 million-plus tracks, streaming at more than twice the bit rate of competitive services. TIDAL subscribers will also be able to watch more than 75,000 high definition (HD) music videos, all ad-free. TIDAL’s editors hand pick the music presented in the service, personally selecting and showcasing the best new albums and tracks across all genres every day and provide:

Album spotlights such as album of the week, classical album of the month and hi-fi album of the month.

Playlists with a mission to educate, entertain, and enrich the music experience via in-depth knowledge.

Close-ups on artists, labels, sub-genres and historical eras.

Weekly playlists that present highlights from this week's new and top recommended tracks.

Weekly artist interviews, magazine features and daily magazine articles.

“TIDAL reflects our mission to deliver the highest quality music streaming service,” said CEO Andy Chen (above). “From making sure there’s no loss in sound quality to telling the stories behind the creation of the music, we aim to maximise the listening experience. We are catering to people who really appreciate the quality things in life, whether that is music, sound or lifestyle, because quality should not be compromised and because music fans now demand more from their music service.” As well as live streaming, users can also store music offline by downloading tracks to their preferred devices in the same “CD quality” format.  Where bandwidth rates are reduced, such as when streaming on the move, users can choose to listen to the full catalogue at a lower bitrate, as two alternative streaming formats are also available – High (AAC 320kbps) and Standard (AAC+ 96). TIDAL’s owners launched its original editorial-based music streaming service as WiMP in Scandinavia in 2010 when the music industry was in transition. Consumers embraced the ease of use and four years later the market is once again growing, with streaming accounting for over 70% of recorded music revenues. The HiFi-edition of WiMP was introduced in 2013.

"Initially, streaming was all about access to everything, everywhere, which many services now provide. TIDAL is not just another one of those providers. From the start, we knew that music streaming is not just about millions of tracks or thousands of playlists. Instead, it is about the ultimate music experience that makes you want to stop and listen. Rather than remaining in the background to some other activity, music deserves to take centre stage with quality at its heart," added Chen. As an advertisement-free, lossless, “CD-quality” music and HD video streaming service with extensive curated editorial expertise, TIDAL will be available in the UK and the U.S. for a monthly subscription of £19.99 / $19.99 starting later this autumn. The price difference is apparently “due to market standards”, eg Spotify gets away with something similar, albeit at half the price.

 

 

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