Tidal to Change Subscription, Abandoning the Free Tier

While the changes are mostly about simplifying and reducing prices for users, they will hit the pockets of those using Tidal’s DJ integration. In the past, the DJ integration was available with the HiFi subscription. Now, however, users will be charged an additional $9, totaling $19.99/month—the current HiFi Plus subscription price. Moreover, the military/first-responder discounts will no longer be available.

In addition, Tidal has officially decided to abandon its Tidal Free tier, meaning that anyone on that plan now will have to switch to the new ‘Tidal’ subscription to continue enjoying the platform’s services. The only thing remaining is the student plans, which will still be available at $4.99/month.

As assumed, the new tier model should help Tidal to compete better with Apple Music, Amazon, and Spotify. The reduced subscription prices will allow the company to provide users with a similar offering as Apple Music and Amazon with their hi-res solutions and, at the same time, offer something that Spotify has been lacking. Although Spotify announced its plan to integrate HiFi service over three years ago, it is still nowhere to be found. It is a good tactic for Tidal to take advantage of the situation and become more competitively capable.