TIDAL, an American subscription-based music, podcast and video streaming platform, has launched its services in the UAE.
Launched in 2014, TIDAL offers a library of over 80 million songs and 350,000 videos from favorite artists for music fans with HiFi sound. For artists, TIDAL introduced new ways to get paid to help them create on their terms with support from fans.
TIDAL gives two listening options for fans to choose from, the TIDAL HiFi, and the TIDAL HiFi Plus, with each tier having its own set of perks. The TIDAL HiFi, at $5.50/month, offers interruption-free access to HiFi sound quality in which members can connect TIDAL to speakers including cars, download music to listen offline, and see individualized daily listening insights with the new My Activity feature.
The TIDAL HiFi Plus, at $11/month, features everything the HiFi tier offers, in addition to the introduction of fan-centered royalties and direct-to-artist payouts. HiFi Plus will also continue to provide access to the best-in-class immersive sound formats like Dolby Atmos Music & Sony 360 Audio Recordings and Master Quality Authenticated (MQA), alongside early access to exclusive offerings and future features.
In addition to these two offers, the service also includes the TIDAL Family to enjoy music on up to six accounts for $8.50/month for Family HiFi or $17/month for Family HiFi Plus.
Lior Tibon COO – TIDAL
“The UAE is multicultural, has a strong music culture, and is a leader in bringing world-class entertainment to music fans. Fans can now listen to music and support their favorite artists at the same time as TIDAL continues to extend support for artists with new ways to get paid. We’re excited to support the music culture in the UAE and further put fans and artists’ experiences first.”
For artists, there are two options, the Direct-to-artist payouts program and Fan-centered royalties. The payouts program, which is available now, gives artists an additional source of revenue from streaming, so they can benefit directly from their biggest fans on TIDAL. Each month, a percentage of HiFi Plus subscribers’ membership fees will be directed towards their top streamed artist, which they will see in their activity feed.
Fan-centered royalties, which will be starting later this year, means royalties will be paid based on the actual streaming activity of an individual HiFi Plus subscriber, as opposed to the industry standard of aggregating streams.
In addition to the broad catalog of songs to choose from, TIDAL members will have access to regularly updated playlists showcasing local artists including new music across genres including pop, dance, and electronic.
