Spotify dominates the market with 751M users and 31.7% global subscriber share, offering superior discovery features and affordability. Tidal differentiates itself as an artist-friendly platform with higher per-stream payouts ($0.007-$0.013) and premium audio quality, appealing to audiophiles and artists.
Tidal vs Spotify — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Artist-first streaming service with lossless audio, higher payouts (2.04¢/stream), and 3M+ subscribers.
Freemium music streaming platform with 602M users and AI-powered recommendations.
Global Market Share. Monthly Active Users. Artist Payment Per Stream. Audio Quality. Music Library Size. Discovery Features. Free Tier Availability. Artist Ownership Focus
Spotify remains the industry leader with unmatched user base, market penetration, and discovery features, making it ideal for casual listeners. Tidal serves niche audiences prioritizing sound quality and artist compensation, offering genuine alternatives for audiophiles and socially-conscious music consumers.
Tidal: All tiers | Spotify: Premium only
Tidal: Good (Spotlight Program) | Spotify: Excellent (Discover Weekly)
Tidal: Multi-platform (limited partners) | Spotify: Universal compatibility
Tidal: Basic sharing | Spotify: Advanced (Blend, Collaborative playlists)
Tidal: Integrated music videos | Spotify: Limited/None
Tidal: 320 (MQA Hi-Res) | Spotify: 320 (Standard)
Monthly Subscription Cost (Premium Tier)
Tidal: Yes (HiFi tier) | Spotify: No (Spatial Audio instead)
Tidal: Estimated 5-10 | Spotify: 281 (Q3 2025)
Tidal: Lossless HiFi + MQA | Spotify: 320 kbps AAC (standard)
Tidal: Undisclosed | Spotify: 4.3 (Q3 2025)
Tidal: Limited/Ad-based | Spotify: Full ad-supported tier
Tidal: 24-bit/192 kHz (via MQA) | Spotify: N/A
Tidal: 9216 kbps (Dolby Atmos) | Spotify: N/A
Tidal: iOS, Android, Web, Desktop, Windows | Spotify: N/A
Tidal: Limited visibility | Spotify: N/A
Tidal: 16-bit / 44.1kHz (HiFi tier) | Spotify: N/A
Tidal: Modern, streamlined design | Spotify: N/A
Tidal: Excellent across platforms | Spotify: N/A
Tidal: HiRes FLAC (9216 kbps) | Spotify: 256 kbps AAC lossy
Tidal: 90+ million | Spotify: 100+ million
Tidal: 320 (MQA lossless equivalent) | Spotify: 320 kbps (compressed)
Tidal: Yes (HiFi on all tiers) | Spotify: N/A
Tidal: Yes (all subscribers) | Spotify: N/A
Tidal: Standard interface | Spotify: N/A
Tidal: Artist-first model (higher payouts) | Spotify: N/A
Monthly Subscription Price (Standard Tier)
Tidal: $10.99/month (Premium) or $14.99/month (HiFi Plus) | Spotify: N/A
Tidal: $120/year (HiFi Plus annual discount) | Spotify: N/A
Tidal: Yes (16-bit/44.1kHz minimum) | Spotify: No
Tidal: 100+ million | Spotify: ~100+ million
Tidal: Yes, available on all paid tiers | Spotify: N/A
Monthly Subscription Cost (Standard Tier)
Tidal: 10,000 (HiFi+) | Spotify: 10,000 songs
Tidal: Limited (Rising videos only) | Spotify: N/A
Tidal: N/A | Spotify: Lossless (HiFi tier)
Tidal: N/A | Spotify: Full platform integration with exclusives
Tidal: N/A | Spotify: Secondary feature, available but limited
Tidal: N/A | Spotify: Strict verification required
Tidal: N/A | Spotify: Spotify Individual
Artist Growth Multiplier (focused strategy)
Tidal: N/A | Spotify: 3-5x faster monthly listener growth
Tidal: N/A | Spotify: $0.003-0.005 per stream
Tidal: N/A | Spotify: Requires distribution service
Tidal: N/A | Spotify: Algorithm-driven, slower direct feedback
Tidal: N/A | Spotify: Limited exclusive release functionality
Tidal: N/A | Spotify: HiFi Tier (additional cost)
Tidal: N/A | Spotify: Discover Weekly, Release Radar, Song/Artist Radio, Song Credits expansion
Tidal: N/A | Spotify: $11.99/month (Premium)
Tidal: N/A | Spotify: 320 kbps (Premium)
Tidal: N/A | Spotify: 6+ major platforms
Tidal: N/A | Spotify: All platforms equally
Monthly Subscription Cost (Individual Plan)
Annual Subscription Cost (Individual Plan)
Tidal: N/A | Spotify: Ogg Vorbis, MP3, AAC
Discover Weekly Playlists Generated Weekly
Tidal: N/A | Spotify: 320 kbps Ogg Vorbis
Tidal: N/A | Spotify: Yes — included, no extra charge
Tidal: N/A | Spotify: Yes — largest catalog
Tidal: N/A | Spotify: Yes (limited per plan)
Tidal: N/A | Spotify: Yes (ad-supported, shuffle-limited)
Tidal: N/A | Spotify: Yes (Blend, Friend Activity)
Tidal: N/A | Spotify: Yes (DJ, Smart Shuffle)
Tidal: N/A | Spotify: Via Spotify Connect
Tidal: N/A | Spotify: 9+ (iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, Web, PlayStation, Xbox, Alexa, Smart TVs)
Tidal: N/A | Spotify: 6 skips/hour on ad-supported tier
User Satisfaction with Discovery (2024 survey)
Tidal: N/A | Spotify: 73% satisfied with personalization
Tidal: N/A | Spotify: 500+ (Android, iOS, web, consoles, smart TVs)
Tidal: N/A | Spotify: 6 users at $16.99/month
Tidal: N/A | Spotify: Required (strict verification)
Tidal: N/A | Spotify: 6 hours (with ads)
Tidal: N/A | Spotify: 320kbps Ogg Vorbis
Tidal: N/A | Spotify: 10,000 (5 devices max)
Tidal: N/A | Spotify: Full free tier with ads (shuffle-only on mobile)
Tidal vs Spotify — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Tidal vs Spotify. Contains 168 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Tidal vs Spotify — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Tidal vs Spotify.
Which service pays artists more per stream?
Tidal pays the highest per-stream rate among major platforms at $0.007-$0.013 per stream, significantly higher than Spotify's $0.003-$0.005. This is a key differentiator for artists choosing platforms.
Why is Spotify so much larger than Tidal?
Spotify's 751M users and 31.7% market share result from first-mover advantage, aggressive free tier availability, superior discovery algorithms like Wrapped, lower pricing, and massive marketing investments since 2011.
Is Tidal's audio quality worth the premium price?
For audiophiles with high-end equipment, Tidal's lossless HiFi audio is noticeable. However, most casual listeners on standard devices won't perceive significant quality differences. Value depends on your equipment and priorities.
Spotify offers a robust free ad-supported tier with full features. Tidal has limited free options and primarily focuses on paid subscriptions, making Spotify the better choice for budget-conscious users.
Which service is better for discovering new music?
Spotify excels in music discovery with its proprietary algorithms, Wrapped personalization, and Discover Weekly playlists that generate deep engagement. Tidal's discovery features are more basic, favoring curated playlists.
Global Market Share: Tidal has Emerging challenger, while Spotify has 31.7% dominant leader.
Monthly Active Users: Tidal has Undisclosed millions, while Spotify has 751 million (Q4 2025).
Artist Payment Per Stream: Tidal has $0.007-$0.013 (highest), while Spotify has $0.003-$0.005.
Audio Quality: Tidal has HiFi lossless + MQA, while Spotify has Standard compressed audio.
Music Library Size: Tidal has 100+ million songs, while Spotify has 100+ million songs.
Discovery Features: Tidal has Basic curation, while Spotify has Advanced Wrapped, algorithms.
Free Tier Availability: Tidal has Limited/Premium only, while Spotify has Full ad-supported tier.
Artist Ownership Focus: Tidal has Artist-owned platform, while Spotify has Corporate-owned.