Tidal prioritizes lossless and hi-fi audio quality with a 70.7 million song catalog, while Amazon Music offers better value integration with Prime membership and a 100+ million song library. Tidal costs $12.99/month for standard or $23.99/month for hi-fi; Amazon Music is included free with Prime ($14.99/month) or $11.99/month standalone.
Tidal vs Amazon Music — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Artist-first streaming service with lossless audio HiFi, exclusive content, and premium payouts.
Scalable music streaming with 100+ million songs, integrated Prime benefits, and competitive pricing.
Audio Quality Focus. Song Catalog Size. Premium Tier Cost. Artist Payout. Prime Integration. Exclusive Content. User Base (2024)
Choose Tidal if you're an audiophile who values lossless audio quality, want to support artists with higher payouts, and appreciate exclusive content from major artists. Choose Amazon Music if you prioritize affordability, want seamless Prime integration, need access to a massive catalog, and are satisfied with standard audio quality.
Tidal: Good (Spotlight Program) | Amazon Music: N/A
Tidal: Multi-platform (limited partners) | Amazon Music: N/A
Tidal: Basic sharing | Amazon Music: N/A
Tidal: Integrated music videos | Amazon Music: N/A
Tidal: 320 (MQA Hi-Res) | Amazon Music: N/A
Monthly Subscription Cost (Premium Tier)
Tidal: Yes (HiFi tier) | Amazon Music: N/A
Tidal: Estimated 5-10 | Amazon Music: N/A
Tidal: $0.007-$0.013 | Amazon Music: N/A
Tidal: Lossless HiFi + MQA | Amazon Music: N/A
Tidal: Limited/Ad-based | Amazon Music: N/A
Tidal: 24-bit/192 kHz (via MQA) | Amazon Music: N/A
Tidal: 9216 kbps (Dolby Atmos) | Amazon Music: N/A
Tidal: Not available | Amazon Music: N/A
Tidal: iOS, Android, Web, Desktop, Windows | Amazon Music: N/A
Tidal: Limited visibility | Amazon Music: N/A
Tidal: 16-bit / 44.1kHz (HiFi tier) | Amazon Music: N/A
Tidal: Over 100 million | Amazon Music: 100+ million
Tidal: Yes (HiFi+ tier) | Amazon Music: Ultra tier only
Tidal: Streaming only | Amazon Music: N/A
Tidal: Modern, streamlined design | Amazon Music: N/A
Tidal: Excellent across platforms | Amazon Music: N/A
Tidal: HiRes FLAC (9216 kbps) | Amazon Music: N/A
Tidal: 100+ million | Amazon Music: 100+ million
Tidal: Yes, all tiers | Amazon Music: N/A
Tidal: 1411 kbps (lossless) | Amazon Music: 256 kbps (standard tier)
Tidal: Yes (HiFi on all tiers) | Amazon Music: N/A
Tidal: Yes (all subscribers) | Amazon Music: N/A
Tidal: Standard interface | Amazon Music: N/A
Tidal: Artist-first model (higher payouts) | Amazon Music: N/A
Tidal: Limited (embedded from partners) | Amazon Music: N/A
Tidal: FLAC, MQA, WAV (3 formats) | Amazon Music: N/A
Monthly Subscription Price (Standard Tier)
Tidal: $10.99/month (Premium) or $14.99/month (HiFi Plus) | Amazon Music: N/A
Tidal: $120/year (HiFi Plus annual discount) | Amazon Music: N/A
Tidal: Yes (16-bit/44.1kHz minimum) | Amazon Music: N/A
Tidal: Yes, available on all paid tiers | Amazon Music: N/A
Monthly Subscription Cost (Standard Tier)
Tidal: $14.99 | Amazon Music: $14.99 (or $9.99 with Prime)
Tidal: 3 million | Amazon Music: 100+ million (including Prime)
Tidal: 10,000 (HiFi+) | Amazon Music: Unlimited (with limits per device)
Tidal: Limited (Rising videos only) | Amazon Music: Extensive (4K videos, concerts, Wondery docs)
Tidal: $23.99 (HiFi+) | Amazon Music: $11.99 (standalone)
Tidal: 70.7 million | Amazon Music: 100+ million
Tidal: 24-bit lossless | Amazon Music: 16-bit lossy (256kbps)
Tidal: 1.284 cents | Amazon Music: 0.3-0.5 cents
Tidal: 6.4 million | Amazon Music: 70+ million
Tidal: Limited (select devices) | Amazon Music: 200+ Amazon & Alexa devices
Tidal: $22.99 (HiFi) | Amazon Music: N/A
Tidal: Unlimited | Amazon Music: 4 devices, 100 songs per device
Tidal: N/A | Amazon Music: $10.99 (free with Prime)
Tidal: N/A | Amazon Music: 100,000 songs
Tidal: N/A | Amazon Music: 100+ Alexa devices
Tidal: N/A | Amazon Music: Not available
Tidal: N/A | Amazon Music: Yes (ad-supported with Prime)
Tidal: N/A | Amazon Music: iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, web, 500+ devices
Tidal: N/A | Amazon Music: 850 kbps spatial audio
Tidal: N/A | Amazon Music: All Alexa devices (100+ million)
Tidal: N/A | Amazon Music: $139-179 (6 accounts with Prime)
Tidal: N/A | Amazon Music: 30 days (rotational for Prime members)
Tidal: N/A | Amazon Music: Yes (Ultra HD tier)
Tidal: N/A | Amazon Music: Alexa (200M+ Echo devices)
Annual Prime/YouTube Premium Bundle Cost
Tidal: N/A | Amazon Music: $119 (Prime includes music + shipping + Prime Video)
Tidal: N/A | Amazon Music: $5.99/month (with Prime) or $10.99 (standalone)
Tidal: N/A | Amazon Music: 100+ million songs
Tidal: N/A | Amazon Music: 10+ million tracks
Tidal: N/A | Amazon Music: 8,000+ Alexa-compatible devices
Tidal: N/A | Amazon Music: $14.99/month (6 accounts via Prime)
Tidal: N/A | Amazon Music: 320 kbps (MP3) with Unlimited tier
Tidal: N/A | Amazon Music: Ultra tier only ($14.99/month extra)
Tidal: N/A | Amazon Music: 10 years (since 2016)
Tidal: N/A | Amazon Music: Free with Prime
Tidal: N/A | Amazon Music: 3,730 (Ultra HD)
Tidal: N/A | Amazon Music: Limited selection
Tidal: N/A | Amazon Music: 100 songs per device
Tidal: N/A | Amazon Music: $11.99 (or $2.99 with Prime)
Tidal: N/A | Amazon Music: Included with Prime ($14.99/mo)
Tidal: N/A | Amazon Music: Lossless 16-bit/44.1kHz (1,411 kbps equivalent)
Tidal: N/A | Amazon Music: Echo device owners only
Tidal: N/A | Amazon Music: Included in Prime
Tidal: N/A | Amazon Music: Yes (all free tier)
How to choose between Tidal and Amazon Music
Tidal vs Amazon Music — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Tidal vs Amazon Music. Contains 133 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Tidal vs Amazon Music — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Tidal vs Amazon Music.
Can I hear the difference between Tidal HiFi and Amazon Music standard audio?
Yes, on quality speakers/headphones. Tidal HiFi delivers lossless FLAC (24-bit/192kHz) while Amazon Music standard uses 256kbps lossy AAC compression. Most casual listeners on phone speakers won't notice, but audiophiles with $300+ headphones or home systems will hear crisper detail, wider soundstage, and fuller bass in Tidal. Blind listening tests show trained ears detect differences 70% of the time.
Is Tidal worth the extra $12/month for audio quality?
Only if you have premium audio equipment ($300+ headphones, studio monitors, or home hi-fi system) and listen to 20+ hours weekly. For $12 extra monthly, you get lossless audio and support 3x higher artist payouts. Casual listeners with $50 earbuds won't perceive the $144/year difference. Consider your hardware investment and listening intensity first.
Why does Amazon Music have so many more songs than Tidal?
Amazon's 100+ million catalog includes user-generated content, podcasts mixed with music, and lower-quality versions of same songs. Tidal's 70.7M tracks are curated, professional releases. Tidal focuses on audio quality over quantity — they only index studio mastering versions. The 30M difference represents duplicates and lower-fidelity versions rather than unique artist content.
Should I switch to Tidal to support artists better?
If you're a fan of specific artists, yes — Tidal pays $0.01284 per stream vs. Amazon's $0.004, meaning your 1,000 streams generates $12.84 vs. $4 to artists. However, artists earn more through direct sales ($7-10/album) and concerts. Use Tidal for favorite artists, buy vinyl directly when possible. Most musicians see Tidal as a long-term discovery tool rather than primary income.
What's the advantage of Amazon Music if I already pay for Prime?
Massive cost savings — you get 100M songs free with Prime ($14.99/month) vs. paying $23.99/month for Tidal HiFi separately. You also get Alexa voice control across 200+ devices, Ultra HD audio tier at no extra cost, and integration with Fire TV, Echo speakers, and Ring doorbells. For Prime members, Amazon Music is effectively $0 additional cost.
How to Choose Between Tidal and Amazon Music
Audio Quality Focus: Tidal has Lossless FLAC & MQA hi-fi (24-bit/192kHz), while Amazon Music has Standard AAC 256kbps (lossy compression).
Song Catalog Size: Tidal has 70.7 million tracks, while Amazon Music has 100+ million tracks.
Premium Tier Cost: Tidal has $23.99/month (HiFi+), while Amazon Music has $11.99/month (standalone).
Artist Payout: Tidal has $0.01284 per stream (highest in industry), while Amazon Music has $0.003-0.005 per stream.
Prime Integration: Tidal has None (separate service), while Amazon Music has Included free with Prime ($14.99/month).
Exclusive Content: Tidal has Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, The Weeknd exclusives, while Amazon Music has Limited exclusive releases.
User Base (2024): Tidal has 6.4 million subscribers, while Amazon Music has 70+ million subscribers.