By: Arbrion Chambliss
First there was Pandora, then there was Spotify, then the Beats Music app… then there was Tidal. Some may ask what Tidal is. According to TheMuse.Jezebel.com, Tidal is a music streaming service whose slogans include “TIDAL for All” and “The Tides They Are A-Changing." As Jay Z puts it, Tidal is for all, but not everybody. It’s very much in its beginning stages and critics are still figuring out if it’s worthwhile. But just like with Spotify and Beats Music, we won’t know until real people start testing it out. As Tidal launched, Jay Z began with an induction ceremony which included mega-celebrities like Beyoncé (of course), Nicki Minaj, Rihanna, Kanye West, Madonna, Daft Punk, Kanye West, and more.
Beyoncé and Jay Z at the unveiling of Tidal. Photo Cred: NYTimes.com
Tidal hopes to attract users by releasing exclusive music on its platform, as well as high-quality sound. It’s a service offering fans offline events like private concerts; a feature highlighting independent artists; and a service that will let artists upload their own music onto the music streaming app. Artist like Rihanna have already dropped exclusive Tidal ONLY music. But perhaps the most notable part of Jay Z’s strategy is that a majority of the company will be owned by the artists involved according to NYTimes.com. The move may bring financial benefits for those involved, but it is also powerfully symbolic in a business where musicians have seldom had direct control over how their work is consumed.
But the question EVERYONE has is, is Tidal worth it? Well…that is up for you to decide. The most discouraging aspect of it all is the $20/month price tag that comes along with it, while its competitors like Spotify only run for 4.99. I guess the real question is, how much of a music fan are you? Since Tidal has launched it has faced a lot of controversy and the very private rapper/entrepreneur finally came out from under a rock this weekend to address some issues via Twitter. On Monday April 27th, Jay Z tweeted using the hashtag #Tidal Facts to refute the notion that Tidal is not doing well and has failed. Many saw this as a crisis management tactic. Jay Z recognized that Tidal is going under fire and he put on his best PR hat.
But the question EVERYONE has is, is Tidal worth it? Well…that is up for you to decide. The most discouraging aspect of it all is the $20/month price tag that comes along with it, while its competitors like Spotify only run for 4.99. I guess the real question is, how much of a music fan are you? Since Tidal has launched it has faced a lot of controversy and the very private rapper/entrepreneur finally came out from under a rock this weekend to address some issues via Twitter. On Monday April 27th, Jay Z tweeted using the hashtag #Tidal Facts to refute the notion that Tidal is not doing well and has failed. Many saw this as a crisis management tactic. Jay Z recognized that Tidal is going under fire and he put on his best PR hat.
