(April 8, 2024) Several big changes are coming to TIDAL this week. The biggest involves a price slash; the company has announced plans to combine its existing HiFi and HiFi Plus tiers into a single subscription plan called “TIDAL.” Pricing for this plan will land at $10.99 per month.
This new, streamlined subscription will include all the HiFi Plus perks, including Hi-Res FLAC and Dolby Atmos tracks, making it intriguing for current HiFi listeners. Of course, this is also great news for HiFi Plus members who will realize a significant price cut – yes, that’s right, you’re about to get the same for less! – and, in my opinion, an attractive change for anyone considering a TIDAL subscription. Fewer choices and competitive pricing make the service a much more attractive destination.
TIDAL has also announced that its Free tier is getting axed, and apparently, it won’t be returning. As of April 10, 2024, Free users will need to switch to a paid subscription; otherwise, it's adios amigo. The company is also completely eliminating its Military and First Responder discounts on June 10th. This move is driven by TIDAL’s inability to recover funds from rightsholders. Student plans will stay at the current rate of $4.99 per month.
The company’s DJ feature set is also changing. Anyone who has used the app’s DJ integration feature in the last 90 days will automatically be charged an extra $9 per month unless they specifically remove that feature from their subscription.
“We know that these changes will be well received by some, and be difficult for others,” explained a TIDAL PR release on Reddit. “We made these decisions guided by our goal of making TIDAL accessible to more fans, while continuing to invest in creating new, meaningful sources of income for artists around the world.”
Spotify also plans to make pricing changes but in the opposite direction. According to a Bloomberg News story, the service will raise prices by about $1 to $2 by the end of April in five different markets. The article specifically pinpoints the United Kingdom, Australia, and Pakistan as three of those markets; the United States is also in the crosshairs, but changes aren’t expected until later this year.
If true, this would be the second price change in the United States within the last year. US users saw rates for the individual Premium plan jump from $9.99 to $10.99 last July.
According to Bloomberg, this latest round of price increases will help cover the cost of audiobooks, a Premium feature launched last year. Currently, Spotify offers up to 15 hours of audiobooks per month, with additional time covered by an upcharge.
Spotify charges $10.99 per month for an individual listener, $14.99 per month for the "Duo" plan with two accounts, and $16.99 per month for a family plan. Student pricing lands at $5.99 per month.
Bloomberg says the streaming service will introduce a new "basic tier" with music and podcasts, but no audiobooks, at the current $11 monthly rate per individual plan.
