 | Student $6.99 Plus sales tax where applicable Source · Checked Today you pay $0.00 Free trial: 30 days — then the price above is charged. | Individual 1 user $11.99 Plus sales tax where applicable Source · Checked Today you pay $0.00 Free trial: 30 days — then the price above is charged. | Family up to 6 users $19.99 Plus sales tax where applicable Source · Checked Today you pay $0.00 Free trial: 30 days — then the price above is charged. | DJ 1 user $19.99 Plus sales tax where applicable Source · Checked Today you pay $0.00 Free trial: 30 days — then the price above is charged. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Choose a plan | Choose a plan | Choose a plan | Choose a plan | |
Billed monthly. | Billed monthly. | Billed monthly. | Billed monthly. |
Plus sales tax where applicable
Source · Checked
Today you pay $0.00
Free trial: 30 days — then the price above is charged.
Billed monthly.
Music streaming in the US
TIDAL plans, sound quality and price
TIDAL is a music service built around sound quality: lossless HiRes FLAC up to 24-bit/192 kHz and Dolby Atmos. In the US you choose by who listens — Individual, Family for up to 6 people, Student, or DJ plans that stream to DJ hardware and software with stem separation. New sign-ups get a 30-day free trial.
- HiRes FLAC. Up to 24-bit, 192 kHz on iOS, Android, desktop and web.
- Dolby Atmos. On supported phones, Apple TV 4K and other devices.
- Family for 6. You plus 5 people in the same country.
- Student discount. For college and US high school students 16+.
- DJ plans. Stream to DJ gear, with stem separation.
Most important before you pay
Tomas StankevičiusUpdated 2026-10-14Facts from the TIDAL Help Center, with dates
At a glance
- Plans
- Individual, Family, Student, DJ
- Best audio
- HiRes FLAC up to 24-bit/192 kHz
- Family
- Up to 6 accounts, same country
- Streaming
- 1 device online, 5 offline
- Free trial
- 30 days for new sign-ups
- Refunds (US)
- Not offered
Plans and prices change — check the provider’s own page before you pay.
Prices with dates
Every price has a source and the date it was checked.
From the TIDAL Help Center
Plans, audio formats, refunds and canceling as TIDAL publishes them for the US.
Affiliate links are labeled
If a link is an affiliate link, we say so right next to it.
Short summary
TIDAL makes sense if you hear the difference: every plan type streams lossless and HiRes FLAC, plus Dolby Atmos where your device supports it. Family is good value for a household in one country; Student is the cheapest way in. Just know there are no refunds in the US — use the 30-day trial to decide.
Sound quality
HiRes FLAC up to 24-bit/192 kHz.
One stream at a time
1 device online per account (5 offline).
- We recommend first:
- Listeners with good headphones or a hi-fi system, and DJs.
- With caveats:
- Anyone who listens on two devices at once on one account.
Who TIDAL is for, and who it isn’t
Sound first.
A good choice
For hi-fi listeners
Lossless FLAC and HiRes FLAC.
For DJs
DJ plans stream to DJ hardware and software.
For households
Family covers up to 6 accounts.
A weaker choice
If you want a refund option
US subscriptions aren’t refunded.
If you stream on several devices at once
One online device per account.
If you mix family and DJ
TIDAL DJ isn’t available on Family plans.
Plans
Prices are in the block above.
| Plan | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Individual | What it means in practiceOne account with the full catalog in HiRes FLAC and Dolby Atmos. |
| Family | What it means in practiceUp to 6 accounts; members must be in the same country as the account holder. |
| Student | What it means in practiceDiscounted Individual for eligible college and US high school students 16+, verified through SheerID every 11 months. |
| DJ Individual / DJ Student | What it means in practiceAdds streaming to compatible DJ hardware and software, with stem separation (varies by partner). |
Alone → Individual; household → Family; student → Student; DJing → DJ.
Our score and what it’s made of
This is our own assessment based on checked facts. It isn’t an average of user reviews or the provider’s claim. Below — every criterion with its weight and source.
4,3
out of 5 · average of 3 plans · 10 of 11 criteria checked
The score is calculated from the criteria you see below: each criterion shows its weight, what exactly we found and where. Where we have the provider’s page, there’s a link with a check date; where the number comes from our catalog, we say so. “Not checked” means we don’t have the data and the criterion isn’t counted. “Provider doesn’t say” means we went through the provider’s pages but the information isn’t there; that criterion isn’t counted either. If you disagree with the weights — in the methodology you’ll see all the parts and can weigh them your own way. We don’t put app store ratings into structured data: they were collected on other websites, so they stay as visible text.
Scores for individual plans: Individual 4,2 · Family 4,5 · DJ 4,1
The same for all “TIDAL” plans
| Criterion | What we found | Score | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advertised price is the final price(10 %) | sales tax is added at checkout | 3,0 | our catalog |
| Free way to try it(10 %) | 30 days | 5,0 | our catalog |
| Sound quality(16 %) | Hi-Res (24-bit, up to 192 kHz) | 5,0 | source |
| Spatial audio(5 %) | yes | 5,0 | source |
| Offline listening(12 %) | yes | 5,0 | source |
| What else is included(9 %) | extra content types: 1 | 3,0 | source |
| Student plan(5 %) | provider doesn’t say | — | source |
| App rating(5 %) | 4,7 out of 5 | 4,7 | our catalog |
Depends on plan
| Criterion | Individual | Family | DJ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price compared with others(10 %) | 11,99 USD/mo5,0 | 19,99 USD/mo4,0 | 19,99 USD/mo4,0 |
| Number of people(12 %) | 1 person3,0 | 6 people, address doesn’t matter5,0 | 1 person3,0 |
| Simultaneous streams(6 %) | 1 at the same time3,0 | 6 at the same time5,0 | 1 at the same time3,0 |
Availability in the US
The final price in the US is clear
You pay in dollars, and the price is the one the provider lists — sales tax, where your state charges it, is added at checkout.
- price in dollars
- tax terms are known
- shared international price list — the price depends on your account’s country
Features
What works now, what has only been announced, and how it connects with other services.
What applies in the US
Several TIDAL creator and fan features are US-first. These are available to US accounts.
TIDAL Upload
WorksUpload your own tracks from age 18 and share them with listeners.
Direct-to-fan sales
WorksSelling directly to fans requires a US-based seller.
Contributions
WorksUS only, through Cash App.
Spotlight
WorksFor creators in the US and a short list of other countries.
Bang & Olufsen app
WorksSign in with your TIDAL account and listen in the B&O app.
Content
What you actually get to watch: catalog, languages, sports and events.
What’s on TIDAL
A large music catalog, curated mixes and artist features.
Mixes
My Mix, Daily Discovery and My New Arrivals.
Lyrics and videos
Lyrics view and a video mix.
Transfer in
Import playlists with TuneMyMusic — up to 500 tracks free.
The August 2026 price change and the Cash App offer
From TIDAL’s Help Center.
When it applied
From your first billing date on or after August 3, 2026.
Apple, Google and carriers
They manage their own price changes and notify you.
Cash App offer
Eligible US customers get 25% off Individual or DJ Individual for 12 months — but no free trial, and you’re charged immediately.
What US App Store reviewers say
TIDAL has 4.7 out of 5 stars from 248,000 ratings on the US App Store. We also read the 50 most recent US reviews — 25 of them gave one or two stars. Recent reviews skew toward people with a problem, so read them as a list of what can go wrong, not as a verdict.
Praised
Even critics agree the sound quality is excellent.
App problems
CarPlay crashes after updates, buffering and slow downloads are the most common complaints.
Catalog and price
Some reviewers say songs disappear from playlists and that prices keep rising.
Test CarPlay and downloads during the 30-day trial — there’s no refund afterwards.
Quality and devices
What picture and sound depend on, and where it works.
Sound quality
| Where you watch | Maximum quality | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Max | Maximum qualityHiRes FLAC up to 24-bit, 192 kHz | What it meansThe best stereo quality, on iOS, Android, desktop and web. |
| High | Maximum qualityFLAC 16-bit, 44.1 kHz | What it meansCD-quality lossless. |
| Low | Maximum qualityAAC up to 320 kbps | What it meansSaves mobile data. |
| Dolby Atmos | Maximum qualityImmersive audio | What it meansiOS 15+, Apple TV 4K, Nvidia Shield — not desktop apps or Pixel phones. |
Old formats are gone
Chromecast
Where you can listen
| Group | Examples | Caveat |
|---|---|---|
| Apps and web | ExamplesiOS, Android, desktop, web player | CaveatHiRes FLAC streams from all four. |
| Home and car | ExamplesSonos, Bluesound, Naim, Apple TV, Android TV, CarPlay, Android Auto, Tesla | CaveatTIDAL Connect and AirPlay for other speakers. |
Get the most out of TIDAL from day one
The default settings don’t always give the best sound. Work through these during the trial.
- Start the free trial – new customers only.
- Move your playlists from another service at tidal.com/transfer-music (TuneMyMusic).
- Pick Max under Settings → Audio & Playback for both Wi-Fi and mobile data.
- Set download quality too under Settings → Downloads → Audio – it only applies to new downloads.
- Turn on Dolby Atmos if your headphones or system support it.
- Using a DAC on your computer? Turn on Exclusive Mode.
Bluetooth
TIDAL Connect
App ratings in the stores
These are ratings from store users. They rate how the app works; they say nothing about whether the subscription price is fair.
Ratings change constantly and often drop after price increases or removed features. We show the value from the check date together with the number of reviews, because 4.8 from two hundred and 4.5 from two million ratings aren’t the same thing.
Account and household
Profiles, downloads, sharing and how to cancel.
Family and devices
- The account holder invites up to 5 people at account.tidal.com.
- Everyone must have a TIDAL account in the same country as the account holder.
- Each account streams on 1 device online and keeps downloads on up to 5 offline.
Trials and family
Offline and where TIDAL works
| Condition | How it works |
|---|---|
| Offline | How it worksDownload albums and playlists in the app |
| Download quality | How it worksSet separately (Low, High or Max) |
| Countries | How it worksTIDAL lists 50+ supported countries |
Canceling and refunds
You can cancel a subscription or trial at any time; access continues to the end of the billing period. Outside the UK, EU, EEA and Brazil — including the US — TIDAL doesn’t refund subscription fees.
Billed by TIDAL
Cancel at account.tidal.com or in the Android app.
Apple, Google or a carrier
Cancel and request refunds there.
Test charges
TIDAL rules worth knowing
From TIDAL’s Help Center.
| Feature | Limit | What it depends on |
|---|---|---|
| Streaming | Limit1 device online at a time | What it depends onPlus up to 5 devices in offline mode |
| Family | LimitUp to 5 members + you | What it depends onSame country; no TIDAL DJ |
| Student verification | LimitEvery 11 months | What it depends onOtherwise the full Individual price applies |
| Playlist import | Limit500 tracks free via TuneMyMusic | What it depends onMore needs a TuneMyMusic subscription |
Sales tax
Plans and terms
Who each plan is for and what terms it requires.
TIDAL Family: the rules
The primary account holder upgrades at account.tidal.com and invites up to 5 family members by email. Everyone gets their own TIDAL account.
- Size
- The primary account holder plus up to 5 members
- Country
- All members’ accounts must be in the same country as the primary account holder
- Managing
- account.tidal.com → Family → Invite family member
- During a free trial
- Members who already used an individual trial or promo can join only after the trial ends
- TIDAL DJ
- Not available on Family plans
No student discount on Family
TIDAL Student: who qualifies
TIDAL discounts subscriptions for eligible college students and US high school students aged 16 or older, verified through SheerID. New sign-ups start with a 30-day free trial.
- Verification
- SheerID — documents dated within the current academic year, showing your full name and school
- Reverify
- Every 11 months, or the full individual price is charged
- Where to buy
- Directly through TIDAL — not through Apple or Google
- Schools
- Some technical and trade schools may not qualify
What we don’t claim
Common claims about TIDAL, next to what TIDAL says.
TIDAL still uses MQA.
MQA and 360 Reality Audio ended on July 24, 2024; TIDAL uses FLAC and Dolby Atmos.
You can stream on several devices at once.
One device online per account; up to 5 offline.
You can get a refund if you forget to cancel.
TIDAL doesn’t refund US subscriptions.
If there’s no price on the page, the service isn’t available in the US.
Not necessarily. More often it means the provider doesn’t publish a fixed price or shows it only at checkout. Availability and a published price are two different things.
An annual plan always works out cheaper.
Cheaper than the monthly plan only if you use the whole period. You pay for the whole year up front, and when you cancel you usually don’t get the unused part back — so it’s a saving for people who already know they’ll stay all year.
Deleting the app cancels the subscription.
No. Deleting the app doesn’t stop the payments — only canceling in the account where you bought the subscription does. The app disappears, the bill stays.
Every plan looks the same in every country.
No. The list of plans, the features in the same plan and the available languages can differ. That’s why we don’t carry data from another country over to the US page.
The price on the pricing page is exactly what you’ll be charged.
Not always. US providers list prices before sales tax, and whether tax is added at checkout — and how much — depends on your state. On one VPN order page we saw a 6.25% sales tax added on top of the listed monthly price.
This list isn’t an accusation against the service. If you find something on our page that doesn’t match the official source, write to us.
When TIDAL is a good choice
Hi-fi listening
Any plan.
Compromise: Needs gear that shows the difference.
DJing
DJ Individual or DJ Student.
Compromise: Not on Family.
Students
Student.
Compromise: Reverify every 11 months.
Pros and cons
Pros
HiRes FLAC and Atmos
Top-tier sound.
Family for 6
Same country.
30-day trial
For new sign-ups.
Cons
No US refunds
Including advance payments.
One online stream
Per account.
Sales tax
Added in many states.
TIDAL compared with other music services
Based on each provider’s US pages.
| Criterion | TIDAL | Spotify Premium | Apple Music |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best stereo quality | HiRes FLAC 24-bit/192 kHz | Lossless up to 24-bit/44.1 kHz | Lossless |
| Dolby Atmos | Yes (supported devices) | Not listed | Spatial Audio |
| Family | Up to 6 | Up to 6 | You plus five |
| Free trial | 30 days | 1 month (first-timers) | 1 month |
- Best stereo quality
- HiRes FLAC 24-bit/192 kHz
- Dolby Atmos
- Yes (supported devices)
- Family
- Up to 6
- Free trial
- 30 days
- Best stereo quality
- Lossless up to 24-bit/44.1 kHz
- Dolby Atmos
- Not listed
- Family
- Up to 6
- Free trial
- 1 month (first-timers)
- Best stereo quality
- Lossless
- Dolby Atmos
- Spatial Audio
- Family
- You plus five
- Free trial
- 1 month
If sound quality comes first — TIDAL
And for DJs.
If you want audiobooks and Duo — Spotify Premium
15 hours a month.
If you’re on Apple devices — Apple Music
Lossless and Spatial Audio.
Final verdict
TIDAL is the hi-fi pick: HiRes FLAC up to 24-bit/192 kHz and Dolby Atmos, with Family, Student and DJ options. Use the 30-day trial to test it on your own devices — US subscriptions aren’t refunded.
Choose it if
You care about sound quality or DJ.
Think twice if
You need several simultaneous streams on one account.
Skip it if
You want the option of a refund.
Spotify adds audiobooks and a Duo plan; Apple Music fits Apple devices with lossless and Spatial Audio.
TIDAL prices
US prices as TIDAL’s Help Center lists them, monthly.
Student and DJTIDAL adds sales tax in many US states, listed separately on the receipt. Subscriptions through Apple, Google or a phone carrier follow their own pricing. The Cash App offer takes 25% off Individual or DJ Individual for 12 months, without a free trial.
Tidal deals and discounts
We have no confirmed deals or promo codes for Tidal right now. When the provider publishes one and we have checked it, the dates and terms will appear here — we never list made-up promo codes.
Tidal free trial
Free trial according to the provider:
- Family: 30 days
- Individual: 30 days
- DJ: 30 days
- Student: 30 days
How to pay less for Tidal
- “Family” for up to 6 people: $19.99/mo, or $3.33 per person.
- “Student” for students: $6.99/mo
Compare the price with alternatives: Apple Music price · YouTube Music price · Spotify Premium price
We only show the provider’s official options — no shared accounts and no region switching.
Customer support
The help center is available in English.
Contact options the provider lists:
- chatbot
- email or form
Available 24/7 according to the provider.
„Chat with our virtual assistant 24/7"
Source: support.tidal.com/hc/en-us
FAQ
How we work
This page is a comparison, and for every claim we say where it comes from.
The provider’s sources
The facts come from the TIDAL Help Center (subscription types and prices, price update, Family, Student, refunds, canceling, audio formats, Dolby Atmos, taxes, devices).
We don’t write prices into the text
Prices are in the price block, in the price list’s currency, with a source and a date.
Product facts are shared, market facts aren’t
How many screens a plan allows, how many devices an account works on, how many servers a network has — that doesn’t depend on the country, and on our pages those numbers are the same in every language; a separate tool watches over that. Price, promotions, availability and app language belong to the market, and we never carry them over from another country.
The provider’s list is the same for everyone
If a service publishes a list of countries or languages, we can say whether the US is on it — that list looks the same for everyone. Checkout, however, can look different for every account, so for amounts a provider shows only at checkout we write: check before you pay.
A shorter section doesn’t mean something is missing from the product
If a section here is shorter than for another service, it’s because the provider publishes less about it. We don’t fill the gap with generic wording just to make the page look more complete.
Three different answers
We distinguish between “none”, “the provider doesn’t say” and “we didn’t find it”. They’re three different situations — mixing them up would turn our own limitation into a flaw in the product.
A price without a source isn’t shown
If an amount has no source and date, we don’t show it. An empty spot is more honest than a number that only looks right — and prices change more often than articles get updated.
Data from the US market
This page isn’t a translation of another language version. Numbers from other countries don’t end up here: markets differ, and that’s exactly why this page exists.
Affiliate links are labeled at the link
If a link is an affiliate link, we say so right next to it. The commission doesn’t affect what we write — and you know about it before you click.
We fix errors openly
If we got something wrong, we fix it and note what changed. A silent correction would mean you never find out you once relied on wrong information.
If anything on this page has gone out of date, write to us — we’ll fix it and note the date.
The order in the comparison is decided by the type of service; commission size doesn’t affect it.
Some links to providers are affiliate links: if you subscribe through them, we may earn a commission. It affects neither the price nor the placement in the comparison. Affiliate links are always labeled next to the link itself.
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Comparisons with competitors
Who wins, and when the cheaper one is worth choosing.