From Drug Dealer to Billionaire
Jay-Z is truly an impressive figure in the world of hip hop.
He is known for being a seminal figure in the hip hop music genre, with his innovative work and forward-thinking attitudes having had a profound impact on rap music as a whole. He has won numerous awards and accolades over the course of his career, including two Grammy Awards and 24 Academy Awards (including five Best Picture nominations) â making him one of the most successful recording artists ever. He continues to produce high-quality music even in his retirement, and his influence is felt far beyond the world of hip hop. Jay-Z is an incredible artist who has left an indelible mark on popular culture.
But Jay-Z's career does not begin and end with producing top-tier rap music. He is also the CEO of one of the most successful rap record labels of all time, Roc-A-Fella Records, which has since evolved into Roc Nation. On top of that, he founded a successful clothing company, Rocawear; he is often cited as being responsible for bringing Kanye West into the limelight; he is part owner of the NBA basketball team, the Brooklyn Nets; and he is married to arguably the most powerful woman in the world, Beyonce. Today, a street rapper turned billionaire, Jay-Z is nothing short of a mogul in every sense of the word.
Despite its many challenges, Tidal has managed to stay afloat and continue to grow since it was founded in 2015 by Jay-Z, Kanye West, and others. Critics often say that the service is riskier than others because it charges subscribers for access to exclusive content, but overall it's had a mixed reception from the public.
Tidal, in its 5 years of existence, has had a rollercoaster ride with regards to their user base and success. When there are already two other well-established music streaming services that are doing essentially the same thing as Tidal, Jay-Z and his team were faced with an ongoing dilemma: how can Tidal differentiate themselves?
An Exclusive Streaming Platform
Shortly after announcing that they would be removing certain artists' discographies from their streaming service in an attempt to gain more dedicated fans, it became apparent that this was not the strategy that was going to work. In fact, most people seemed content with their current streaming service. Tidal then added some of the biggest names in music who refused to give rights to Spotify and Apple Music, making it clear that they are the only service for fans of these artists.
Furthering that notion, Tidal began offering exclusive releases, live performances, singles, and music videos. This was what set them apart from the packs and to offer things that only Tidal could offer. They began obtaining the rights to release certain albums a week earlier than other streaming services, live streaming VIP events like listening parties and once in a lifetime performances that couldn?t be seen elsewhere, and they are still following this model today. For example, Kanye West?s recent opera, Nebuchadnezzar was live-streamed as an exclusive Tidal event. If you weren?t there for the performance at the Hollywood Bowl in California on November 24th 2019, Tidal was your only means of watching it.
But is Tidal's monthly subscription fee worth it? Let's take a look at the service and find out! Who knows, maybe Tidal will convert some devout music streaming fans today.
Two-Tiered Subscription
And finally, there is the lossless high-fidelity subscription plan which is $19.99 per month. This plan offers the same benefits as the baseline premium subscription, but also includes a top tier of sound quality, lossless music downloads, and exclusive content.
First off, let's look at the price. Tidal tiers its subscription packages in a way that is different than many of the other services out there. There is the baseline premium subscription to Tidal, which is comparable to what Spotify and Apple Music offer--$9.99 per month. And in exchange for this service you get standard sound quality, HD music videos & curated editorial playlists made just for you--which are all included in the baseline premium plan. However, if you want to add more accounts to your account or upgrade to a higher tier of service, there are options available. The lossless high fidelity subscription plan costs $19.99 per month and offers the same benefits as the baseline premium subscription but also includes a top tier of sound quality with lossless music downloads and exclusive content.
Additionally, however, Tidal offers a Hi-Fi version of its service at about twice the price of the premium package. For $19.99 per month, users receive lossless High Fidelity sound quality in addition to all of the services that come with a premium. So, essentially, Tidal expects some of its subscribers to pay around $20 a month just for better sound quality.
And, hey, this may seem laughable at first, but don't underestimate the niche demographic of true audiophiles around the world. There are plenty of people who value quality audio and will certainly pay $20 a month for it. Plus, Tidal prides itself on being the streaming service that pays the most to artists in royalties; so, if you have the extra cash, it can't hurt to know that at least your money is going to the artists you spend your time listening to.
Tidal offers a library of over 60 million songs and 250,000 HD music videos. They claim that this is better than Spotify because they have twice as much music available. However, does this really make a difference?
By the Artists for the Fans
Tidal offers a regularly updated roster of expertly curated playlists that are hand-selected by music journalists, artists, and other professionals who actually know and love music. It adds a certain human touch to Tidal's playlists that you won't really find anywhere else, even furthering the platform's reputation as a streaming service for serious fans and artists.
So far, so good.
All of this makes Tidal look pretty appealing if you ask me. But what about the platform's usability? It's one thing to have an impressive list of features and unique gimmicks, but none of it amounts to a whole lot if the user experience isn't seamless and streamlined. In other words, how does Tidal itself, the site and the app, stack up against the competition in terms of design? Well, honestly, it's just as intuitive (if not more so) than Spotify and Apple Music. It offers a sleek design that you will immediately know how to use without having to stumble around whatsoever. So far, so good.
Great Site and App Design
Tidal is an app that offers users a wide variety of music, much like other popular streaming platforms. Unlike these platforms, however, Tidal offers a monthly subscription for its users. The app offers an easy-to-use interface and is broken down into sections based on what the user is interested in. For example, on the home page of the app, you will find featured artists, albums, and playlists. You can also find lists of timely playlists in different areas of the app (such as for Christmas and New Year's). Overall, Tidal provides an organized platform for users to browse through their favorite songs and hear new releases.
Below that are a few artist spotlight playlists that give you a glimpse into an artist you may not be familiar with, based on what fans have been listening to. Next, you'll find a list of new tracks, albums, popular playlists, and featured playlists that only add to the unique Tidal experience.
Tidal offers a large selection of up-and-coming artists in their "Tidal Rising" section, which makes it easier than ever to find new music and stay ahead of the curve on what's next to dominate the music industry. Then, of course, you have a menu from which you can access all of your own playlists, mixes, albums, tracks, and music videos. Additionally, there is an "Explore" tab that allows you to browse Tidal's massive music library by genre. While you may not get quite as customized an experience as Spotify offers (although this may change in the future), you should have no problem discovering new songs and artists.
Tidal is a more exclusive experience than either Spotify or Apple Music. If you want everything that the other music streaming services offer and more, Tidal will be for you. The basic premium membership is good for users who want to have access to all the music that Tidal offers, and the lossless audio quality HIFI option provides even more music options at a higher price.
Popular search queries
