tidal vs spotify/other streaming services

Discussion in 'Music and Recordings' started by kirayamato, Oct 25, 2015.

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Does Tidal sound Better than Spotify/other

  1. Better (please explain)

    22 vote(s)
    45.8%
  2. pretty much the same

    25 vote(s)
    52.1%
  3. worse

    1 vote(s)
    2.1%
  1. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    I hate the Spotify UI but seem to be the only one. Tidal sounds better than Spotify and equal to all other lossless streaming platforms except I don’t like Amazon. I’ve never listened critically I don’t care enough but my gut says a bit of digital glare when listening to it. Qobuz and Tidal both sound good. Tidal’s UI is my favorite and they have the a better catalog than Qobuz.

    however, one cool thing about Qobuz if you use bubbleupnp and a pi2aes is that you can access “related artists” through the bubbleupnp app which is very cool and makes music discovery seemless. But doesn’t matter if the artists or albums aren’t there ;)
     
  2. Metro

    Metro Friend

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  3. jmaz87

    jmaz87 New

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    Bringing this back since things have changed a lot over last few years and anyone on the fence like me is probably debating this age old question...

    Talking points:

    * Spotify never brought lossless streaming to market despite advertising it early 2021 and promising for later that year...
    Speculating Apple dropping their own lossless option (with no price increase to boot) was a major wrench in their plans to charge more for the same content.

    * Instead of Lossless they sign numerous deals with podcasts (some very very controversial) and force recommendations down your throat even if you DON"T USE SPOTIFY FOR PODCASTS. and you can't modify the UI at all...
    aside: at least if Tidal pushes Hiphop down your throat its music... why am I forced to see Joe Rogans bald head every time I open the app...

    * Likely due to competition and pressure from MQA boycotters Tidal Hifi (lossless cd-quality) is now 9.99/mo matching spotify premium which to this day only supports lossless...

    * TIdal app on PC supports exclusive mode, Spotify app does not.
    Same can be said for Tidal on android, no longer gets re-sampled by your phone/tablet if you have a USB dac connected.

    I originally came from Google Play Music, way before getting back into Hifi it was honestly the best algorithm I've used to date...
    Unfortunately it was butchered into what we know today Youtube Music. Too many complaints to even merit a list... I will say so many songs sounded so "off" I began to hate most compressed music when I never had a preference before honestly... too many variables especially on YTM where you could get fed a bootleg upload before the actual album in many cases... boo

    Thus began my journey away from my massive MP3 collection built over many years....

    I tried Tidal over the Last year (best buy promotion price) with several gear upgrades during the same time. Honestly at first the volume was the most surprising thing since it was all over the place compared to YTM and 99% of the time I was turning my amp up more for the same levels but this is where I noticed the obvious dynamics. many songs would become harsh and even sibilant at higher volumes in YTM but tidal just sounded better and better...

    so for me dynamics were immediately more noticeable than any major technical differences. later on I noticed some differences in decay in cymbals and strings (or maybe reverb?)

    -So where did this leave me? Still missing my glorious GPM suggestions and superior radio (tidal radio is meh) I decided to jump on my GF's Spotify premium a few months before Tidal ran out to compare...

    Spotify UI in 2022 is underwhelming with Podcasts pushed to the top and suggested new albums buried at the bottom... finding credits / info about artists is also very very un-intuitive (I really liked how bio/credits were so accessible in tidal)

    Radio stations in spotify aren't terrible but they don't venture very far and are pretty repetitive in some genres... GPM would further and further out the longer u stayed in a station and any feedback you provided shaped future algo. the only app that I've used that came close to this was Plexamp.

    I really love that Plexamp integrates my Flac collection at home with my Tidal subscription and will suggest songs from both so if my library lacks a genre it pads the playlist with Tidal songs. but SUGGESTIONS ARE ADJUSTABLE. this is huge because you can have a really safe radio or one that is all over the place! why don't more apps do this!?!

    TLDR
    Tidal app had improved a lot both on PC and android (can't speak for apple) and now only costs 9.99/mo for CD quality

    Spotify app has arguably got worse with lack of options and forced podcast deals and broken promises of lossless content to keep customers from jumping ship...

    I was gonna stick with Spotify for a while after using Tidal for a year but with no Lossless offering in sight and only marginally better suggestions... just not sure the value exists like it did the last few years...

    what does one offer over the other value-wise?
     
  4. wormcycle

    wormcycle Friend

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    Thanks, that interview is great. I am with Qobuz from the day it was available in the US, and because I am paying with the US credit card I can use it while in Canada. But had no idea that he created Peachtree.
    What I find very appealing about Qobuz, beside their very extensive classical music library, lossless, are very competitive prices for albums. Between Spotify Duo for on the go listening and podcasts, particularly those
    and Qobuz integrated with Roon I have everything I need at least for now.
     
  5. bixby

    bixby Friend

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    why anyone cares about exclusive mode when playing crappy mp3s is not comprehensible. Then again I have not tried it; maybe it makes the mp3 a little better sounding.
     
  6. jmaz87

    jmaz87 New

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    weird take. hell of a way to open a discussion, self-reporting you can't comprehend something you haven't even tried. thanks for the chuckle

    Anyway nobody made that super random argument...I only mentioned exclusive mode WITHIN the context of Spotify announcing they would bring lossless to market... you know the very first point and main reason for my post.

    if they do and the app remains the same its worth discussion... and given their lack of commitment I wouldn't be surprised.

    comparing the apps on PC I'm having a hard time even seeing why people love Spotify so much to begin with...
     
  7. wormcycle

    wormcycle Friend

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    I think that the distinction between using streaming platform as the source for your audio system, or using an app on your phone, inexpensive DAP while walking, Bluetooth etc. For the latter they Spotify Tidal Qobuz are good enough means they all sound the same to me, but in reality it means I really do not care. Proper buffering, connectivity, content, and things like MQA (particularly after the @GoldenOne MQA testing) are more important than sound differences between those three.
    But as the source to my headphone and two channel setup I want lossless, good networking, and good catalogue and here I have to compromise. Qobuz I think has the weakest networking than Tidal but way better classical library.
    And Tidal cannot simply be trusted not to f**k up you music. Audible watermarks in non MQA tracks disappearing in MQA versions, etc etc..
    https://www.superbestaudiofriends.o...tential-watermark-audibility.639/#post-184374
    And I could not care less about the UI as I am using Roon most of the time.
     
  8. jmaz87

    jmaz87 New

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    I like how my first "shit post" is from me defending a wierd take on something I didn't even say... Thanks dude

    Things like MQA and audible watermarks are definitely points of centention along with hip-hop centric suggestions. These contributed to me joining GFs Spotify plan but the UI is pretty darn annoying compared to tidal, plexamp and even the late GPM.

    To me using roon isn't really an argument since almost nobody using Spotify would use roon... Just like asking why would someone want exclusive mode with mp3... Nobody does...
     
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    Last edited: Jan 24, 2022
  9. wormcycle

    wormcycle Friend

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    Yes. As far as I understand Spotify does not offer any APIs to integrate with other players on desktop android or i devices.
    Correcting my silly mistake
     
    Last edited: Jan 24, 2022
  10. dasman66

    dasman66 Self proclaimed lazy ass - friend

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    I'm going to make a leap and assume that @bixby was referring to this talking point:
    I think @bixby 's point was "does exclusive mode really matter if you're limited to a lossy format?" (although I think spotify uses a combination of Ogg and AAC).

    Don't bent about dislikes... the most sure way to collect them is to complain about them. View them as a form of hazing.
     
  11. Elnrik

    Elnrik Super Friendly

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    You got a shit post from your snide dig at my Friend.

    Drop the attitude. This isn't Reddit

    You could have left it at this. Clears up what you meant nicely without being a dick.

    Enjoy.
     
  12. jmaz87

    jmaz87 New

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    forgive my attitude.
    I should have been more productive than the comment made to me.

    the entire reason for me bringing this thread back was in light of Spotify making/breaking promises for lossless streaming.

    Tidals new pricing tiers that allow for CD quality without MQA/Atmos/360 was to me worth discussion.
    Is it just assumed Spotify would "fix" the app if they ever get around to lossless? I thought it was relevant to the above discussion.

    if both streaming services have watermarks then does a discussion of sound quality completely go out the window or is one still audibly superior given the "shared" shortcomings of streaming, watermarks etc.

    I honestly thought a lot of people here still used Tidal to supplement their collections as I did last year. I'm reading the watermark thread linked above thanks a ton @wormcycle
     
  13. Metro

    Metro Friend

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    That post is from 2018 and thankfully is now out of date. UMG removed their watermarking from streaming services during 2019-2020 and it is no longer an issue. I can confirm from personal experience.
    https://www.mattmontag.com/music/an-update-on-umg-watermarks

    I'm one who does. Spotify was my first streaming service and I've continued to use it because it has given me the best music discovery. I picked up Tidal when they began lossless CD quality (pre-MQA), and Qobuz when they launched in the US, and more recently Roon to get a better experience for both of them on Pi2AES streamer (I've since quit Tidal, or more accurately they dropped me down to their lossy ad-supported free tier).

    Unfortunately I don't think Roon will gain any other streaming services. Spotify, Apple, and Amazon have their own agendas and Roon doesn't fit their business model.
     
  14. Galm

    Galm Still looking for Little Red Riding Hood

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    I think overall streaming services are in a pretty good place, to the point where we get to be picky with little compromise to sound quality.

    For example I've been wanting a service that's lossless, has exclusive mode, and isn't MQA like Tidal. (I can't hear the difference, I just don't really want to support the concept)

    Qobuz doesn't quite have the content (for my library at least), Amazon fakes the exclusive mode, and Apple has no usable app on Windows (iTunes is rough, and not lossless on Windows). So for now I'm staying with Tidal, but I'm not exactly discontent over it.

    I've messed around with Audirvana and Roon, but the compromise in interface experience still gets to me. For both of them content is slow to load through clunky UIs. I'd often have to search something in Tidal, to go back and search for it in the other services to find the result I wanted as they were so picky with the string matching.

    But... All that being said, all save Spotify now being lossless (hi-rez at that in some form) is a pretty huge change compared to a few years ago. Especially without a major pricepoint shift compared to lossy content.
     
  15. jmaz87

    jmaz87 New

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    MQA controversy and price (at the time) were 2 big reasons why I decided to try Spotify for the last month or two. Another was requiring a higher tier from volumio to use Tidal Connect with more than one streamer... Spotify connect is just a plugin and works on both and is more stable IMHO.
    I also felt the Tidal suggestions sometimes fell short of what I had been accustomed to with GPM and have yet to see anything closer than Plexamp to this.

    If every single person who uses Roon also use Spotify, it would still be a small drop in the bucket of the 172 million premium subscribers. Spotify is mainstream, Roon isn't. Not to say it isn't a great service too.

    @Galm is Spotify Lossless in a market I don't know about? or did you mean Apple music?

    I really missed how Tidal organizes my library with artists, albums, playlists etc. vs. Spotify where everything is buried... Also missed using Plexamp where it bolstered my existing library with albums I didn't have from tidal. it really helps pad out radio stations without ignoring my library.
     
  16. Galm

    Galm Still looking for Little Red Riding Hood

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    My last line was saying all services but Spotify are lossless, that still remains lossy.
     
  17. Beefy

    Beefy Friend

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    FWIW, I signed up for Tidal and cancelled by Spotify premium yesterday.

    I'd been annoyed at Spotify for a while in regards to podcasts. They push podcasts so hard in the UI, with no way to hide them. And it did annoy me greatly that my subscription fees were contributing in-part to Joe Rogan's drivel. The Neil Young episode was really the last straw.

    The lack of focus on audio quality for Spotify is also a big driver. For the same price as lossy MP3s, vorbis, whatever it is Spotify uses, I get lossless FLAC from Tidal. Tidal also supports proper exclusive mode in the desktop app. Spotify has been promising their Hifi service for a long time now, and I simply don't believe that they will deliver.

    The Tidal versus Spotify catalogue is a wash. I've noticed Tidal has a couple of things missing, but also a couple of extras. Tidal's discovery/suggestions after importing my library has also been really good - I was listening to Portishead, and it suggested Moloko and Morcheeba. Spot on suggestions that Spotify never suggested.

    All things considered, I'm a happy camper.
     
  18. Gazny

    Gazny MOT: ETA Audio

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    Just got Apple music through Apple Family, great value. Sounds pretty airy, maybe some sparkle, I enjoy the videos on there. Much better than most of the YT I watch. Highly recommended it over Spotify. Just about the same connectivity wise to Spotify. Only downside is the server stays active locally instead of passing it along.

    Regardless I am enjoying it over Spotify.
     
    Last edited: Jan 28, 2022
  19. Ksaurav402

    Ksaurav402 Friend

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    Spotify is aiming to be YouTube of Podcast and hence the push.
     
  20. schnesim

    schnesim New

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    Finally I made the plunge, canceled my Tidal and Spotify subscriptions and am at Deezer now.

    The good:
    • They claim to have the biggest catalogue and this seems to be true, only 3 albums out of my combined Spotify and Tidal collection (~500) are missing, that's impressive.
    • Separate app for audio books. For me nice to have.
    • Cheaper than top tier Tidal and you get actual FLAC files and not MQA FLAC wannabes.
    The not so good:
    • The desktop app is serviceable but not great. Most annoying is, when you go back it forgets your scroll position and always starts at the top. Seems this is on their "to be fixed" list for a while already.
    • No folders for playlists. On the "to be fixed" list.
    • Has podcasts, unfortunately not the ones I'm listening to. But as I recently learned, as an Amazon Prime member I also have access to all my usual podcasts via the Amazon Music app. I can live with that.
    The ugly:
    • No gapless playback with the desktop app. Android/Iphone support gapless. Also on the "to be fixed" list. I don't listen to a lot of albums where I notice the lack of gapless, but when I do it's pretty annoying.
    • Next to no streamer support. The only decent one seems to be the Bluesound Node.
    The rest:
    • I'm not a good listener, so I can't comment on sound quality vs Tidal.
    • The apps don't support DAC exclusive mode but since everything is 44.1 I don't mind setting this rate manually in the OS once and then forgetting about it.
    TL;DR
    If you don't like the usual streaming service, but care about lossless, you miss too many titles in Qobuz' catalogue and you can live with a few niggles and the limited streamer support, Deezer might be the service for you.
     

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