Zift Advisory
Tidal is a music streaming app that allows users to access high quality, lossless audio files. It is free to download in iTunes and Google Play, but users must have a subscription plan to stream music, however a free trial is available. The Tidal app is rated for teens aged 13+ and is best suited for older teens.
What is TIDAL Music?
Tidal is music mogul Jay Z’s brainchild, which allows users to access and stream high quality music, and music-related content, while paying musicians the highest royalties of available streaming services on the market.
What sets Tidal apart from other services is the ability for users to stream lossless audio files for CD-quality listening. While Tidal offers a free trial period, users must choose between two subscription plans to continue to use the app’s music streaming services.
Tidal is a music streaming app geared toward music lovers and audiophiles. The hefty monthly subscription reflects the sound quality of the music available through the app, as well as Tidal’s musician-centric business model.
After a free trial period, users must choose between a $9.99 per month compressed audio file streaming subscription, or $19.99 per month for lossless or Hi-Fi audio streaming.
It’s important to note that users must enter credit card information before beginning their free trial, so parents should make note of the trial start date, in case they decide not to proceed with a monthly subscription (or they will be billed).
Both subscription packages offer the same premium access benefits for exclusive content, so the difference in packages is due to separate audio quality choices.
Tidal subscribers enjoy a host of benefits with their paid monthly subscription. In addition to streaming an enormous catalog of music, users enjoy ad-free music play. Bonus content, such as music video outtakes, live-streamed concerts, backstage concert footage and exclusive industry articles make Tidal appealing to avid music lovers.
Tidal also works with artists to provide exclusive album releases, available for purchase and download by subscribers. Users also have early ticket access to select music and sporting events through the Tidal app.
Once Tidal users subscribe, they can check out new music by browsing genre categories, use the search box to find artists they regularly follow, as well as access specially curated, themed playlists, such as festival-related, mood-based or time of day playlists.
Two features that set Tidal apart are the ability for users to download music for offline listening, as well as the ability to play back music on-demand.
Is TIDAL Music safe for my kids?
The Tidal app is rated for children 13+, and the terms of service state that children, ages 13-17, must have parental permission to access the app.
Parents should be aware that Tidal offers no content filter or explicit content labels, so children can be exposed to music and videos with explicit content, which may include profanity, sexual overtones, drugs and alcohol. For this reason, the Tidal app is best suited for older teens.
Parents should know that Tidal Hi-Fi streaming should be paired with a good set of headphones, to make the most of the hefty monthly subscription.
Users can also share music videos from the app to social media platforms, so parents should discuss expectations, in terms of appropriate content, prior to their child’s app use.
Lastly, parents should be aware that Tidal can easily consume large amounts of data, when streaming without Wi-Fi, and those subscribing to lossless audio can expect some buffering and wait time for the large audio files when used on mobile devices.
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