We don’t know about you, but it feels like no month passes without a music or video-streaming service announcing a price hike for those wishing to access its wares.
This month it’s Tidal on the agenda. The service has sent out an e-mail to subscribers which says, “Starting on your first billing date on or after August 3rd, the price for Tidal will increase to £12.99 per month”.
It appears US pricing is going up to $11.99, and for Australian users it will go up to AU$15.99. Previously, it was £10.99/$10.99/AU$12.99.
While this shift in pricing brings it into line with Spotify Premium and Qobuz, that’s not great news when you consider it is now more expensive than Amazon Music Unlimited (£11.99/$11.99 per month or £10.99/$10.99 for Prime members) and Deezer (£11.99/$11.99).
It also leaves Apple Music as the cheapest music streaming service if you want high quality, with £10.99 giving you access to Apple Music Lossless.
If you're a new user starting from scratch, you can get 30 days free before you have to pay the new pricing, which is already on Tidal's website.
So, why the change? According to the e-mail, and Tidal, “This is the first time we’ve adjusted our base plan pricing in three years. The change goes toward fairly supporting the artists and rightsholders behind the music you love, and continuing to build a better experience for you.”
There isn’t a music-streaming system that hasn’t undergone pricing changes in recent years. And Tidal has gone through more than its fair share, mainly because until a couple of years ago it used to be the priciest way to enjoy hi-res streams.
24-bit hi-res tracks were locked in a monthly £19.99/$19.99 ‘HiFi Plus’ tier until April 2024, when it scrapped its multi-tier system in favour of a streamlined and cheaper £10.99/$10.99 offering.
Rumours have been rumbling along for some time that all might not be well at Tidal Towers, so it will be interesting to see whether or not this price change affects its current user base.
If you’re a Tidal user, how do you feel about the price hike? Let us know in the poll below.
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