Review
Tidal Review 2026: Better Sound, But Better for Artists?
Tidal still sounds great. The hi-fi and hi-res audio tiers are legitimate, and the catalog is competitive at around 100 million tracks. But after abandoning its fan-centric royalty experiment in 2023 and being absorbed into Block's fintech strategy, the platform feels directionless. Great sound is not enough when the mission has evaporated.
Updated 2026-03-27
Key takeaways
- •Hi-fi and hi-res audio quality remains excellent.
- •Fan-centric royalties were tried and then abandoned in 2023.
- •The Block acquisition has shifted focus away from artist-first economics.
- •Per-stream payouts are high at roughly $0.013, but the model is back to pro-rata.
Pros
- •Excellent hi-fi and hi-res audio quality across the catalog.
- •Higher per-stream payouts than most competitors at approximately $0.013.
- •Exclusive content and early releases from select artists.
Cons
- •Abandoned fan-centric royalties after briefly experimenting with them.
- •Uncertain strategic direction under Block ownership.
- •No free tier and $10.99/month pricing with shrinking differentiation.
What Lissen adds for fans
- •Your listening supports the artists you actually play instead of disappearing into a pooled market-share model.
- •Fans can unlock discounts on tickets, exclusives, drops, and more.
- •The reward layer turns everyday streaming into a deeper artist-fan relationship, not just another passive subscription.
What Tidal gets right
Tidal's audio quality is still among the best in streaming. The hi-fi tier delivers lossless CD quality, and the hi-res tier goes further. For listeners with good equipment, the difference is audible.
Per-stream payouts of roughly $0.013 are meaningfully higher than Spotify or Amazon Music. Even within a pro-rata framework, Tidal's smaller, more engaged user base translates to better per-play economics for artists.
Where it falls short
Tidal launched a fan-centric royalty model and then quietly abandoned it. That retreat is significant — it tells artists that the platform tried the right thing and decided it was not worth continuing.
Under Block ownership, Tidal's identity has become unclear. Is it an audio-quality play? A fintech integration? An artist-ownership experiment? The lack of clear direction makes it hard to recommend with conviction.
FAQ
Did Tidal really abandon fan-centric royalties?
Yes. Tidal introduced a direct artist payment model and then rolled it back. The platform now uses a standard pro-rata model, albeit with higher per-stream rates than most competitors.
Is Tidal still worth subscribing to in 2026?
If audio quality is your top priority and you do not mind paying $10.99/month without a free tier, Tidal delivers. But the abandoned fan-centric experiment and unclear direction under Block make it a harder recommendation than it used to be.
Want the head-to-head version?
Use the comparison library to see how each service stacks up against Lissen on price, discovery, catalog depth, where your money goes, and fan rewards like discounts on tickets, exclusives, drops, and more.