Tidal is better than Spotify, these are facts!
Every day, I start with the best intentions—songs to transcribe, blogs to post, emails to answer, gigs to prep for, social media posts to schedule, and a dog to walk.
But then, I turn on Tidal. Today, it began with Melody Gardot. That’s how it started. Eight hours later, I’ve ventured through Rufus Wainwright, Radiohead, Can, Cherry Ghost, Wes Montgomery, and even the Stereophonics. The ability to jump between genres so quickly—there are no limits.
I realised not long ago that I’d begun preferring podcasts about football over albums. That was a red flag, as the kids would say.
Then I heard about stems on the new Rane 4 DJ controller. Paired with Tidal, you could remove the vocals, bass, drums, or chords from any track. This meant I could keep the vocals, bass, and drums but add my own chords. I was sold!
So, I signed up. A week later, I still haven’t gotten around to the stems feature.
What I’ve been doing instead is putting one song on, using relatively cheap headphones (Sony WH-CH520). Over Bluetooth, the audio is compressed, nowhere near the quality of the headphones they use in their promotional videos.
Yet, with my basic headphones, I’m hooked. I can’t stop listening.
It’s the clarity, the separation in the mix. I’m blown away. I’m starting to think I might need to become a full-time DJ just so I can blast this at loud volumes and get paid for it.
At first, I used both Spotify and Tidal. I concluded that Spotify sounded like “my first master”—distorted and digital. Now, I don’t even compare anymore. I don’t have time for that; all I have time for is listening to everything on Tidal.
Tidal sounds wider, more true to what the original recording must have been like.
I feel like I’ve been starved for years, and now there’s a feast before me. I can’t stop eating.
Why Music on Tidal Makes Everything Better (Even Dog Walks)
Music is the Best. Why Do People Go to Work When They Can Stay at Home and Listen to OK Computer?
I guess they can listen on the way to work and back. I now walk the dog with Tom Waits, wondering what he’s building in there—and I love it. The dog loves it too—the walks are longer.
Everything is better now, but I’m not getting much done…
If you’re still on Spotify, you need to make the switch. You might be late to the party, just like I was, but hey—better late than never.
Maybe you’ve heard that record companies own Spotify, and that the top dog at Universal earned more than all U.K. songwriters combined. Honestly, I don’t care about that. What matters to me is checking out Pink Floyd’s The Division Bell on Tidal, in 192 kHz resolution. Or Tom Petty’s Wildflowers.
I’ve been in high-end studios and heard the original source of a drum kit and guitar amp recorded to tape. Yes, that sounds better than Tidal, but perhaps the gap between the studio and Tidal is the same as the one between Tidal and Spotify.
Maybe I’m wearing rose-tinted spectacles, nostalgic for those studio recordings on tape, but Tidal gives me that same feeling. It sounds incredible, and it makes me happy.
Anyway, gotta go now. I just got back from another dog walk and saw the kitchen tap had been on for two hours. I blame Tidal—it’s completely absorbed me in the music.
