Tidal’s hi-res FLAC update has landed – here’s what it means for your music

Tidal ‘Masters’ songs now listed as ‘Max’? That’ll be the FLACs

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Looking atTidaland thinking something feels different? You’re right! Following its latest app update, Tidal now offers six million songs inhi-res FLACformat.This isn’t the first sniff we’ve had of this; Tidal’s CEO, Jesse Dorogusker, initiallyannounced back in Aprilduring anAMA (ask me anything) on Redditthat Tidal would “be introducing hi-res FLAC for our HiFi Plus subscribers soon” and thenconfirmed in Junethat six million hi-res FLAC tracks were available in the iOS app to members of the Tidal Early Access Program, but would come to every HiFi Plus subscriber in August. And now here they are.

The thing is, it’s refreshing to see a streaming service actually make good on its promises.Spotify, you may remember, initially promised aHiFi tierwithin the year back in February 2021, but despite several promising signs (screenshots of the Spotify HiFi logoin the app as well as aSpotify HiFi onboardingvideo leaked by a Redditor) we are still waiting…

Back to Tidal, and for those worried their MQA playlists might disappear overnight following the rollout (as well as the news that MQA officially appointed its administrators on April 3), don’t fret: Tidal confirmed that its “existing MQA catalogue will continue to be available on the platform" earlier this year and now its hi-res FLAC streams sit alongside the service’s currentMQAhi-res streams.

Opinion: focusing on audio quality is never a bad thing – especially when it comes without a price hike

Anyone familiar with MQA will know that these hi-res files are a little picky, requiring both a HiFi Plus subscriptionanda device or software capable of decoding the technology to enjoy them, such as the mobile apps or an MQA-compatiblehi-res audio player.

Because FLACs are more ubiquitous (FLAC, the friendly file!) the introduction of hi-res FLACs to Tidal’s library makes the service’s hi-res offering much more accessible to the entry-level audiophile.

The hotly-anticipated rollout has seemingly taken effect in the past week, for users across all platforms. Not spotted it? Update your app. You’ll see there are some visual – or rather, verbal – differences on the Tidal web player and apps as a result of the switch.

Essentially, the service has renamed its audio quality levels – most notably by removing the word “Masters” (MQA stands for Master Quality Authenticated) in its top-tier quality for “Max” in the iOS app, or simply “HiRes” if searching for files of better-than CD quality.

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To break it down, Tidal is now seemingly listing its songs and albums as:

I’ve long been touting Tidal’s credentials as one of thebest music streaming servicesout there, alongsideQobuzif it’s the best quality hi-res audio you’re after. That said, for track sharing, sociable perks such asSpotify’s AI DJandSpotify Wrapped– see also,Apple Music ReplayandApple Music Sing– the admittedly expensive service is lagging a little behind, despite its April-launchLive social music streaming featurewhich lets you DJ into the void.

For me, focusing on audio quality is never a bad thing – and although Tidal recentlyhiked its pricesfor its standard and family plans, HiFi Plus subscription fees are actually staying the same price for now. And sinceApple Musicincreased its prices in November 2022,Amazon Music HDupped its fees in February 2023,Deezerhiked its US prices in October 2022 and Spotifyupped the cost of its Premium price planrecently, Tidal’s free rollout is to be commended.

Becky became Audio Editor at TechRadar in 2024, but joined the team in 2022 as Senior Staff Writer, focusing on all things hi-fi. Before this, she spent three years at What Hi-Fi? testing and reviewing everything from wallet-friendly wireless earbuds to huge high-end sound systems. Prior to gaining her MA in Journalism in 2018, Becky freelanced as an arts critic alongside a 22-year career as a professional dancer and aerialist – any love of dance starts with a love of music. Becky has previously contributed to Stuff, FourFourTwo and The Stage. When not writing, she can still be found throwing shapes in a dance studio, these days with varying degrees of success.

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