TIDAL is not ready to fold yet but its 2025 gamble looks risky at best.
TIDAL’s been on shaky ground lately with layoffs and budget cuts. So, it’s not surprising that plenty of rumors about how it’s on the verge of shutting down have made headlines.
But the platform isn’t ready to call it quits.
Instead, it’s set to fight back by focusing on the music and the people who make it.
TIDAL’s 2025 Plans
TIDAL knows it can’t beat Spotify or Apple Music at their own game. So for 2025, they’re focusing on something a lot of other platforms have set aside.
Instead of chasing numbers, they’re building what artists and DJs actually need to succeed by creating tools for real career growth.
New tools for DJs
A big part of TIDAL’s plans zeroes in on DJs.
That said, TIDAL has developed tools that streamline both studio work and live performances, such as:
- Seamless integration with DJ software like Serato, Rekordbox, and Algoriddim DJay. DJs will have instant access to TIDAL’s entire music library right in their mixing software.
- TIDAL’s also breaking new ground with stems licensing from record labels. With this, DJs using gear like Denon DJ or Numark systems can now break songs apart on the fly. They can easily isolate a vocal riff, loop a drum section, or weave elements into a live mix that’s completely their own.
- For easier track selection, TIDAL has added BPM and key signature details to every song. This helps DJs find tracks that will mix well together faster.
- Lastly, the platform continues to expand its high-quality audio collection by adding 200,000 new HiRes tracks weekly.
Better support for new artists
TIDAL isn’t forgetting those who are just starting out, either. According to Murphy, about half of beginner DJs quit within six months because it’s just so hard to get over that first hump.
As such, TIDAL aims to smooth this path through partnerships with companies like AlphaTheta. Together, they provide comprehensive learning resources, from tutorials to current music charts, so new artists can maintain momentum as they develop their skills.
The TIDAL Rising program also gives grassroots artists more support than most other platforms can provide. This includes funding, playlist placement, and personalized marketing assistance to help artists grow their audience effectively.
”The music industry is so vast, and my primary source of income is in a gig-based nightlife economy. TIDAL Rising has allowed me to meet and hear from professionals in more fields.” says Chicago-based DJ Ariel Zetina, the first DJ chosen for TIDAL Rising.
“It lets a larger audience see and respect your work.”
Artist home and business tools
TIDAL is also expanding its Artist Home portal into a more useful career management hub. Musicians now handle everything from profile management to collaboration coordination through this unified platform.
Then, there’s the new TIDAL Collabs feature, which analyzes fan data to suggest partnership opportunities with compatible artists.
Add in the accurate royalty management, and it’s easy to see that TIDAL is really aiming to help artists take charge of their own careers.
Murphy ties this approach back to TIDAL’s parent company, Block.
“Square has helped independent businesses thrive, and Cash App has empowered individuals to manage their finances. TIDAL’s goal is to give artists the tools to run their careers like a business.” he says.
Why TIDAL’s Future Was in Doubt
TIDAL’s struggles are no secret. Once the bold, artist-owned underdog taking on streaming giants, it’s now hanging on to just 0.5% of the market with roughly 721,400 subscribers.
The numbers paint a clear picture of what TIDAL’s up against:
- Spotify dominates the U.S. market with 49 million subscribers.
- Apple Music follows with 41 million
- Amazon Music brings in 32 million.
Against these giants, TIDAL’s subscriber count looks more like a rounding error.
Then there’s the whole situation with Block, TIDAL’s parent company run by Jack Dorsey.
Everyone was surprised when Block, a company that focuses on financial services, bought TIDAL in 2021. And, their doubts just became true when Block announced that it would decrease its support on TIDAL to focus on crypto in 2024.
In other words, TIDAL dropped to the bottom of Block’s priority list, and not by a little.
The ripple effects have been hard to miss. Major layoffs gutted product and marketing teams, leaving TIDAL to rely on its engineering and design crew to keep things moving.
This made a lot of people worry about what it means to the future developments of TIDAL. So much so, that some have called it a slow, careful wind-down.
At the same time, partnerships that made TIDAL more accessible are starting to unravel.
Plex, for example, recently announced it’s that they’re cutting ties with TIDAL. So, users who enjoyed mixing their personal music libraries with TIDAL’s catalog needed to find another solution.
Don’t even mention the MQA debacle.
A few months ago, TIDAL promised to replace its much-criticized MQA files with true lossless FLAC tracks.
Fast-forward to now, and those unlabeled MQA-encoded files are still hanging around.
For a service that built its reputation on premium sound quality, this has really damaged its credibility.
TIDAL’s Niche Gamble: A Plan or a Last Stand?
TIDAL seems to be taking the classic underdog approach by focusing on what they do best. Their strategy revolves around serving audiophiles, DJs, and independent artists.
TIDAL seems to be saying, “We don’t need everyone; just the right people.” Pretty bold when you’re competing with platforms like Spotify.
If you care about sound quality, TIDAL is still one of the best in the game. So, it’s a top choice for people who are also serious about music.
Then there’s the royalty payouts. Artists on TIDAL get around $0.0125 to $0.015 per stream, leaving Spotify’s fractions-of-a-penny payouts looking a little embarrassing.
For smaller artists, it’s one of the only places where a streaming check might actually pay for groceries, not just a cup of coffee. And, their fans might move to the platform to support them better.
But this strategy feels more like survival mode than a growth plan.
TIDAL banks everything on attracting very specific users. They want the audiophiles who notice subtle differences in cymbal sounds and DJs who need crystal-clear bass lines for their sets.
Meanwhile, most people just want something simple and affordable.
Spotify hooks them with personalized playlists. Apple Music keeps iPhone users happy in their ecosystem. Amazon Music comes free with Prime shipping, making it an easy choice for millions of shoppers.
TIDAL’s corner of the market is small, and it doesn’t seem to be growing. The question now is whether TIDAL can make this niche strategy work.
Superior sound and better payouts only matter if people care enough to sign up, and stay.
However, the long-overdue FLAC rollout and scattered messaging haven’t exactly inspired confidence. At some point, TIDAL has to figure out how to get its story across to the people who might actually care.
Still, TIDAL might have a shot.
Being the scrappy underdog has always been part of its appeal. If it can really connect with its core audience of fans, artists, and DJs, maybe they don’t need to win the streaming war outright.
But with bigger platforms so far ahead and Block focusing on crypto projects, TIDAL can’t afford many more mistakes.
The clock keeps ticking, and this underdog needs to prove it can still run with the big dogs.