6 Worrying Signs Tidal Is on the Way Out, According to Audiophiles

Audiophiles defended Tidal for years. Now even they are jumping ship.

Tidal’s future is looking shakier by the day. Once the gold standard for audiophiles, evidence suggests this high-fidelity platform might be on life support.

For music lovers who’ve defended their premium subscriptions for years, the warning signs are becoming impossible to ignore.

1. Massive Layoffs Signal Troubled Waters

Block, Jack Dorsey’s financial tech company that owns Tidal, just announced they’re cutting nearly 1,000 employees while closing another 800 open positions. This marks the second major reorganization in just over a year, following a similar round of cuts in 2024.

In an email with the not-so-subtle title “smaller block,” Dorsey claimed these changes weren’t about “hitting a specific financial target” or “replacing folks with AI.” Instead, they’re about “raising the bar and acting faster on performance.”

But, if you’re feeling skeptical about that explanation, you’re not alone.

Last year’s cuts wiped out roughly a quarter of Tidal’s entire workforce, with the product management and marketing teams taking the biggest hit. These cuts can be particularly concerning for us as those are the teams that would be improving our listening experience.

2. Tidal Has Not Released Any Significant New Features or Updates Recently

After those layoffs, it’s no surprise that Tidal seems to have hit the pause button on new features and updates.

For a service that’s supposed to be premium, they’re not exactly wowing us with fresh ideas.

Even new users keep reporting that they’re disappointed with Tidal’s interface and functionality. When you’re paying extra for a service, you expect it to work smoothly and get better over time, right?

What’s worse, the platform’s user experience is falling behind competitors in even the basics. Things that we take for granted on other services (i.e. like intuitive playlists, social features, or personalized recommendations) often feel clunky or missing on Tidal.

And, with those product management teams cut in the recent layoffs, it’s hard to imagine how Tidal will identify and implement the improvements users are asking for.

Who’s left to champion our needs?

3. Critical Platform Support Is Disappearing

Having great sound quality doesn’t mean much if you can’t actually play it on your devices. Unfortunately, Tidal is losing integration with key platforms, making it harder to use the service on the gadgets you already own.

Several major platforms have dropped Tidal support entirely. The list includes Plex, Samsung TVs, Roku, and older Amazon Fire TV devices.

And, the problems don’t stop with your home entertainment system, either. The mobile experience is suffering too.

When your music stops working in your car or lags when you try to cast it to your speakers, the pristine audio quality becomes a moot point. You can’t really blame anyone for looking for greener streaming pastures when the basics aren’t working reliably.

4. Tidal Has Lost Its Reputation as the Premium Choice for Audiophiles

Tidal used to be the service that said “quality matters” when everyone else was pushing convenience. That’s why audiophiles paid more and why many stuck around even when the library or features weren’t as good as what rivals offered.

But today, it’s hard to tell who Tidal is really for.

The MQA situation is the perfect example of this drift. Tidal promised to ditch this controversial format by July 2024 and replace everything with true FLAC files. Fast forward months later, and users are finding MQA files still hiding in the catalog without proper labeling.

Talk about a breach of trust.

What’s worse, some files labeled as FLAC (the gold standard for lossless audio) are apparently just repackaged MQA versions. It’s like Tidal is hoping nobody will notice or care enough to make a fuss.

Without a clear reason to exist beyond “we used to be the high-quality option,” Tidal is leaving its most loyal fans struggling to justify their subscription.

The conversation has shifted from “You need to try Tidal!” to “Yeah, I’m still on Tidal, but I’ve been thinking about switching…”

5. Spotify HiFi Is Coming to Steal Tidal’s Thunder

After years of delays, it looks like Spotify may finally be ready to launch its HiFi tier. And this time, there’s actual evidence it’s happening.

Unlike previous false starts, there’s concrete evidence of development.

The timing couldn’t be worse for Tidal.

Spotify’s having its first profitable year ever, with €4.2 billion in revenue for Q4 2024 and a record operating income of €477 million. They’ve got money to burn and a massive user base ready to upgrade.

If Spotify finally offers the lossless audio they’ve been promising, what’s left to keep you on Tidal? Spotify already has the scale, marketing power, and ecosystem that makes switching to it super easy.

As one Reddit user bluntly states, “If Spotify launches a HiFi service, Tidal is done.”

6. Tidal’s User Base Isn’t Growing

Tidal has about 721,400 subscribers worldwide. That’s it. Just a tiny 0.5% slice of the streaming pie. And that number has barely moved in years, even after they tried shaking up their pricing in 2024.

The lack of visible marketing makes this even more worrying.

When was the last time you saw a Tidal ad or heard someone talking about it? The silence speaks volumes.

Without bringing in fresh users, the platform risks becoming that obscure service that “some audiophiles use”, which is not exactly a recipe for long-term success.

Audiophiles may value sound quality, but they also want to invest in platforms that feel alive. Besides, fewer users means less feedback, fewer playlist contributions, and less incentive for Tidal to invest in improvements. It’s a cycle that’s hard to break once it starts.

If nothing changes soon, even loyal subscribers may start jumping ship. Not because of pricing or sound quality, but because no one wants to stick around on a sinking island.