You couldn’t put on a bigger show. No less than Madonna, Jay-Z, Rihanna, Beyonce, Nicky Minaj, Daft Punk, Jack White and Kanye West stood on stage to present the world a streaming service that promises to finally be artist-friendly.

Tidal is the baby’s name, operated by the Scandinavian technology company Aspiro, which was bought by Jay-Z a while ago and also operates the streaming service WiMP.

What makes Tidal different from all other streaming platforms? There is no more freemium package – users can choose between the basic package for 10 USD and the Hi-Fi premium deal for 20 USD, offering better sound quality. Aside from music, Tidal also hosts music videos and comes with an integrated music recognition service not unlike Shazam.

It remains largely unclear whether Tidal really will be better for musicians. Jay-Z made a rather vague comment to Billboard magazine in a recent interview, stating there will be  “more money for artists and less profit for [Tidal]”.

If you want to distribute your music through Tidal, all you have to do is pick the “WiMP” store package. Your releases will automatically go to Tidal via Aspiro.

Further information about Tidal:

Tidal website

Tidal press conference with a huge celebrity presence:

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