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Music fans who feel that music streaming services from Apple, Spotify, Amazon, YouTube, and others can't satisfy their desire for high-fidelity music may be eyeing Tidal or Qobuz. Both services offer a basic plan at $11/month, curated playlists, hi-res lossless streaming, offline listening, and easy ways to interact with up-and-coming artists.

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If hi-res music is your priority, both streaming services offer 24-bit, up to 192kHz lossless audio in FLAC format, with negligible differences in audio quality that are subjectively undetectable to most ears. Additionally, both services are available on iOS and Android, and can be easily integrated into your Sonos, Denon, or Wiim system. 

So, your decision between these two services depends on your preferences and the kind of curated content you prefer in a music service. Let's explore them both.

Features

You should subscribe to Tidal if...

1. You want to listen in Dolby Atmos

Tidal is among Apple Music and Amazon Music Unlimited as music streaming services offering tracks mixed in Dolby Atmos, which is great if you like listening with headphones or speakers that can reproduce Dolby Atmos. It's easy to queue up Dolby Atmos tracks on a Sonos system, as you can link your Tidal account in the Sonos app.

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You don't have to listen in Dolby Atmos on any platform that offers it; the feature can be turned off. However, if you prefer stereo over everything and don't want to encounter any spatial audio mixes, you won't find any on Qobuz.

2. You want to sing along (or watch)

Sometimes you hear a song and need to know the lyrics to sing along. At least, I do, and very often. So, if you're like me and prefer easy-to-find lyrics synced with the song you're listening to, Tidal is what you want. Additionally, Tidal offers in-app music videos from the latest releases to classics from the 90s.

On the other hand, Qobuz doesn't offer in-app, synced lyrics, so you'll have to do at-home karaoke the old-fashioned way: queue a song and search for its lyrics online. Qobuz also lacks music videos, so you'll have to head to YouTube.

3. You want a wider music catalog

This reason is highly subjective and depends on the breadth and variety of your music taste. You'll find most major releases from several mainstream artists on Qobuz and Tidal, but in transferring my Apple Music playlists to Tidal, I only had to say goodbye to one or two tracks per playlist.

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In comparison, my Apple Music playlists were cut short when transferred to Qobuz, with several singles, EP tracks, and remixes missing. There's no point in paying for a larger music catalog just for the sake of it, especially when you'll never listen to close to half of it, but it is worth it when as much of your favorite music as possible is available.

You should subscribe to Qobuz if...

1. Algorithmic recommendations

Qobuz features limited recommendations in its Discover tab. These recommendations include daily mixes, radio stations, a few albums similar to one you may have on repeat, a few recommended artists, and selections from one of your favorite artists.

Instead, Qobuz's Editor's Picks tab is much more plentiful, suggesting recommendations hand-picked by Qobuz staff, critically acclaimed albums, and classic albums that shaped music history. Qobuz editors also put forward albums for in-house prizes, including the Qobizissime award for an artist's particularly exceptional debut or sophomore album, and the Album of the Week award, in which Qobuz experts crown their favorite new releases across genres.

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A Qobuz subscription also includes access to the platform's magazine, where editors dive deeper into their top picks for the week. Aside from Qobuz's high-quality audio streaming, its editorial offerings make it a solid choice for listeners passionate about audio quality and the music industry as a whole, especially if they're curious about critic opinions.

Tidal also offers recommendations in its Staff Picks tab, but they appear less personal and feature more options across genres and decades, similar to Spotify. If you're looking for music discovery and hi-res streaming, consider Tidal instead.

2. You consider yourself an audiophile

Aside from enjoying all things music, if you call yourself an audiophile, or someone who enjoys the ins and outs of audio reproduction and audio gadgets, Qobuz is a platform full of like-minded people. The platform's magazine features profiles of artists and pivotal moments in music history, highlights moving sonic moments in movies, delivers news and op-eds about the latest albums, and provides reviews of hi-fi audio products. 

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On the other hand, Tidal's magazine is artist-centric, similar to Apple Music's additional content. Tidal debuted as an artist-first music platform, and its editorial content reflects that initial mission. In Tidal Magazine, you can find artist interviews and profiles, along with albums and songs that Tidal curators are most fond of.

Writer's choice

I like Qobuz's simple interface, which emphasizes critics' opinions and music moments across mediums. The simple interface with few distractions reminds me that on this platform, the music is the most important thing. Additionally, although I can't say Qobuz has "better" audio quality than Tidal, Qobuz does have a brighter sound profile that I prefer. 

When listening on the Apple AirPods Max 2 or my Sonos system, I notice slightly more separation and shine in the higher frequencies that my ears find addictive.