TidalPay, got worseUS
Tidal Free ended
Tidal ended its free US tier; listening now needs a paid plan, from $10.99 a month after the trial
What changed
- Free listening
- Was Before: Tidal Free (US only): up to 160 kbps, limited interruptions
- After: None; a paid plan is needed after the free trial
What this means for you
You can no longer listen to Tidal for free; the cheapest way in is Individual at $10.99 a month after the free trial, or Student if you qualify.
What you can do
How we know
An archived copy of Tidal's US pricing page from Jan 1, 2022 lists a Free plan, up to 160 kbps with limited interruptions.
Tidal's help article still describes Tidal Free, US only, on Sep 24, 2023.
Tidal's support article says Free users must switch to a paid plan from Apr 10, 2024, at $10.99 a month.
Related records
Sources
- Tidal Support: Upcoming Changes to TIDAL Subscriptions (Mar 5, 2024) · archived copy
- Tidal pricing page, US: Free plan listed (Jan 1 2022) · archived copy
- Tidal Support: Subscription Types, TIDAL Free (US only) still described (Sep 24 2023) · archived copy
- Digital Music News: Tidal Simplifies Subscription Options, Says Goodbye to Free Tier (Mar 6, 2024) (secondary)
Full research notes
In the January 1, 2022 capture, Tidal's US pricing page lists a Free plan with "Good Sound Quality", "Up to 160 kbps" and "Limited interruptions", and "No credit card needed". Tidal's Subscription Types help article still describes "TIDAL Free (US only)" in the September 24, 2023 capture, although the pricing page no longer lists the Free plan from the August 3, 2023 capture. Tidal's support article "Upcoming Changes to TIDAL Subscriptions" (updated March 5, 2024) says: "Starting April 10, 2024, users who were on the TIDAL Free tier will need to switch to a paid TIDAL subscription to continue enjoying TIDAL's services", at $10.99 USD/month. No Tidal source says when new sign-ups to Tidal Free stopped, so the record uses April 10, 2024.
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