Plex, an all-in-one media management platform, is famous for total control of the personal media library on any device. Users can organize and stream all types of media files including songs, movies, and photos. Since last year, Plex has established a Tidal Plex cooperation, which means Tidal is the first streaming music platform to be fully integrated with Plex and you can access all Tidal music on Plex and download Tidal playlists or songs in Plex as long as you add Tidal subscription to Plex.
However, considering some Plex Tidal users are seeking for detailed user guide still, in this article, we will introduce 2 ways to add Tidal to Plex: the basic method & the best method. Read on to find which one is suitable for you.
Part 1. Necessary Information About Tidal Plex Integration
Plex provides two services for Tidal users: One is Plex Tidal HiFi bundles ($9.99 per month). The other is Plex Pass and Tidal HiFi Plus bundles ($19.99 per month). Such Plex Tidal prices are very cost-effective since Tidal values $9.99 per month for HiFi and $19.99 per month for HiFi Plus. Meanwhile, Plex Pass requires $3.33 per month when you pay the whole year's fee at once.
When you make Plex link Tidal and start a Tidal bundle subscription through Plex, you'll obtain nearly all Tidal features and some additional features on Plex such as automatic lyrics, mobile sync (for your Plex library content), etc. Those features change, depending on which plan you purchased. Here is a picture that indicates the features of the two Plex Tidal subscriptions:
However, although with such Plex Tidal cost, some Tidal features are still only available for official Tidal apps (or the Tidal website) users. Subscriber from a third-party app such as Plex is not supported to use these features:
- The Tidal HiFi plan does not offer "master-quality" (MQA) music on Plex, whether you subscribe to it from Tidal directly or from Plex.
- You are not allowed to download Tidal tracks to Plex mobile apps with Tidal's "Offline Mode".
- You can't purchase songs from Tidal through Plex.
If your Plex remains not working with Tidal, please try the best way in the next part.
Part 2. Best Way to Link Tidal to Plex
To link Tidal and Plex and get Plex Tidal working together, we highly recommend using AudFree Tidal Music Converter to download Tidal music as Plex-enabled formats and then transfer the local files to Plex. With advanced technology, it can download Tidal MQA tracks with 100% original quality preserved. Besides, all of the original ID3 tags and metadata, which include title, cover, artist, album, track number, etc. will be kept or edited as you like. You are also supported to customize output formats such as universal MP3, WAV, AAC, FLAC, etc. for better compatibility with the Plex or any player/device you like. With the help of this smart tool, you can enjoy Tidal MQA music in compatible formats on Plex without adding Tidal account to Plex and Tidal subscriptions with ease.
Make sure you have downloaded the Tidal app before conversion. This software is legal and secure for personal use. Later, please check the 4 simple steps to help you add Tidal to Plex:
Step 1. Load Tidal Music to AudFree Tidable for Plex
Open the AudFree Tidal Music Converter and the Tidal app will be launched automatically. Drag and drop the Tidal playlist or copy and paste the URL of Tidal tracks to the AudFree window. Or copy the Tidal song or playlist's URL links from Tidal and paste them to AudFree Tidal Music Converter.
Step 2. Adjust Tidal Music Output Settings for Plex Tidal Integration
Head over to the upper-right toolbar of AudFree Tidable. Click the 'Preferences' > 'Convert' option In the top right corner. Here, customize output settings to MP3, AAC, FLAC, WAV, M4A, and other Plex-supported formats. Likewise, you can export lossless audio quality by adjusting the bit rate, audio channel, sample rate, etc.
Step 3. Convert Tidal Music to Plex-enabled Audio
Press the 'Convert' button at the right-bottom corner of the homepage, and the AudFree Tidal Plex Converter will begin to download and convert added Tidal music. Now you can locate the target folder by clicking 'Converted' to check your Tidal songs. Then upload these local Tidal MQA, HiFi music in compatible formats to Plex Library easily.
Part 3. How to Use Tidal on Plex [Basic Way]
In this section, we will take you through the basic way to use Tidal on Plex. In order to use Tidal with Plex, you have to own a Tidal subscription first. Generally, there are 3 kinds of situations among users:
1) Users who have a Tidal subscription (directly via Tidal) but don't have a Plex subscription.
2) Users who have a Plex subscription but don't have a Tidal subscription.
3) Users who have neither Tidal HiFi/HiFi Plus nor Plex Pass subscriptions.
Then you can look through the following steps to add Tidal subscription to Plex.
Convert an Existing Tidal Subscription to Plex
Both Tidal HiFi and Tidal HiFi Plus subscribers can switch their Tidal subscription to be billed and managed by Plex:
Step 1. Open the main Tidal page on the Plex site.
Step 2. Click 'purchase' which is related to the plan that you already have.
Step 3. When you are navigated to the Tidal website, log in to your Tidal account. Then it will transfer your subscription to be billed and then managed through Plex.
Once you do it, you are allowed to organize the content of your Tidal tracks and renew a Tidal subscription on Plex forever.
Start a Tidal Subscription on Existing Plex
Both Plex free users and Plex Pass subscribers can start their Tidal subscription with a few steps:
Step 1. Visit the main Tidal page on the Plex site.
Step 2. Choose 'Tidal Premium' or 'Tidal HiFi' on the bottom page.
Step 3. After being redirected to the Tidal site, create an account there and link/authorize your Tidal account to Plex.
Create a New Plex account and Tidal Account Simultaneously
If you are a new user of Plex, you are available to get a 90-day free trial.
Step 1. Create a Plex account.
Step 2. Locate the main Tidal page on Plex.
Step 3. You'll be navigated to the Tidal site, create a Tidal account and confirm to link/authorize to Plex.
Bonus Tip: Fix Tidal Not Showing Up in Plex Issue
The potential reasons behind Tidal not showing up in Plex can come to the settings of Plex. If you don't install the Tidal plugin and enable the Tidal on the Plex settings, you will encounter such Plex Tidal not working issues. To resolve this problem, please follow the instruction below:
Step 1. On Plex, open the 'Settings' menu.
Step 2. Tap 'Plugins' and search for 'Tidal'.
Step 3. Press the 'Install' button to install the Tidal plugin if you have not.
Step 4. Also, click on the 'Enable' button to add the Tidal plugin to the Plex.
See also: Fix the Tidal Doesn't Work Problem
Part 4. More FAQs about Tidal on Plex
Q1: Does Tidal come free with a lifetime pass in Plex?
A: No. It requires you to purchase a Plex Pass lifetime and then separately pay for Tidal services.
Q2: Does Plex support Tidal Connect?
A2: Nope. Currently, Plex is not a Tidal Connect-enabled device although Tidal works with Plex.
Q3: How to remove Tidal from Plex?
The process will be quite easy if you refer to the following instruction to let Plex remove Tidal:
Step 1. Enter into the Plex, and click the 'Settings' tab towards the top-right corner.
Step 2. When the navigation menu is opened, choose the 'Online Media Sources' link from the left side of the screen.
Step 3. Tap on the right 'Edit' link in the Tidal row.
Step 4. On the pull-down menu, click on 'Disabled' > 'Save Changes'. Then Tidal will be removed from Plex.
Q4: How do I find Tidal music on Plex?
Here is the detailed guide. And the steps will vary on different devices.
Step 1. On desktops, navigate to the Plex Web Player and choose 'Tidal' from the left sidebar. On mobiles, open the Plex app and select 'Music' > 'Tidal' from the bottom type bar.
Step 2. Then you will enter into the main window of Tidal just like on the Tidal app. So enter the name of your favorite Tidal albums or songs in the Tidal search box to find and browse Tidal music on Plex.
Note: You can also use the 'Add to My TIDAL' feature to add your favorite Tidal songs and playlists to the music library or create Tida playlists. Then on Plex, you can tap the 'My Tidal' and 'My TIDAL Playlists' section directly to enjoy the music you collected before.
Part 5. Conclusion
In this post, we have discussed one basic way and also the best way to make Tidal Plex integration. To play Tidal on Plex smoothly without any Tidal or Plex subscription and avoid Tidal not showing up in Plex, we recommend you use AudFree Tidal Music Converter. Because this smart tool enables you to download Tidal MQA, HiFi, and High-quality music and transfer the Tidal downloads to Plex. So, give it a shot!
Miley Swift
Staff Editor
