Tidal vs Qobuz 2024: Which Is Better?

Part 1. Qobuz vs Tidal: Overview

Tidal vs Qobuz, which is better? Before a Qobuz Tidal comparison, see their overall introductions first. We will discuss their developments and main features.

🟢 What Is Qobuz

Qobuz is a French-based music streaming service that was founded in 2007. It is one of the oldest online music streaming platforms. Initially, the service was only available in a few overseas markets, including the Netherlands, UK, Germany, Italy and Spain. Now the company is expanding its service to more countries, including the US. Currently, it is available in 26 countries.

On Qobuz, you can enjoy lossless CD-quality (16-bit/44.1 kHz) and Hi-Res audio (up to 24-bit/192 kHz). Qobuz offers different plans, including Studio and Sublime, which have Solo, Duo, and Family options. Now, the Studio adds a Student option.

See More: Qobuz vs Deezer Review

🟢 What Is Tidal

Tidal is an American audio subscription service owned by Jay Z, launched in 2014. On Tidal, you can find music, audiobooks, podcasts, music videos, and more. It is available in over 61 countries around the world, which makes it a great choice for people across the globe. You can get lossless FLAC (up to 16-bit/44.1 kHz) and HiRes FLAC (up to 24-bit/192 kHz) audio.

Now, Tidal has combined its HiFi and HiFi Plus plans as "TIDAL". The TIDAL plan includes Individual, Student, and Family. The Military and First Responders plans are cancelled.

See More: Napster vs Tidal Comparison

Is Qobuz better than Tidal? Or is Tidal better than Qobuz? Let's see a detailed Qobuz Tidal comparison in the following parts.

Part 2. Qobuz vs Tidal: Price Plans Comparison

The first round is the Tidal vs Qobuz price comparison. If you plan to enjoy music at a low price, you can read this part. Both Qobuz and Tidal offer premium plans, but they differ in tie and pricing.

Qobuz Price

Qobuz has two main subscription plans: Studio and Sublime. They both offer three tiers: Solo, Duo, and Family. Additionally, Studio offers a Student plan. The monthly individual plan costs $12.99 (Studio) and $14.99 (Sublime). Before subscribing, you can enjoy a one-month free trial. If you choose the 'for an annual single payment subscription' of Studio, it will be much cheaper. And please note that plans for multi-account require all users to live at the same address.

Qobuz Pricing	Studio	Sublime
Solo (1 account)	$12.99/month; $10.83/month (paid annually)	$14.99/month (paid annually)
Duo (2 accounts)	$17.99/month; $14.99/month (paid annually)	$22.49/month (paid annually)
Family (6 accounts)	$21.90/month; $17.99/month (paid annually)	$29.16/month (paid annually)
Student (1 accounts)	$4.99/month	/

🏷 FYI: Qobuz Offers

Tidal Price

Tidal made significant changes in 2024. The Tidal HiFi and HiFi Plus plans have been merged into one package. Now, Tidal only offers a single subscription plan called "TIDAL". This new Tidal plan is priced at $10.99 per month and provides the same features as the original Tidal HiFi Plus plan, but at a lower cost. If you wish to mix Tidal music on DJ software, you will need to pay an additional $9 per month. Additionally, you can also avail a free trial of Tidal plans.

See More: Several Ways to Get Tidal Free Trial 6/3/2 Months

Tidal Pricing	Individual	Student	Family	Military	First Responders
TIDAL	$10.99/month; Add-on DJ Extension: $9.00/month	$4.99/month	$16.99/month; Add-on DJ Extension: $9.00/month	❌	❌

💥 Tips: You can download Tidal songs via AudFree Tidal Music Converter for playback without Tidal plans.

See More: How to Download Music from Tidal

📢 Conclusion: In the Qobuz vs Tidal price comparison, Tidal's plans are cheaper than Qobuz's. This is good news for previous Tidal HiFi subscribers as they can now enjoy all the premium features at a lower price. Moreover, students can take advantage of an exclusive and cost-effective offer

🏆 Winner: Tidal

Part 3. Qobuz vs Tidal: Sound Quality Comparison

When it comes to Tidal vs Qobuz sound quality, you should consider two main factors: bit rate and audio format. The bit rate in 'Kbps' represents the number of bits of sound in one second. And the audio format can be lossless or lossy. Fortunately, both Tidal and Qobuz offer FLAC lossless formats.

Qobuz Audio Quality

Qobuz offers MP3 at 320 Kbps, CD quality at 16-bit/44.1 kHz, and high-resolution audio at 24-bit/up to 192 kHz.

Tidal Audio Quality

Tidal offers up to 320 Kbps low quality, 16-bit/44.1 kHz in lossless FLAC. and up to 24-bit/192 kHz in HiRes FLAC. Besides, you can use the Tidal Dolby Atmos effect.

See More: Tidal HiFi vs Master: Which One Is Better

When talking about Tidal MQA and Tidal 360 Reality Audio, most of people may find that they are thrown away by Tidal.

🔖 It's worth mentioning that you need a high-quality audio output device to truly enjoy Hi-Res and Hi-Fi audio files. Otherwise, you may not notice any difference between MP3 audio files and Hi-Fi. Besides, downloading higher-quality sound files requires more storage space compared to standard MP3 320 Kbps files.

See More: Best Tidal Streamers for Tidal HiFi

Tidal Max vs Qobuz FLAC

It appears that Tidal and Qobuz offer the same high-quality audio, up to 24-bit/192kHz. However, opinions on this matter vary among individuals. Many Reddit users think that Qobuz offers a more analytical experience. What do you think?

✨ FYR: Reddit: My Tidal vs Qobuz experience

🏆 Winner: Draw

Part 4. Tidal vs Qobuz: Music Library Differences

The music library is an important factor when determining whether Tidal or Qobuz is a popular music streaming service. A larger music library can meet the needs of more people, attracting more users. Let's take a closer look at the Qobuz vs Tidal library review.

The Qobuz library size is more than 100 million, including 60 million CD-quality tracks and 424,000 Hi-Res audio tracks. It's good for enjoying high-resolution music. Additionally, its special feature is the availability of jazz, classical, and less mainstream music content. However, you won't find podcasts, audiobooks, and other types of content on Qobuz.

As for Tidal, it offers over 110 million tracks and 650,000 music videos in its music library. Users can find music in Tidal sections such as Albums, Explore, and more. Moreover, it offers over 25,000 songs in high-resolution quality.

See More: How to Download Tidal Hi-Res Music

So, in this Qobuz vs Tidal library comparison, you can easily know that Tidal has a larger library for users. If you wanna listen to more types of songs, podcasts, and audiobooks and watch music videos, then you can choose Tidal. If you wanna access special music genres, you can go to Qobuz.

🏆 Winner: Draw

Part 5. Qobuz vs Tidal: Compatibility

When it comes to compatibility, both Tidal and Qobuz have a lot of options. They have apps for Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, and a web player version.

Not only that, but you can also install Qobuz or Tidal on your Apple TV, Roku or other digital devices. In addition to that, with the amazing Tidal Connect feature, Tidal can be directly connected to some devices, including Yamaha, Naim, etc.

✨ FYI: Tidal Connect Supported-devices

📢 Streaming music services have copyright protection for their music, which only allows users to play music on official apps. So, if you want to play Tidal or Qobuz music on their unsupported devices, it will be a bit difficult. Thankfully, you can use AudFree apps ( AudFree Audio Capture and AudFree Tidal Music Converter ) to help you. They can transfer music to MP3, FLAC, and other common formats. Then you can freely import the downloaded files to devices that support these formats for listening.

AudFree Audio Capture can download music from Qobuz and Tidal, but it requires a manual pause after each song is recorded.

AudFree Tidal Music Converter is only for Tidal. It can download and save songs separately and automatically.

📢 Conclusion: In this Qobuz Tidal comparison, Tidal wins for its abundant library.

🏆 Winner: Tidal

Part 6. Tidal vs Qobuz: User Interface

The Qobuz Tidal comparison in this part is about their UI. For people who want to use an app with a comfortable UI, this part shouldn't be missed.

Qobuz UI

Qobuz is available in three different forms: a web player, a PC app, and a mobile app. You might take a bit of time to get used to the finer intricacies of the various tabs. The Qobuz desktop app offers an exceptional user interface, and the mobile app has a dark mode and a standard interface. The mobile app is similar to the desktop app but with menu buttons at the bottom.

Tidal UI

Tidal's UI is intuitive and straightforward, with a typical boxy layout that is prevalent among streaming apps. The web player and desktop app share identical dark-themed designs, which translates well on the mobile app. Tidal's desktop app and web player feature a stationary sidebar that houses all the important sections, making it easy to navigate the app.

📢 Conclusion: Based on the search results, it seems that Qobuz has a more complex interface, while Tidal has a more modern design.

🏆 Winner: Tidal

Part 7. Tidal vs. Qobuz: Music Discovery

Both Qobuz and Tidal have their own algorithms to recommend new tracks. This Tidal Qobuz comparison will show you their differences.

On Qobuz, there is a 'Discover' section that displays playlists across genres and similar albums based on the category you selected when signing up. There's also a 'News' section that discusses recent gossip and other happenings in the music industry.

However, Qobuz's recommendations are only based on high-resolution tracks in various genres and new music releases. This might be a problem for some subscribers who want to have custom playlists of their favorite artists, bands, genres, and more.

Tidal, on the other hand, offers advanced personalized playlists for users based on what they like to listen to. In addition, Tidal also comes with categories like 'Recently Played', 'Mixed For You', 'New Albums Added Since You', and 'Suggestions'. These categories help subscribers discover new music based on their preferences. These algorithmically personalized tracks ensure Tidal subscribers have access to the music content they actually want to hear.

See More: Best Tidal Audiophile Playlists Recommended [Hot]

📢 Conclusion: In this Qobuz Tidal comparison, we should vote for Tidal's more accurate service.

🏆 Winner: Tidal

Part 8. Tidal vs Qobuz: Social Media

If you plan to log in to Tidal or Qobuz, you can use your email address. Besides, Qobuz supports using your Facebook account and Tidal allows you to log in with Facebook, Google, Apple as well as Twitter. This function allows for a streamlined login process and quick synchronization of your profile and social network information. It also makes it easier to share music and recommended albums with friends.

See More: How to Share Tidal to Instagram Stories and Facebook Stories

Additionally, you can find 'Qobuz Club', a subscribers-only social platform, to share their musical likes on Qobuz. Tidal has a 'Tidal Live session'. You can enjoy music and share your opinion with other fans in real-time. It is amazing that you can feel the vibes from anywhere and everywhere.

🏆 Winner: Tidal

Part 9. Qobuz vs Tidal: Artist Payment

In terms of artist payment, Qobuz has been quite secretive about the royalties they pay out. However, there have been articles mentioning figures such as $0.04, claiming that Qobuz gives more back to artists compared to other services. Qobuz also offers the option for artists to sell their music on the platform, which generates more PPL money. During the first lockdown, Qobuz supported artists by donating 100% of all new first-month subscriber revenues to rights holders.

Tidal prides itself on its focus on artist ownership and ensuring fair compensation for artists who share their music. Tidal's Direct-to-artist payment is a monthly scheme where a percentage of your membership fee is given to your most streamed artist of the month. This allows you to have control over which artists benefit from your contribution. However, Tidal recognizes certain plans as discounted, and these plans do not count towards artist payout.

📢 Conclusion: Overall, Qobuz's reputation for paying the highest royalties in the industry gives it a slight edge in this regard.

🏆 Winner: Qobuz

Part 10. Qobuz and Tidal: Exclusive Features

Qobuz offers a unique feature called 'Qobuzissime', which is a selection of the best albums across various genres, curated by Qobuz's team of experts. They also offer exclusive editorial content, such as artist interviews and album reviews, as well as high-resolution audio streaming for audiophiles.

Tidal offers a feature called 'Tidal Rising', which highlights emerging artists and promotes their music to a wider audience. In Tidal, it is easier to find new tracks.

📢 This is not a Qobuz vs Tidal battle because their features are different. If you prioritize exclusive live events and new tracks, Tidal might be a better choice. If you value expertly curated music selections and exclusive editorial content, Qobuz could be the better option.

Part 11. Qobuz Tidal Comparison Table

Which is better, Tidal or Qobuz? Both Tidal and Qobuz are good platforms for Hi-Res music, but they also have some differences in terms of pricing, music quality, and more. Check out the quick Qobuz Tidal comparison.

	Qobuz	Tidal
Launch Date	2007	2014
Audio Quality	MP3: 320kbps CD: FLAC, 16-bit/44.1kHz Hi-Res: 24-bit/192kHz	Low: MP3, 320 kbps High: FLAC, 16-bit/44.1kHz Max: HiRes FLAC, 24-bit/192kHz
Price	Studio: $12.99/month Sublime: $14.99/month	Individual: $10.99/month Student: $4.99/month Family: $16.99/month
Music Library	100M+ tracks	110M+ tracks
Compatibility	Windows, Mac, Android, iOS app and web player	Windows, Mac, Android, iOS app and web player
Availability	Available in 26 countries	Available in more than 61 countries
Music Discovery	Recommended based on high-resolution tracks	Recommended based on listening habit
Free Plan	❌	❌
Artist Payment	More	Less
Social Media	Facebook; Qobuz Club	Facebook/Google/Apple/Twitter; Tidal Live session
Exclusive Features	Qobuzissime	Tidal Connect, Tidal Rising
Download Option	✔	✔ (only on Mobile)

Extra Tips: How to Download Tidal Music as Local Files

AudFree Tidal Music Converter can download Tidal music on your computer locally. It supports resetting sample rate, bitrate, channel, and format like MP3, FLAC, AAC, WAV, M4B, and M4A. With this AudFree tool, you can download and save batches of Tidal tracks efficiently at once. Conveniently, it keeps the original ID3 tags of each song so you can classify them in your folder with no effort.

Step 1. Download, install, and open the AudFree Tidal Music Converter on your Windows/Mac computer.

Step 2. Drag and drop songs from Tidal to the AudFree software. Or you can copy and paste the song's link into the top 'address box' and click '+' to load songs.

Step 3. The default output format is MP3 and it is supported by most devices. If you want to change it, go to the 'menu' icon and then choose 'Preferences' > 'Convert'. Then you can reset it and you also can alter the sample rate, bit rate, and so on.

Step 4. Click 'Convert' at the bottom right to start the conversion process. Once completed, you can find the plain Tidal music files in 'history'.

Video Guide: This guide will show you how to use this best Tidal music downloader.

Now you can listen to Tidal music offline without Tidal plans. You can also move these well-converted Tidal songs to other devices that don't support Tidal.

FAQs about Tidal and Qobuz

Q1: Which Is Better, Qobuz vs Tidal Classical Music?

A: For the Qobuz vs Tidal classical music comparison, Qobuz is outstanding. Qobuz positions itself as a top choice for classical music streamers, highlighting that 19% of its library consists of classical music. Additionally, almost half of Qobuz's exclusive reviews focus on classical music albums.

Q2: Which Is Better, Tidal vs Qobuz vs Spotify vs Apple Music vs Deezer vs Amazon Music?

A: Qobuz is known for its extensive collection of high-resolution audio, particularly in the classical genre.

Tidal is well-known for its high-fidelity audio quality and is special in its artist-first and fan-centered platform.

Spotify offers a vast library of songs and playlists, personalized recommendations, and collaborative playlists.

Apple Music integrates seamlessly with the Apple ecosystem, offering curated playlists and exclusive releases.

See More: Is Apple Music Better Than Spotify

Deezer emphasizes music discovery with its 'Flow' feature and extensive editorial recommendations.

See More: Deezer vs Apple Music 2024 [Full Comparison]

Amazon Music provides a wide range of music, including exclusive content for Prime members and integration with Alexa devices for voice control.

We can't say in general which is better. Each music streamer has its own characteristics. You can compare the areas you care about most and select a better music streaming service.

Q3: Does Qobuz Have Something Like Tidal Connect?

A: It seems that Qobuz will release Qobuz Connect soon. We look forward to it.

Q4: How Do I Import a Tidal Playlist to Qobuz?

A: Using apps like Soundiiz is a good idea.

See More: How to Transfer Playlists from Tidal to Qobuz

Q5: Is Qobuz the Best Streaming Service?

A: It just depends on everyone's criteria.

Q6: Is Tidal Worth It?

A: Tidal uses the TIDAL plan to replace its HiFi and HiFi Plus plans. You can use premium features at a lower price. Additionally, the MQA, which is despised by many people, has also been cancelled. It is worth using.

In Conclusion

The battle of Qobuz vs Tidal ultimately changes with their developments. Anyway, we hope this Tidal vs Qobuz 2024 comparison can give you some reference. By the way, AudFree Tidal Music Converter and AudFree Audio Capture are great tools to export Qobuz and Tidal music. Try using them if you plan to enjoy music without subscriptions in the future.