How to Set Tidal as Default Music Player [Detailed Guide]

Part 1. How to Make Tidal Default Music App iPhone

iOS (iPhone and iPad) doesn't allow users to set a default music app system-wide. However, through Siri, you can effectively prioritize Tidal to play music.

Step 1. Make sure that your iPhone or iPad is running iOS 16 or later.

Step 2. Go to 'Settings' > 'Music' and disable the 'Show Apple Music' function.

Step 3. Ensure that the Tidal app is installed on your device.

Step 4. In the device's 'Settings' app, scroll down and tap 'Siri & Search' to switch on 'Listen for Hey Siri'.

Step 5. Then, scroll down and tap 'Tidal'. Here, you should enable all options to allow Siri to access Tidal.

Step 6. Now, you can use voice commands to activate Siri, like 'Hey, Siri'.

Step 7. Siri will show a list of music apps. You should choose Tidal and allow Siri to play music from it.

After you choose to play music with Tidal multiple times, Siri will make Tidal default music app on your iPhone or iPad.

Part 2. How to Set Tidal as Default Music Player Mac

In this part, you can set Tidal as default music player for your local music files. However, recently, we found that it is impossible to do so on our Mac. You can have a try.

Step 1. Locate a music file on your Mac, select > right-click > Select 'Get Info' > 'Open with' > 'Other…'.

Step 2. Find Tidal on your computer. If you find the Tidal app available, just choose it and click the 'Add' button.

Step 3. Later, when you open the document, the Tidal app is the default music app.

If, like us, you can't set Tidal as the default music app, you can try this way. Search for your favorite songs on Tidal and add them to Tidal's playlists. Then, enable Tidal's 'Open Tidal automatically after you log into the computer' button. The next time you start your computer, Tidal will start automatically and you can play your liked music quickly.

See also: How to Stop Tidal from Opening on Startup

Part 3. How to Make Tidal Default Music App Windows

Can I make Tidal default music app on Windows? Well, after we tested it, we found that it is possible to set Tidal as the default music player. However, we can't play music on Tidal. In other words, you can set Tidal as default music player but you cannot really play music on Tidal. To test if your computer can do that, please follow the steps below.

Method 1. Via Windows Default Apps

Step 1. From your Windows desktop, click the 'Start' icon and go to 'Settings' to click 'Apps'.

Step 2. In the new window, you should click 'Default apps'.

Step 3. Find the 'Music Player' section and click the icon of the default music app. From the dropdown menu, choose 'Tidal'.

If you can't find Tidal this way, just try another method.

Method 2. Via Windows Local Documents

Step 1. Find a local audio file on your Windows.

Step 2. Select it and then right-click it to select 'Open with' > 'Choose another app'.

Step 3. Find and set Tidal as default music player. Remember to allow 'always use this app to open files'.

Step 4. Then, when you open the music file, Tidal will be the default music player.

Part 4. How to Play Tidal Music with Any Default Music Player Freely

It seems difficult to let Tidal play audio files. However, you can easily play Tidal music on any default music player, such as Windows Media Player, VLC, or iTunes, on devices. Playing Tidal music on any default music player involves converting Tidal's proprietary streaming tracks into a format that these players can handle. You can do this using AudFree Tidal Music Converter. It supports converting Tidal audio to MP3, FLAC, and other common formats, so you can put the converted files into your default music app. For a different listening experience, you can also adjust various parameters of Tidal tracks.

Here's how you can do it using the AudFree Tidal Music Converter.

Step 1Add Tidal Tracks to AudFree Tidable

Download and install the AudFree Tidal Music Converter on your computer. Launch the application and wait for the Tidal app to launch. Browse your liked music within Tidal. Then, copy the URL of the track you want to convert and paste it into the URL bar of AudFree. Click the '+' icon to load the selected track.

Step 2Configure Output Settings for Tidal Music

Click the 'Menu' icon in the top-right corner of the AudFree interface and select 'Preferences' > 'Convert'. Set the desired output format (MP3, FLAC, WAV, AAC, etc.). Also, adjust other parameters such as bitrate, sample rate, and channels for optimal audio quality.

Step 3Start Converting Tidal Music

Hit the 'Convert' button to begin the process. The software will download and convert the Tidal tracks into the chosen format, saving them to your computer's local storage. Now, you can open these files from any default music player on your computer. It's OK to transfer these files to other devices.

Video GuideDownload Tidal Music for Default Music Players

If you don't want to set Tidal as default music player, try putting Tidal music on your liked default music app.

Part 5. FAQs about Making Tidal Default Music App

Q1: Can I Make Tidal Default Music App on Android?

A: Most phones do not support Tidal as default music app.

Q2: How to Make Tidal Default Music App on Google Home?

A: Currently, Tidal does not integrate with Google Home, let alone set Tidal as default music player.

See also: How to Play Tidal on Google Home

Part 6. In Conclusion

On iOS, Windows and Mac, you can find ways to set Tidal as default music player. However, due to Tidal's restrictions, you won't be able to play your local songs on Tidal. There's no way around it. Therefore, we recommend playing Tidal songs on your default music player. You just need AudFree Tidal Music Converter to help you. The first step is to rip music from Tidal to computers. The second step is to play those Tidal songs on your default music app. If you wanna play Tidal songs on other devices, you can use a USB drive to transfer the file. Try out the methods we shared!