How to Download Tidal to WAV for Free/Losslessly

By Miley Swift Updated on 2024-09-13 / Update for Tidal Tips

"Who will win the war on streaming music services - Tidal, Spotify, or Apple?" No one can give a definite answer, but Tidal is a bit ahead of the others when it comes to high-resolution quality. While you have to admit that Tidal has an obvious "flaw", which is that downloaded Tidal music is only playable within the Tidal app. Why? That is because the music is saved as a cached file in encoded format.

In this case, if you want to play Tidal music on a wide range of devices, perhaps you should consider ripping the music. WAV is a popular choice for those seeking high-fidelity audio. In this article, we will present 3 tools to convert Tidal to WAV. You can use a losslessly or free method as you like.

convert tidal to wav

Part 1. More about Tidal & WAV

Q1: What Is Tidal?

A: Tidal has made a name for itself as a premier music streaming platform, especially among audiophiles and those who appreciate high-fidelity sound. With its HiRes audio quality, Tidal becomes a top choice for listeners.

See also: How to Download Tidal HiRes Music

Q2: What Is the WAV Format?

A: WAV is short for Waveform Audio File Format and is one of the most lossless audio file formats for storing audio bitstream on a PC. It is actually an uncompressed format jointly developed by Microsoft and IBM, which has become the format of choice for users seeking high-quality sound. WAV files are suitable for TV, radio, DVD, or any other media requiring top uncompromised audio quality, as they are lossless, uncompressed, and of broadcast CD quality.

Q3: Does Tidal Support WAV?

A: No. Tidal supports AAC, FLAC, and HiRes FLAC.

FYI: Tidal Sound Quality

Q4: Why Convert Tidal to WAV?

A: As you may know, songs downloaded from Tidal are originally DRM-protected. Tidal music is restricted to play on Tidal licensed devices, which means you can't transfer Tidal music to other preferred devices for playback. However, if you convert Tidal to editable WAV files via a Tidal to WAV tool like AudFree Tidal Music Converter, you can enjoy Tidal music without limits.


See also: How to Remove DRM from Tidal

Part 2. How to Convert Tidal to WAV Losslessly - AudFree Tidal Music Converter

In reality, changing audio formats from one to another may face the risk of sound quality loss. For people who need high-fidelity sound, keeping the original audio quality is necessary. To convert Tidal song to WAV without any quality loss, we need a powerful assistant to avoid the risk as much as possible.

Here, AudFree Tidal Music Converter is the best choice for you as it is adept at decoding Tidal songs losslessly. What's more, this Tidal to WAV converter can not only convert and download Tidal tracks to WAV but also MP3, FLAC, AAC, M4A, and M4B. With this AudFree software, you can save converted Tidal music in your local folder on the computer.

As you can see, the converted Tidal WAV audio is 100% lossless quality with complete metadata such as title, artist, album and so forth. Meanwhile, as a high-tech product, this smart software runs at a 5X faster speed and supports batch conversion, for example, a Tidal playlist with 100 audio files can be converted successfully at one time. With the support of this WAV downloader, you can get Tidal audio in WAV format without any hassle.

AudFree Tidal to WAV Converter

audfree tidal to wav converter
  • Losslessly decode Tidal songs and playlists
  • Download and transfer Tidal to WAV, FLAC, MP3, etc.
  • Keep raw metadata and 100% lossless Hi-Res quality
  • Run at 5X faster speed, alter music quality and parameters

How to Convert Tidal Music to WAV Losslessly for Windows/Mac

Step 1Add Tidal Songs and Playlists to AudFree Tidable
add tidal songs for conversion
Before starting, you must be sure to have AudFree Tidal Music Converter and Tidal app installed on your desktop. Then launch the AudFree Tidable and pick any Tidal songs or playlists from Tidal. Simply copy the link of the track/playlist and paste it into the converter's search box. After that, hit the "+" icon and wait until the selected Tidal files are input to the AudFree Tidable.
Step 2Edit Tidal Output Format to WAV
modify tidal output format to wav
Just click the "Menu" logo on the home page. Then press on the "Preferences" > "Convert" section. With a new settings window popping up, you are allowed to customize the Tidal music output quality to WAV. For higher quality, you can change the bit rate to 32-bit and the sample rate to 192 kHz.
Step 3Convert and Store Tidal to WAV Files
convert tidal to wav losslessly
Now, simply press on the big "Convert" bar in the bottom right corner of the home page. The program will work at 5X faster speed (in a great network connection) to decrypt Tidal tracks to WAV. When the conversion goes over, a red spot with numbers will appear on the "Converted" icon. Please click it to locate the local folder where all downloaded Tidal WAV tracks are saved.
Video GuideGet Tidal WAV files via the AudFree Tidal Music Downloader
See this video to learn how to download Tidal WAV audio for listening anywhere.

Part 3. How to Record and Download Tidal WAV Files - AudFree Audio Capture

Have you ever heard of audio capture? Its main working mechanism is to record any playing sound. Here we introduce AudFree Audio Capture for you. It can capture and download songs from all the popular music streaming services including Tidal.


With this powerful Tidal capture tool, you can freely rip and convert Tidal music to WAV, MP3, FLAC, and other audio formats. As a result, you can listen to Tidal music offline whenever and wherever you like without the Tidal app. Using advanced audio recording technology, it also can preserve the original ID3 tags of Tidal files.

How to Rip and Convert Tidal Songs to WAV

Step 1. Launch this AudFree Tidal WAV recorder on your computer, then the main screen will be displayed. You need to tap the "Select/Add an App" section to pick up and add the Tidal app to it.

launch audfree tidal to wav recorder

Step 2. Please click on the "Format" option at the bottom and choose the output format as WAV. Then choose the quality and tap the "Gear" icon to open the settings window. Here you have the freedom to adjust other output parameters such as encoder, sample rate, etc.

set output format for tidal music

Step 3. Tap the "Create and apply" button to save your settings. Touch the Tidal app icon from the app list on AudFree and then tap the "Start" button. In the pop-up Tidal music app, play your favorite Tidal music. Afterwards, this intelligent AudFree Audio Capture will automatically start the recording process.

record music from tidal via audfree audio capture

Step 4. Touch "Stop" to end the recording. If desired, click the "Edit Tag" button to edit the metadata information and ID3 tags of your Tidal songs. Then simply click on the "Save" button to get the Tidal WAV file on your local computer.

See also: Download Tidal Songs to Computers

save tidal music as wav

Video Guide: Run AudFree Audio Capture to record and save Tidal WAV music.

Part 4. How to Download Tidal to WAV for Free - Audacity

Audacity is a renowned, open source audio editor and recorder dedicated to recording, editing and mixing audio. It is worth noting that it is completely free and that its powerful features are comparable to any commercial audio software. If you want to convert Tidal to WAV for free, then look no further than Audacity.

With the aid of this powerful Tidal converter, you can capture and download any music from Tidal to popular formats such as WAV, MP3, and OGG. It is not only suitable for Windows and Mac but also compatible with GNU, Linux, and other operating systems. Consequently, you can easily and freely get Tidal music download in WAV format on your computer for unlimited enjoyment.

How to Convert Tidal to WAV for Free

Step 1. Install and open Audacity on your computer, then tap the "Edit" button on the toolbar. Select the "Audio Host Box" > "Windows WASAPI" option on the Preferences page.

set preferences on audacity

Step 2. Tap the "Reference" >"Recording" button and turn off "Software Playthrough". Next, touch the "Options" button and select the audio output format as WAV.

audacity settings for recording

Step 3. Click the "Record" button in the Audacity Transfer toolbar and you can start playing any music you like on your Tidal software. When the recording is complete, click the "Save" button and Audacity will start ripping and converting Tidal to WAV in real time.

convert tidal music to wav for free with audacity

Part 5. Comparison: 3 Tidal to WAV Converters

When comparing different methods for obtaining Tidal WAV files, it is important to consider factors such as output format, audio quality, conversion speed, and more. Let's refer to a comparison table to help you make an informed decision.

AudFree Tidal Music Converter AudFree Audio Capture Audacity
Price $14.95/Month $14.95/Month Free
Compatible OS Mac/Windows Mac/Windows Mac/Windows/
Linux
Support Input Format Tidal content Any sound Any sound
Supported Output Format MP3/FLAC/AAC/
WAV/M4A/M4B
MP3/FLAC/AAC/
WAV/M4A/M4B/
AIFF/OGG/APE/
MKA, etc.
MP3/WAV/AIFF/
AU/FLAC/Ogg Vorbis
Conversion Speed 5X Faster Speed Real time Real time
Customize Output Quality ✔️ ✔️
Cut/Merge Function ✔️ ✔️
Batch Conversion ❌️
Need Tidal Subscription ✔️ ✔️
Recommends ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Part 6. FAQs about Tidal WAV

Q1: Which Is Better, WAV or FLAC?

A: The WAV file is the raw audio file, which is uncompressed and widely supported in players and devices. On the other hand, the FLAC file is compressed and smaller in size, but it is not compatible with many players and hardware. If you need uncompressed audio for professional production or editing, it is better to choose WAV. If you want high-quality music in a smaller file size with good metadata support, it is suggested to use the FLAC format.

Q2: Can I Download a WAV File from Tidal?

A: No, you can't download Tidal WAV audio because Tidal doesn't support that.

Q3: Are There Alternatives to Tidal WAV Format?

A: FLAC may be the first replacement for WAV. Additionally, for more universal use, MP3 is a popular option.

Part 7. Summary

This post provides 3 effective solutions for getting Tidal WAV files on Windows & Mac or for free. Based on the comparison, the AudFree Tidal to WAV Converter stands out as the best choice. It offers lossless audio quality and batch downloading. Also, if you find any other possible methods, please don't hesitate to share them with us in the comments section below.

Miley Swift

Miley Swift

Staff Editor

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Miley Swift is a professional content creator in the field of music entertainment and tech. Passionate about Tidal streaming technology, she is adept in offering and updating relevant tech skills and tools of Tidal music.