Tidal, Deezer


Could someone with experience with music subscription services please advise. My confusion is that these music services advertise that you can download music for offline listening. Wouldn't that be putting music files in your storage...creating a music library? I have had itunes and rhapsody, both of which you can download music files into your computer. Surely there must be others you can do the same? Thanks for any advice
128x128easola01

Showing 6 responses by ghosthouse

I have Spotify and Tidal "premium" subscriptions.  Haven't done the "download for off line listening" with Tidal, though I think it is very similar to that offered by Spotify.  With Spotify, YES, you can download whole albums (or individual tracks) to your device for off-line listening.  This allows listening to saved music while out of range of WiFi or not connected to cellular.  With Spotify (not sure about the Tidal requirement) it is necessary to log on to Spotify periodically (at least once in 30 days, I believe) in order to keep the downloaded files.  Of course, their app must be on the appropriate device (e.g., iPhone, iPod) to store and access these files.  I'd also note, you don't "own" the files in any way that allows you to copy them or export them to other storage media (short of using pirating software).  I haven't bothered with downloading in Tidal since I mainly use Tidal when connected and "streaming" through the main two channel system where the improved sound quality is evident.  Tidal SQ advantage is just not evident outdoors while listening with earbuds.  In either case - both Tidal and Spotify - I have saved dozens of albums to personal music libraries that are accessible every time I log on to the respective service BUT not all of those saved albums have been downloaded for off-line listening.  Hope that is helpful.
easola - 
re your first paragraph - YES.  If the service loses rights to an artistist's album, it is no longer available - whether previously downloaded and whether currently connected or not.

re your second paragraph: DOWNLOADED Spotify music files ARE stored on your local device.  They just can't be played back independent of using the service's app located on your device.  

I have large music libraries in both Spotify and Tidal.  Not all the albums in these libraries are downloaded.  To access all content in these libraries, I must have a live, real time, streaming connection to the service (in my case, either Spotify or Tidal) via their app.

ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio Codec) is not lossy (though compressed).  The AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) format used for Apple iTunes Music service files is lossy and compressed.

Agree 100% w/gdnrbob - we are living in a Golden Age of music accessibility.  Spotify (preferred for it's larger library and - to me - cleaner interface design) & Tidal (preferred for superior sound quality) are treasures and fantastic avenues for discovering new music.  Still, if I find a gem that rewards repeated listening, I will purchase the CD and then rip to hard drive for playback through an Auralic Aries Mini.  To my ear, this format is better than Spotify, Tidal or the CD.
    




easola1 -
Don’t be impressed. I try to be thorough (and accurate) but my technical competency with these things is pretty limited. I had Spotify first. I got used to it. Liked the layout and really like the Browse/Discover function. That introduced me to a lot of new music. I’m sure Tidal has something similar. Spotify also has a high success rate for containing the music I’m looking for. Tidal’s SQ is definitely better (even apart from the MQA files) - I prefer it to that of Spotify but I’m regularly unable to find albums on Tidal that are found on Spotify. I also encounter buffering delays (in the middle of songs, sometimes) with Tidal - especially at night - but never with Spotify. When listening on the main system, Tidal is the "go to" but I use Spotify as backup if an album can’t be found on Tidal to if buffering problems strike.

I do think Spotify’s SQ has improved in the years since I first started subscribing thought I’m sure the experts will tell me that is not the case. Anyway, at $10 a month for the Spotify subscription ($0.33 a day?) it was worth keeping Spotify even after I finally got the Tidal HiFi subscription. With either subscription, a dropped artist license is fairly rare...but it does occasionally happen. Go to play something from the library and find it grayed out, "That track is no longer available" (or words to that effect). Rare and nothing I get too concerned about. Like I said, if a recording is that important to me, I’ll just buy it.

Apart from using the iTunes player, I have nothing to offer on alternatives for managing AAC metadata. Don’t know if Roon does AAC (don’t have it). That should be something easy to learn, however. Good luck in your explorations.
I'm looking at the Spotify app as displayed on a MacBook Air.  Downloaded albums are listed under "Playlists".  When I turn WiFi OFF, these are still available and playable.  I expect something similar will be true for Tidal as well, just haven't tried with it. 
Tidal states offline is only on smartphones and tablets...but your spotify goes on to your computer for offline listening?

Repeating myself here...
downloaded Spotify albums that are listed under Playlists are available/playable off-line on my MacBook Air.   
Hey uberwaltz - 
You might be right but I have to stop short of saying "anything offline" as I've only tried offline Spotify access with iOS devices...MacBook, iPhone and iPod.  I'm kinda surprised about Tidal not working in similar fashion. I wonder if it has to do with file sizes.   Ogg Vorbis format used by Spotify crunches things down to a pretty small file size.