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
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.
My whole family uses Tidal a lot.  The sound quality is great and they have a fairly good selection. 
I "off-line" a lot of content.  It is stored on your phone but you need Tidal with a valid subscription to listen.  It's really easy to download music.  When you find a song or album or even a playlist, you will see a little toggle to click to off-line the music.  You can even create a playlist and off-line it.
So, why off-line it?  I download the data via wifi which doesn't use data and is usually faster.  That way when I'm driving or flying I have a library to listen to that doesn't need an internet connection.  And to be honest, Tidal can be quirky and not always get a good connection.  Having music store on my phone helps to avoid interruptions.
Okay Elevick! Well, I guess I can use itunes to build a library. There is one big problem for me. If the files are asc, how do I apply good metadata to the tracks that will give me good cover art? Thank you
I have been a convert to Tidal for the last year or so and all I can say is ... should have done it sooner!

As long as you have a paid subscription (9.99 or 19.99 for hifi) you have access to so much music it is incredible.
Downloading it to play offline is ridiculously easy although obviously it takes up storage space on a phone say, possibly a tablet may be better?

I did try Spotify and I guess I just got so used to Tidal I found its interface and search and play functions to be a little clunky although it seems the majority think it is Tidal that is inferior...lol go figure.

Do not even start with the huge debate raging over Tidal available MQA files, all I know is to my ears the sq is noticeably superior.