- Who'll be happier on Tidal
- Who'll be happier on YouTube Music
- Podcasts and music in one library
- Bringing your library across
- A paid plan from the first day
- What your headphones have to do with it
- Four listener profiles
- Questions to ask yourself first
- Sharing with a household
- Where switches go wrong
- A trial plan for each direction
- Frequently asked questions
Lossless and Hi-Res formats, Dolby Atmos and DJ software support point to Tidal. Uploading your own tracks, importing playlists from elsewhere and staying inside your Google and YouTube account point to YouTube Music. Both put their full experience behind a paid plan, so check which formats and features your phone, speakers and headphones can really use before you commit.
Tidal and YouTube Music are aimed at different listeners. One is built around audio formats and DJ tools. The other lets you bring your own recordings and playlists along. People searching this are usually weighing sound quality against flexibility, often while leaving a third service behind.
The two also expect different habits. One rewards careful listening on good equipment. The other rewards people who build playlists, collect odd recordings and like having podcasts in the same place. Knowing which habit is yours makes the rest of this page quick.
Who'll be happier on Tidal
Listeners who care about formats. Its paid plan offers AAC, CD quality, Hi-Res and Dolby Atmos, so the range runs from everyday streaming up to surround mixes.
DJs are the second group. Rekordbox, Serato, djay and VirtualDJ all connect, but DJ integrations sit behind a separate add-on, so the subscription alone won't cover your decks.
Who'll be happier on YouTube Music
People with music that isn't on any streaming catalogue: live bootlegs, rare releases, your own band's demos. YouTube Music lets you upload your own tracks to your library, so they can sit next to everything else.
If you're a collector, count the albums you own that no service carries before you do anything else. That number alone may settle it.
If you're torn between it and Spotify instead, this comparison with Spotify covers that choice.
Podcasts and music in one library
If you listen to shows as much as songs, the RSS route matters. Adding a feed means a podcast can sit in your library next to your playlists, so shows and songs live in one place.
Before moving, list the shows you follow and check each one publishes a feed you can add. Anything without one will need another app, and it's better to know that on day one than on a long train ride.
Bringing your library across
If that's where you're heading, two tools do most of the work: a playlist transfer from another service, and uploads of music you already own. Run them in a sensible order so you can see what arrived and what didn't.
- Export or screenshot your two biggest playlists from the service you're leaving, so you have something to check against.
- Run the playlist transfer and count the tracks on each side.
- Make a short list of anything missing, then look for it in the catalogue by hand.
- Upload only what's still missing, starting with a handful of files rather than a whole folder.
- Play those uploads on your phone and on any other device you use before you move the rest.
A paid plan from the first day
Tidal's free plan has been discontinued, so a paid plan is the only way in. On the other side, the playlist transfer and uploads covered above make moving in easier.
So the switching effort isn't symmetrical: one side hands you tools to bring your library across, the other has no free plan to start on. Neither is a reason to rule one out, but it should shape how you test them, and how long you give each one before deciding.
What your headphones have to do with it
Higher-quality formats only pay off if the rest of the chain keeps up: the phone, the connection to your headphones and the headphones themselves.
If you've got wired headphones or a home system, it's worth comparing with care, on the gear you'll really use rather than a friend's.
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A quick way to find your own ceiling: pick one recording you know inside out and play it on each pair of headphones you own, then on the speaker you use most. If you can't tell the setups apart, file formats probably aren't your deciding factor, and the extras on the other side deserve more weight.
Four listener profiles
- The home listener with good headphones: start where Hi-Res and Dolby Atmos are on the menu.
- The musician or collector with tracks nobody streams: uploads into your library are the practical answer.
- The commuter who flips between music and shows: RSS podcasts and offline downloads keep everything in one app.
- The DJ: links into the four supported DJ apps through the add-on are the deciding feature.
If two profiles fit you equally, start with the service that's easier to leave. You'll learn more from a month of real use than from any table.
Questions to ask yourself first
- Do you listen mostly at home, on the move, or in the car?
- How many of your favourite albums are missing from streaming altogether?
- Does anyone else in the household share your account or need their own?
- Would you notice, in a blind test, the difference between a standard and a lossless file on your current kit?
- Do you follow podcasts that you'd want in the same app as your music?
- Do you DJ, and if so, which software do you use?
Your answers sort you quickly. Mostly home listening on good kit, plus decks, points one way. Missing albums, shared accounts and a podcast habit point the other. A mix of both means a trial of each is worth the effort.
Sharing with a household
If more than one person will use the account, settle the plan structure before anything else, and remember Tidal's DJ add-on sits on top of whatever plan you choose. Agree who manages the account before anyone uploads tracks or transfers playlists.
Where switches go wrong
- Uploading a whole music folder before checking a handful play correctly on every device.
- Moving playlists and assuming every track matched, without spot-checking.
- Letting a trial roll into a subscription you'd forgotten about.
- Signing up for the formats before checking your headphones can make use of them.
A trial plan for each direction
If you're trying Tidal:
- Check the connection between your phone and headphones can carry the formats you're subscribing for.
- If you DJ, connect the add-on to your software at home before relying on it anywhere else.
- Keep your old service running until your key playlists exist again.
If you're trying YouTube Music:
- Upload a handful of your own tracks and play them on each device you use.
- Run the playlist transfer and count what's missing from your two biggest playlists.
- Download an album and a podcast episode, then listen offline on a journey.
Weighing Apple Music as well? Our page on YouTube's music app against Apple's covers that pairing.
Frequently asked questions
Who owns Tidal?
Block, Inc. holds a majority stake in the Norwegian-American company.
Which devices does Tidal run on?
Its apps cover Windows, macOS, iOS and Android.
Can I get YouTube Music inside YouTube Premium?
Yes. It's sold on its own as YouTube Music Premium or as part of YouTube Premium.
Can I listen offline on YouTube Music?
Yes. Its help centre covers downloading both music and podcasts so you can listen without a connection.
Is there a student or family plan?
YouTube lists family and student options for its music subscription. On the hi-fi side, check the plans offered in your country before you sign up.
