As the music streaming terrain continues to evolve, Tidal has announced two significant changes to its platform. Effective July 24, 2024, the service will be discontinuing its support for MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) audio format, which is owned by Lenbrook, and replacing it with hi-res lossless FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) tracks. Furthermore, Tidal will also be ending its support for Sony’s 360 Reality Audio (360RA) format, a spatial audio format that has failed to gain significant traction with music listeners.
The decision to axe MQA support is largely deemed a cost-saving move, as FLAC is an open-source format that does not incur royalties, unlike MQA. This shift may also be attributed to Tidal’s recent price drop for its premium subscription, which now aligns with those offered by Apple Music and Amazon Music. On the other hand, the decision to ditch 360RA may be due to a lack of demand, with Tidal opting to focus on Dolby Atmos Music, which boasts greater compatibility with devices and a more extensive catalog.
However, the transition away from MQA may not be a seamless process for subscribers. While Tidal assures that 16-bit, 44.1 kbps FLAC versions will be available for most MQA tracks, not all tracks may have a replacement. To mitigate this issue, subscribers can expect to have their MQA tracks automatically replaced with the highest-quality FLAC version (if available) on July 24. Unfortunately, offline MQA tracks will need to be updated and re-downloaded in FLAC format.
Tidal Ditches MQA and Sony 360RA, Embraces Hi-Res Lossless FLAC for Better Audio Experience
In contrast, 360RA tracks will not be replaced with Dolby Atmos Music versions. Instead, these tracks will be grayed out and no longer streamable as of July 24. While MQA fans have been aware of the impending change, there was no obvious way to replace Tidal’s exclusive streaming MQA catalog. However, this may be a temporary situation, as Lenbrook has partnered with HDtracks to create a new streaming service that will support FLAC, MQA, and Airia, a new format based on Lenbrook’s SCL6 codec.
The partnership has not yet announced a launch date, pricing, or regions supported, leaving subscribers wondering about their options. As the music streaming terrain continues to evolve, it remains to be seen how Tidal’s decisions will affect its subscriber base and the audiophile community at large.
