TIDAL is a new service from WiMP HiFi, the Swedish music streaming service that has a loyal following in Scandinavia but has never made it to the UK.
Similar to rivals on the market, it's a monthly subscription model for as much music as you could wish for. It's set to cost £20/month ($20 in the US) when it launches "this autumn", and will take on the only other CD-quality streaming service, Qobuz (which sadly looks to be in some financial difficulty).
Offering "more than 25 million music tracks in lossless quality", TIDAL will deliver FLAC to Android devices and other network music players, and ALAC to Apple devices, with streams in 16-bit/44.1 kHz quality.
There will also be lower bitrate versions available for data-conscious mobile users (320 kbps MP3 and 96 kbps AAC+). Users will also be able to download music for offline playback, too.
MORE: WiMP launches beta version of web-based streaming service
TIDAL will launch with dedicated apps for iOS, Android and PC/Mac, and is also set to arrive on home music network players and other streaming systems.
As well as music, TIDAL will offer more than 75,000 HD music videos and editorial content such as album spotlights, curated playlists, interviews and magazine-style features.
CEO Andy Chen said: "TIDAL reflects our mission to deliver the highest quality music streaming service. From making sure there’s no loss in sound quality to telling the stories behind the creation of the music, we aim to maximise the listening experience.
"We are catering to people who really appreciate the quality things in life, whether that is music, sound or lifestyle, because quality should not be compromised and because music fans now demand more from their music service."
You can sign-up to be one of the first to get access to TIDAL by visiting the TIDAL website.
HANDS ON: Tidal music review
