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Tidal vs Qobuz

Updated

Both are audiophile services with hi-res on every plan. Qobuz is better for classical and jazz and sells downloads. Tidal has more Dolby Atmos and better mainstream discovery.

VS
Tidal
$11.99
Individual per month
Individual
$11.99/mo
Duo
Not offered
Family
$19.99/mo
Student
$6.99/mo
Max quality
Hi-res FLAC up to 24-bit/192 kHz
Lossless
Yes
Hi-res
Yes
Catalog
110M+ tracks
Free tier
No, free plan ended in 2024
Podcasts
No
Lyrics
Yes
Social
Limited
Artist payout
Pro-rata, higher per-stream rate
Qobuz
$12.99
Individual per month
Individual
$12.99/mo
Duo
$17.99/mo
Family
Not checked yet
Student
Not offered
Max quality
Hi-res FLAC up to 24-bit/192 kHz
Lossless
Yes
Hi-res
Yes
Catalog
100M+ tracks, deep classical and jazz catalog
Free tier
No
Podcasts
No
Lyrics
Limited
Social
Limited
Artist payout
Pro-rata, among the highest per-stream rates
Winner for sound quality
EvenTie
Winner for price (individual)
TidalWinner
Winner for discovery
TidalWinner

Price

Tidal is $11.99 a month (Tidal). Qobuz Studio is $12.99, or about $10.83 a month on an annual plan (TechRadar).

Price calculator

ServiceCheapest firstMonth / yearPandora$10.99 / $131.88Apple Music$11.99 / $143.88YouTube Music$11.99 / $143.88Tidal$11.99 / $143.88Deezer$11.99 / $143.88Spotify$12.99 / $155.88Qobuz$12.99 / $155.88Amazon Music$12.99 / $155.88

Not checked yet: SoundCloud. Left out until we confirm current prices.

US prices, checked Sep 26, 2026. Yearly figure is 12 months at the monthly rate.

Sound quality

Both stream FLAC up to 24-bit/192 kHz. Tidal also has a large Dolby Atmos catalog. Qobuz has very little spatial audio.

Catalog and features

Qobuz has digital booklets, editorial reviews and a hi-res download store, and it's Roon Ready. Tidal has Tidal Connect, artist videos and more hip-hop and pop focus.

Verdict

Pick Qobuz for classical, jazz and buying downloads. Pick Tidal for Dolby Atmos and mainstream music.

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