Tidal’s MQA is Going Away, FLAC to Replace Format and Dolby Atmos Support Coming

One of the most iconic and quality-focused music streaming platforms, Tidal, is up for a drastic change, deciding to replace its MQA with new formats and experiences. It also follows the recent price drop for its subscription, with the company announcing that MQA would be replaced with the FLAC format on the platform and Dolby Atmos support. 

It is known that Tidal has offered its music streaming services to those who are particular about their listening experience, and it has been recognized for its quality over the years. 

Tidal's MQA is Going Away, Replacing Format with FLAC

Tidal is shaking things up with its music streaming platform, as in its new support document, the company announced that it will no longer feature the Master Quality Authenticated (MQA) format. Its 360 Reality Audio will join MQA as it departs from the platform. 

It will now offer audio streaming in the FLAC format, and the decision behind this is because it is open-source, considering artists and musicians to offer their music through this accessible file format. Tidal still promises the top streaming quality users seek in their experience. 

That being said, Tidal's MQA format will be obsolete, and the app will automatically replace its local files with the FLAC format distributed by the platform. 

Read Also: Spotify with Lossless Audio Coming, But How Much Could the HiFi Tier Cost?

Dolby Atmos Support Also Coming Soon for Tidal

Additionally, 360 Reality Audio formats will also see a change, as mentioned earlier, and it will see Dolby Atmos filling in for the immersive streaming experiences for users, similar to Apple Music.

All the previous formats, like MQA and 360 Reality Audio, would no longer be accessible despite the offline download, moving forward with its latest standards for the platform.

Tidal's Streaming Platform for Audiophiles

For many years now, Tidal has been famous for its streaming platform, which offers audiophiles an experience, and these fans are known for being particular about their music. The platform is known for being launched by the legendary New Yorker rapper Jay-Z. Apple was looking to purchase the company in 2016 before Jack Dorsey's Block gained a majority stake in 2021. 

Tidal has also had its list of exclusive artists who stream on the platform alone, taking advantage of its high-quality streaming experience, which offers the top experiences for users. The music streaming platform also introduced fair compensation for artists, who will now be paid directly for their uploads in collaboration with DistroKid. 

For many years, it has been argued that Tidal offers the best streaming quality for audiophiles, the closest to real audio quality, and is on par with FLAC. However, now, it is letting go of the MQA quality, where users will be allowed to redownload the highest-quality FLAC files, with Dolby Atmos support coming soon for the platform.

Related Article: Tidal Tests DJ Session Feature for HiFi Subscribers