After launching Tidal with a glitzy, star-studded event last month, it seems the artist-backed music streaming service is struggling to find its audience.
Tidal has now dropped out of the iTunes Top 700 download chart completely after briefly hitting the top 20. In comparison, competitors Pandora and Spotify are third and fourth on the US iPhone revenue chart, according to website BGR.
The app is backed by some of the biggest names in music, from Jay Z and Beyonce to Madonna, Alicia Keys and Daft Punk – but the costs involved with the service have sparked plenty of criticism online.
Tidal operates on two levels. Regular quality streaming costs users US$9.99 per month, while high-definition streaming costs US$19.99 per month, compared to similar services (such as Spotify) that offer free alternatives.
At the launch, Alicia Keys said they aimed to “deliver exclusive experiences” via Tidal that would “create a better service” for both artists and music lovers. However, it seems the fans may be finding the steeper costs a bit harder to swallow!
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