Tidal renueva sus formatos de audio sin pérdida e inmersivos

Big news for those passionate about high-quality audio: Tidal is making significant changes to its audio formats. As of July 24th, Tidal will no longer support Master Quality Authenticated (MQA) and 360 Reality Audio formats. Instead, the streaming service will now default to using FLAC for stereo and Dolby Atmos for immersive sound experiences.

Tidal users have the option to stream audio in three quality tiers: low, high, and max. The low tier utilizes AAC files up to 320kbps, while the high tier offers CD-quality lossless FLAC files. The max tier, which included MQA and higher-resolution FLAC files, is where the removal of MQA will be noticeable. Tidal was among the few platforms supporting streaming in MQA format, known for maintaining superior audio quality in a more compact file size than FLAC. However, playing MQA files required specific hardware or software.

The shift away from MQA became evident when Tidal introduced a new HiRes FLAC format last year, which quickly became the preferred default for high-quality streaming. The decision to prioritize FLAC and Dolby Atmos formats over MQA was influenced by factors such as accessibility and cost. Dolby Atmos was chosen for its wide device compatibility, extensive catalog availability, and artist adoption. In contrast, Sony's 360 Reality Audio, although popular among audiophiles, lacked widespread adoption.

By choosing FLAC for stereo, Tidal ensures an open-source format that eliminates the need for third-party involvement, unlike the proprietary nature of MQA, which incurs licensing fees. Tidal will automatically substitute any existing MQA tracks or albums with the best available FLAC versions for users, including those downloaded for offline listening. 360 Reality Audio files, on the other hand, will be disabled for streaming.

Despite these changes, Tidal states that there are no further alterations planned for its audio formats. The adjustments come shortly after Tidal reduced its subscription fee from over $20 per month to $10.99 and merged its HiFi and HiFi Plus plans into a single tier.