Tidal Live is the new name for Tidal’s music-sharing feature, which lets subscribers broadcast their personal stream to their friends in private, invite-only sessions. The feature was previously called DJ and was tested in the Early Access Program in December 2022. Tidal has also hired a team of curators who will host Live sessions for different genres, such as K-Pop, Latin, Hip-Hop/R&B, Jazz, Rock/Indie, Metal, Country/Folk/Americana, and more. Some curators will focus on showcasing emerging artists under the Tidal Rising banner, and there will also be guest Live hosts from the music industry, such as DJs, producers, and artists. However, listeners can only join sessions that are hosted in the same country as their registered Tidal account.
The idea of turning streaming listeners into radio-style broadcasters is gaining popularity, with other platforms like Stationhead, Amazon Music’s Amp offshoot, and Spotify’s ‘Music + Talk’ podcast format offering similar features. These radio-style streams pay royalties to every listener, unlike terrestrial radio, which does not pay performance royalties. In the UK, there is a debate about whether streaming platforms should pay artists and performers a fairer share of royalties for these radio-style features, as they do for traditional radio broadcasts.
As discussed in an earlier post, many songwriters and record labels claim that this “equitable renumeration” would reduce investment in new music, create legal and practical challenges, and potentially harm the UK’s competitiveness in the global market. The government has commissioned independent research on the impacts of equitable remuneration and other potential legislative interventions on creator remuneration. The research is expected to be published soon.
