A band of music stars, led by none other than Jay-Z, have teamed up to back Tidal, a new music streaming service similar to Spotify. In supporting this service, the artists hope to put control of the music industry back into the hands of the musicians themselves.
In addition to front man Jay-Z, Tidal is supported by a killer lineup, including stars like Rihanna, Kanye West, Madonna, Nicki Minaj, Jack White, Alicia Keys, and of course, Jay-Z’s partner in crime, Beyoncé. Some of the stars appeared on stage during a Manhattan press conference this Monday to announce their plans for the service.
Tidal will offer high-definition music and videos for $10/month for compressed format (what digital music usually sounds like), and $20 for CD quality. There will be no free version. The stars hope that Tidal will change the music industry, reversing illegal download trends.
“The challenge is to get everyone to respect music again, to recognize its value,” Jay-Z said about the service. Only time will tell if his goal will become a reality.
