While Spotify is trying to play catch-up in 2021, Tidal is already years ahead of other streaming platforms.
In 2018, Tidal announced its partnership with Dubset, a rights clearance startup that has previously collaborated with Spotify and Apple in 2016. The deal will help Tidal monetize DJ mixes and payout royalties to artists. Dubset, formerly known as The Future FM, is affiliated with popular labels like SonyMusic, Merlin, and Warner Music — making it easier for Tidal to get tracks cleared via the online mixed-audio distribution platform.
Decriminalizing the production of DJ mixes
The music industry hates bootlegs, mashups, or DJ mixes because the production of such materials encourages illegal usage of rights holders’ music and piracy. Although artists heavily criticize its use, the DJ mixset is an integral part of EDM, dancehall, and afrobeat genres. The inability to create innovative ways
to satisfy both the users of these genres and the artists pushes millions of music listeners to pirate bay (an online index of digital content that allows users to share entertainment files such as albums or mixtapes, and DJ mixes).
Dubset scans and detects the songs in a DJ mix, making it easy for Tidal to pay artists and DJs.
With the aid of a proprietary software named MixSCAN, Dubset can identify the songs and their respective rights holders. Before a mix can be analysed, it is run via MixSCAN, which identifies audio content using audio fingerprinting and textual fingerprinting. Dubset production engineers further analyse the report of the software. A mix that has gone through the three-step identification process will be given a special mixDNA. The mixDNA consists of metadata that helps identify the tracks used in a particular mix.
A new dawn at Tidal
Following Jack Dorsey’s acquisition of the majority stake at Tidal for $297 million, there seems to be an instant turnaround in the way things are run in Tidal.
The audio-streaming platform initially created by Hov is fast becoming the DJ’s favorite DSP. Tidal made two brilliant changes that are aimed at making the lives of amateur and professional DJs easier. These two changes are;
Equipping DJs with more DJ apps
Tidal has seen a growth in the population of DJs using its DJ software integration service. In response to this development, Tidal announced that it would integrate more DJ apps such as Edjing Mix and Hercules’ DJUCED. Currently, the Tidal app houses integrated apps like Rekordbox, Algoriddim Djay, and Serato.
Providing new sets of DJ-friendly playlists
Any run-of-the-mill playlist can keep regular listeners on the Tidal app for hours, but DJs require more. The audio-streaming platform added BPM-specific, artist-curated, instrumental, and era-specific playlists to its platform to make DJing easier using Tidal.
Final Thoughts
Tidal is doing everything within its capacity to keep growing its DJ fanbase. By creating a safe space for DJs to operate in today’s royalty-driven world, Tidal is improving the music experience on its platform.
