Tidal Desktop App Not Working Mac

TIDAL provides several apps to access its services via Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android devices. TIDAL can be downloaded for Android devices through the Play Store or for iOS via the App Store. We also support Windows and OSX through our desktop app. I'm having issues with TIDAL app for Windows, I start the app and it show the process open on the task manager but the app never shows the TIDAL window. I've sent a ticket and they just sent me a link for TIDAL MAC and of course it doesn't work:'(.

Editor’s Note: Tidal resolved the problems long ago; I continue to subscribe a year later.

On May 1st, Tidal billed my credit card for the first month of music streaming. Yesterday, my subscription to Google Music ended. I should be satisfied with the switch, given how much more I enjoy 1411kbps lossless listening over the more typical 320kbps compressed streaming music. But recent, recurring service problems put my customer continuation into question.

Quality of content, or available selection of it, isn’t the problem. I find plenty of music to enjoy, and the default playlists are smartly curated. The high-fidelity is just that. But slow starts, drop-offs, and song skips disrupt the listening experience—and for a service costing twice as much as major competitors, like Beats, Rdio, or Spotify, I expect more but get less. There is no customer support option that I can find, either.

No Oasis
If the problems hadn’t started before last week’s switch from Cox to AT&T for Internet, I would suspect cause there. The problems’ consistency raises questions about the service, whether cause is far-away server or how Tidal caches content locally. For example, trying to listen to one of the default playlists day before yesterday, Oasis song “Wonderwall” wouldn’t start. The obnoxious spinning circle that appears over the play button stared me down. More than a minute later, the song finally started, played about 10 seconds, then stopped again.

I wrongly presumed the problem might be with Chromebook Pixel LS. Sometimes, Adobe Flash crashes. So I pulled out my Nexus 6 smartphone, launched Tidal’s Android app, and tried to play “Wonderwall” there. What the frak? The song, and others, behaved the same way, freezing the same place after playback finally started. Ah, yeah. Thirty minutes later, I made another attempt, and Tidal smoothly streamed.

That brings me to yesterday’s catastrophe. Hey, for $19.99 month the description applies to my dissatisfaction. While Nexus 6 charged, I listened to Tidal on Nexus 9 for the first time. One of many Tidal playlist sections is History, where I found an Elton John playlist. I hadn’t listened to the old boy for awhile and thought: “Why not?”

Problems started with “Rocket Man”, the second song in queue. The Tidal app skipped to the next track before finishing the one I listened to; near as I can estimate, maybe 30 minutes from the end. The same thing happened when listening again—and to every other song in the playlist. Consistency must mean something: The skips all occurred around the same places.

Pay More for What?
Tidal offers no online support forum that I can find or meaningful Help section. If I’m wrong, please correct me. For a premium-priced service promoting premium-quality content, I expect something to assist subscribers when problems arise. I instead looked to other sites for assistance, like this forum from Computer Audiophile, but found no resolution. Streaming problems are common enough, however, to disturb.

When you pay more, you expect more. Number of streaming problems using Google Music: Zero. Same applies to iTunes in the cloud, when I had a Mac. Both services cost considerably less and will host my content in the cloud.

If problems persist, and Tidal continues with limited customer service options, I will be compelled to cancel the service and withdraw my review recommendation for it. Lossless is useless if content doesn’t play.

Sigh…
I can’t express how much more I enjoy Tidal than other streaming services. I hear the difference, but concede not everyone will or will care.

Yesterday, when listening to “Rocket Man” on Nexus 9 something about the song sounded flat. When “I’m Still Standing” started, I could really hear the difference. Opening the Tidal app, “HiFi” was grayed out for the track—and all others in the playlist! I wasn’t lossless listening.

Then I remembered: The app’s default streaming setting is “Normal” not “HiFi”, which I don’t fraking understand. I hadn’t used Tidal on the tablet before, so the default was active. Why, why, why would a streaming service promoting lossless as differentiator, charge more for it, but then give customers less out of the box, so to speak? People can’t hear the difference if there isn’t any.

Last month, I cajoled music aficionados, or anyone else, to take the Tidal challenge. Listen to nothing else for a few weeks, then go back to 320kbps MP3 or 256Kbps AAC. I hear the difference, which is why the Elton John songs sounded flatter before I changed the setting to “HiFi”. These old songs were shockingly fuller after changing the setting, presenting great separation and soundstage. They are excellent for comparing Tidal’s Free Lossless Audio Codec to other compressed formats.

If the music even plays.

I won’t cancel Tidal yet, and service separation will be disappointing. But if the saying “You get what you pay for” is true, I’m not getting my money’s worth—not for twice as much when other services smoothly stream. Sigh.

Editor’s Note: A version of this story appears on BetaNews.

Make sure that your devices are on and nearby

Check that your AirPlay-compatible devices are on. If your Apple TV is in Sleep mode and uses Ethernet, wake your Apple TV with the remote.

Make sure that your AirPlay-compatible device is near the device that you're trying to stream from. If you can't connect to an AirPlay device, try moving closer to it and try again.

To stream audio to multiple speakers with AirPlay 2, make sure that your speakers are compatible with AirPlay 2.

Check for updates

Make sure that all of your devices are compatible with AirPlay and updated to the latest software version. Learn how to check for updates on:

• HomePod*
• Smart TVs
  

Connect your devices to the same Wi-Fi network

• iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch: Go to Settings > Wi-Fi. Also, make sure that Bluetooth is turned on.
• Apple TV: Go to Settings > Network. If your Apple TV uses Ethernet, check that the cable is plugged into the router that you use for Wi-Fi.
• Mac: Click in the menu bar.
• HomePod:* HomePod uses the same Wi-Fi network as the iOS device it was set up with. If your iOS device is in range of HomePod and connected to a different Wi-Fi network, HomePod will show an alert in the Home app that says 'Wi-Fi Network.” To connect HomePod to the same Wi-Fi network as your iOS device, open the Home app, press and hold HomePod, tap Settings, then tap 'Move HomePod to [Wi-Fi network]' at the top of the screen.
• Third-party AirPlay-compatible speakers and Smart TVs: Go to the manufacturer’s website to learn how to connect them to your Wi-Fi network.

Check your AirPlay settings

If you can’t AirPlay to an Apple TV or HomePod,* check the AirPlay settings for that device.

• On Apple TV, you might have restricted who can AirPlay.
• On HomePod,* you might have restricted speaker access.
• For AirPlay 2, you might need to invite others to control your home so they can AirPlay to your devices.

If you're using a Mac or PC, you can't AirPlay to HomePod* if you select Only People Sharing This Home.

Still need help?

If you have another issue using AirPlay, learn what to do.

If your music unexpectedly stops

Tidal Desktop App Not Working

If your music stops playing unexpectedly, use your device or Siri to start playing music again. In some situations, the Home app might be using your HomePod,* Apple TV, or AirPlay-compatible speaker as the main audio source for streaming music (even if your HomePod* or Apple TV isn’t currently playing music). Using Siri on that device or performing another task might cause playback to stop everywhere. You can also use an iOS device or computer with iTunes as an audio source to manually stream music instead.

If you see video but don't hear audio

If you don't hear audio when streaming video from your iOS device or Mac to your Apple TV, make sure that the volume is turned up and not muted on both your iOS device and your television or receiver.

Tidal App Not Working

If you're streaming video from an iPhone or iPad, check the Ring/Silent switch. If it's set to silent, you'll see an orange line. Toggle the switch to turn on the ringer.

If your content gets interrupted or your network lags

If you have a weak Wi-Fi signal or interference from a nearby device, like a microwave or baby monitor, try the following:

Tidal Music Desktop App

• Make sure that you use the recommended settings for your Wi-Fi router.
• Move or turn off other devices that might cause interference.
• If you're trying to AirPlay to Apple TV, try connecting your Apple TV directly to your router with an Ethernet cable instead of using Wi-Fi.

Your AirPlay connection might get interrupted when you lock your device, put it to sleep, or switch to a different app.

If you still can’t use AirPlay after trying these steps, contact Apple Support.

*HomePod isn't available in all countries and regions.