Image Credit: TIDAL

Music streaming platform TIDAL is now available on Apple Watch, allowing users to download playlists for listening with no data connection.

Just one week after Deezer and Spotify announce support for offline listening on the Apple Watch, TIDAL release an app for Apple Watch, including support for offline listening. TIDAL on Apple Watch will allow subscribers to stream music and control playback indepedent of their iPhone, as well as downloads of playlists for listening offline.

The update came to the App Store on Monday, requiring an iPhone running iOS 13 or later and Apple Watch Series 3 or later, running watchOS 7.1 or later. TIDAL is a subscription-only streaming service, meaning a TIDAL Premium or TIDAL HiFi plan is necessary to stream ad-free music. Each plan comes with a 30-day free trial.

To set up TIDAL on your Apple Watch, download and launch the TIDAL app on your watch, then follow the on-screen instructions to link your account.

TIDAL on Apple Watch
Image Credit: TIDAL

Since TIDAL’s relaunch in 2014, Jay-Z’s platform has branded itself as being one of the few streaming services to offer hi-res audio. However with Spotify and Apple Music, two of the biggest players in music streaming, entering the market, TIDAL’s position could be questioned, especially as TIDAL charges $19.99 per month for HiFi susbcriptions, while Apple Music are offering the upgrade at no addition cost over their $9.99 per month subscriptions. This move was closely followed by Amazon Music HD and may lead to the rest of the industry following suit.

Earlier this month, Square completed their acquisition of an 80% stake in TIDAL for $302 million.