In the world of digital music, there are situations where users crave the utmost audio quality, and that's where FLAC files come into play. If you value pristine sound reproduction, FLAC is the best choice. However, finding a reliable source of high-fidelity music in FLAC format can be challenging. This is where Tidal, the popular music streaming platform, shines. Tidal caters to music enthusiasts by providing access to a vast library of high-fidelity music, including the FLAC streaming. With Tidal, you can dive into the immersive world of FLAC and enjoy your favorite Tidal playlist with unparalleled audio quality.
This guide will show you how to download FLAC from Tidal on your computer and phone with different tools, ensuring you can enjoy high-quality music offline.
Part 1. Tidal FLAC & HiFi Review
# What is FLAC?
FLAC stands for Free Lossless Audio Codec. Unlike lossy formats like MP3, AAC, it is an audio format that compresses sound files without losing any quality, making it a popular choice among audiophiles and music enthusiasts. FLAC files are typically smaller than uncompressed formats (like WAV) but larger than lossy formats. This makes them efficient for storage while maintaining high quality. What makes FLAC files outstanding is its metadata-supporting feature. FLAC files can store metadata, including artist information, album art, and track titles, enhancing the listening experience with its two-channel stereo format.
# What is Tidal HiFi (High Fidelity)?
Tidal HiFi is a premium music streaming service that offers high-fidelity audio quality, delivering CD-quality sound (16-bit, 44.1kHz) with minimal compression. HiFi can use various formats, including FLAC, to achieve high-quality sound. Since Tidal updated their subscription plan on April, 2024, the older HiFi and HiFi Plus have been combined into one single tier, meaning that all the Tidal premium members can enjoy the same high-quality Tidal music.
⭐Pro Tip: If the Tidal HiFi audio quality isn't satisfying your ears, you can choose to connect with an external DAC device or some Tidal EQ software to help you improve the streaming audio quality.
# Can I download FLAC from Tidal?
Sure, but you need subscribe to Tidal Plan to access high-fidelity audio, including FLAC. Or you can get a Tidal free trial at first. To download FLAC music, go to My Collections and select a track or playlist from all the contents you collected. Once you enter the detailed page of the track or playlist, click the Download button under the cover.
However, while Tidal allows offline downloads, these files are encrypted, limiting playback within the Tidal app and they cannot be exported or used outside of it. To access FLAC files without Tidal, you need to convert or download them using specific tools. In the following part, we are going to give a full tutorial on how to convert and download FLAC from Tidal on different devices.
Part 2. How to Download FLAC from Tidal on Computer
As we mentioned above, you cannot use Tidal downloads outside of Tidal app due to the DRM protection. But there is still a way to get physical Tidal downloads—using third-party software. Among so many Tidal to FLAC converters, we highly recommend ViWizard Tidal Music Converter and Audacity. Now, let's learn more about these two tools and how to use them.
Quickly view the Features of ViWizard and Audacity in the following chart:
| ViWizard Tidal Music Converter | Audacity | |
| Support OS | Windows and Mac | Window, Mac, and Linux |
| Support Audio Format | Lossless, MP3, M4A, M4B, WAV, AIFF, and FLAC | MP3, WAV, OGG, FLAC, and MP2 |
| Support Bitrate | Up to 24-bit | Up to 32-bit |
| Support Sample Rate | Up to 192 kHz | Up to 48 kHz |
| Batch download | Yes | No |
| Downloading Speed | 35x | 1x |
| Price | $14.95/mo | Free |
Method 1. Download Tidal FLAC with ViWizard [Lossless]
ViWizard Tidal Music Converter is a professional music downloader app designed for all Tidal music members to download songs, playlists, albums, artists for offline use. You can convert and download music tracks to MP3, M4A, M4B, WAV, AIFF, and FLAC. With it, you can convert and download Tidal music to FLAC without compromising quality.
When downloading Tidal to FLAC files, ViWizard will embed the lossless audio and full ID3 tags to the downloaded music. You'll find the metadata such as the title artist, album, cover, genres, track number and more will be kept. The conversion speed is fast, within one click the conversion can start. You can then wait for the conversion to finish and the FLAC files will be stored on the hard disk on Windows PC or Mac.
Key Features of ViWizard Tidal Music Converter
Free Trial Free Trial* Security verified. 5, 481,347 people have downloaded it.
- Download full songs, albums, playlists, and artists from Tidal without ads offline
- Convert Tidal tracks in bulk at up to 35x faster speed
- Export Tidal music to MP3, FLAC, WAV, AIFF, M4A, and M4B
- Support various quality options up to a maximum of 24-bit, 192 kHz
Step 1 Install and register ViWizard Tidal Music Converter.
Step 2 Log in with your Tidal credentials account in ViWizard's built-in Tidal web player.
Step 3 Select content from Tidal to ViWizard's conversion list.
Step 4 Go to ViWizard's menu to set FLAC as your output format.
Step 5 Click the convert icon and play the downloads with FLAC format in ViWizard's History window.
[Video Tutorial]Save Tidal Tracks in FLAC Format
Other Tidal music downloaders can export Tidal to FLAC format: ViWizard Streaming Audio Recorder, ViWizard Audio Capture, Tidabie, Sidify, and more.
Method 2. Download Tidal FLAC with Audacity [Lossy]
Audacity, a free audio editing software, can record and save Tidal streams as FLAC files. However, this method is lossy since the recording process may introduce quality degradation. If you don't care the sound quality too much, then follow the exact steps below.
Install and launch Audacity on your computer, select Edit > Preferences from the top menu bar. Go to the Audio Settings section and set Windows WASAPI as the Host.
Launch Tidal on your computer and play the tracks you want download.
Return to the Audacity and click the red record button immediately. Once the recording complete, click the stop button near the record button.
After the Tidal track is recorded by Audacity, go to File > Export Audio... > Export to Computer.
In the pop-up window, click on Format bar to select FLAC file as the output format.
Check other settings, and once done, click on the Export button at the lower right corner.
Read More: 10 Best Free/Paid Tidal Music Downloaders
Part 3. How to Get Tidal FLAC on Android/iPhone
Tidal's mobile apps allow offline downloads, but the files remain encrypted. For the users who want to playing offline FLAC Tidal music on their mobile app, we also have ways to achieve it.
For Android:
Download your favorite Tidal tracks on computer using the ViWizard Tidal Music Converter.
Connect your Android device to your computer with a compatible USB cable.
Locate your downloaded Tidal FLAC files and transfer them to the internal storage of your Android. Now, you can enjoy these FLAC Tidal music on your phone for offline listening.
For iPhone:
Download Tidal music as FLAC files to your computer with ViWizard or other tools.
Connect your iPhone to computer with a USB cable.
Open the iTunes app on computer and go to Files > Add File to Library/Add Folder to Library to add all the download FLAC files to iTunes.
Click on your iPhone icon within iTunes and go to Music > Sync Music > Entire music library > Apply. Once the syncing finished, you are free to listen to FLAC Tidal music on your iPhone.
Part 4. FAQs about Tidal FLAC
Can I stream Tidal tracks all in 24-bit FLAC Hi-Res audio format?
Unfortunately, not all of Tidal's tracks' files you can stream in Hi-Res audio quality. It depends on the format that Artist choose to upload. If the source tracks are not available for Tidal's Hi-Res FLAC, then you can only stream them in simple FLAC instead. Alternatively, you can use ViWizard Tidal Music Converter to adjust the audio format, bitrate, and sample rate to achieve the same listening experience.
Are there other music services that also provide FLAC format?
Despite Tidal, the FLAC format is also available on Amazon Music, Apple Music, Deezer, and Qobuz. Additionally, the FLAC format on Apple Music is a little different from other platforms. Apple Music's FLAC, also known as ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio Codec), is quite similar to FLAC, which offers high-resolution lossless playback. If you have any needs for exporting Tidal in FLAC format or want to download tracks in FLAC format, we also collect the 11 best FLAC downloaders for you
What is the difference between FLAC and Tidal Hi-Res FLAC?
Tidal's Hi-Res FLAC is the distinction Tidal makes for any FLAC file that is much better than 16-bit, 44.1 kHz ( standard CD quality).
How can I know the audio format I stream on Tidal?
Very clear. If you stream in Max and High audio quality, then it is the FLAC format you are listening to. Meanwhile, Low audio quality means you are streaming in AAC format. Here is how to change Tidal streaming audio quality:
For mobile users, navigate to Settings> Audio & Playback. Choose When using mobile data or WiFi. And then you can select from Low, High, or MAX.
For desktop users, navigate to Settings > Streaming > Audio Quality. And then you can choose Low, High, or Max.
Conclusion
Although Tidal does not provide an official option to download its FLAC format, music members can benefit from the exclusives in this post called ViWizard Tidal Music Converter to achieve the same outcome. By converting and downloading Tidal music in FLAC, you can archive and enjoy your favorite music in its original, uncompressed form.
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Adam Gorden, the digital media specialist at ViWizard, is dedicated to providing the best solutions for digital media management, including audio and video conversion, file optimization, and media workflow enhancements.
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