ABOUT TIDAL UPLOAD

What is Upload?

Upload lets you upload, organize, share, and play your own original audio on Tidal. With Upload, you can:

• Upload tracks you own the rights to
• Organize tracks into albums
• Control who can access your content
• Add album artwork
• Edit track and album details
• View listener and play statistics for shared music

Who can use Upload?

Upload is currently available to users ages 18 and up in the United States, United Kingdom, European Economic Area, Switzerland, and Canada. You can confirm your age in your account settings.

UPLOADING MUSIC

How do I upload a track?

1. Select the Upload icon (⬆)
2. Select the Add icon (+)
3. Choose one or more audio files
4. Choose how to organize the upload:
   • Add to an existing album
   • Upload as a single. You can turn it into an album later.
   • Edit track details if desired.
5. Select Done

Where can I find my uploaded tracks?

All uploaded music is organized within albums. Open an album from the Upload page to view its tracks.

How do I edit track or album details?

Tap or click the album containing the track you want to edit. From there, you can update information such as:

• Title
• Lyrics
• BPM
• Key
• Scale
• Explicit content designation
• Access settings

How do I change access settings?

Open the album containing the track you want to edit and update the track's access setting:

Free

• Discoverable on Tidal
• Free for anyone to listen

Paid

• Discoverable on Tidal
• Requires purchase before listening. Learn more about Direct-to-Fan Sales here.

Unlisted

• Not discoverable
• Only people with a direct link can listen

Are any track details automatically populated?

Yes. After processing, Upload automatically detects:

• Key
• Scale
• BPM
• Explicit lyrics

You can edit any automatically generated information.

Are there any limits on file size or number of uploads?

• Maximum file size: 5 GB per track
• Maximum uploads: 200 tracks per account
• No overall storage limit

How do I create or upload a cover image?

From the album or track details page, you can:

• Upload a photo from your device
• Select a file from your device
• Take a new photo using your camera

What is a spectrogram cover image?

On web, you can generate custom artwork from your audio file using the spectrogram feature. The option may take several minutes to appear after album creation.

Can I move tracks between albums?

Yes. Open the track menu and select Move to another album.

SHARING UPLOADS

How do I share uploaded tracks with others?

Tap the three dots next to your track and select Copy Link to send it through other apps. Anyone with the link can listen. If you share a track with someone on Tidal, they can save it and later access it under Tracks in their Collection.

Do people I share my track with need a Tidal subscription to listen?

No. Anyone with the link can listen, whether they have a Tidal subscription or not. A subscription is required to save the track to a Tidal collection.

Can I view my stream or listener counts for shared uploads?

Yes. In Upload:

• The Play icon shows lifetime streams.
• The Headphone icon shows unique listeners from the past 30 days.

Stream totals only increase over time, while listener counts can go up or down based on recent activity.

VISIBILITY & ACCESS

Are my uploads public by default?

No. Uploads are not publicly discoverable by default. New uploads are set to Unlisted unless you choose a different access setting.

How does album visibility work?

Album visibility is determined by the tracks it contains:

• If at least one track is set to Free or Paid, the album is discoverable.
• If all tracks are Unlisted, the album is Unlisted.

You can also update access settings at the album level, which applies the same setting to all tracks in the album.

Can I share individual tracks without making the entire album discoverable?

Yes. Set the album or track to Unlisted and share a direct link. Anyone with the link can listen, but the content will not be discoverable on Tidal.

How do I delete an Upload?

Click or tap the album, then select Delete Track or Delete Album.

UPLOAD COPYRIGHT AND RIGHTS MANAGEMENT

What am I allowed to upload?

You may upload material for which you own and control all necessary rights.

What am I not allowed to upload?

You may not upload copyrighted material that you do not own or control the rights to.

My uploaded content has a copyright flag on it. How can I appeal it?

If your track was detected to contain third-party copyrighted material, you won't be able to publish or share it. If you believe it was incorrectly flagged, contact Tidal Support and select I want to file an appeal of a Tidal Upload copyright flag from the violation type dropdown.

Uploading any of the following may result in a copyright issue:

• Covers of works by other artists
• Content controlled or exclusively distributed by another party
• Samples from copyrighted material
• Remixes of copyrighted material

I received a DMCA notice. How do I file a counterclaim?

If you received an email that your content has been taken down due to a DMCA notice, you can file a counterclaim here. The person who originally uploaded or distributed the content will have 10 business days to respond before we reinstate your content.

Does the music that I upload earn royalties on Tidal?

No. Music uploaded through Upload does not earn royalties.

UPLOAD TROUBLESHOOTING AND SUPPORT

How do I report an inappropriate file shared with me?

We expect all shared content to be respectful. If it isn't, tap the More menu (…) and select Report in the Tidal app while logged in, or contact Tidal Support.

Who do I contact for help with Upload?

If you have questions, need help, or want to share feedback, contact Tidal Support.

What are the requirements to sell music on Tidal?

To sell tracks or albums on Tidal, you must be based in the United States and fully own or control all rights necessary to sell streaming and download access to the content. This includes:

• The sound recording
• The underlying musical composition
• The lyrics
• Any samples used
• Artwork and related materials

Only original recordings may be sold unless you have proper written agreements with every rightsholder involved.

You may not sell:

• Covers without licenses from all applicable rightsholders
• Tracks containing uncleared samples
• Collaborations without documented agreements from all contributors
• Content that violates Tidal’s Content Guidelines
• Content previously removed for policy violations

You are responsible for ensuring you have all required permissions before offering content for sale.

Do I need a Square account?

Yes. Artists must complete Square onboarding to receive payouts for Direct-to-Fan Sales purchases. 

How do I get started selling music on Tidal through Square?

To start selling music directly to fans on Tidal, follow the steps below:

1. Go to an uploaded album.
2. Tap Edit album.
3. Change album access from Unlisted to Paid.
4. Accept the Tidal Marketplace Terms to continue.
5. Create a free Square account and complete the sign-up process and identity verification.

Once setup is complete, you can begin selling eligible music and content directly to fans on Tidal.

When and how will I receive payouts?

Payouts for Direct-to-Fan Sales are securely processed through Square. Payout timing may vary depending on your bank and account status.

What fees apply to my Paid Upload sales?

Artists are responsible for all payment processing fees charged by Square. These fees are deducted from the sale proceeds before funds are made available for payout.

Are purchases refundable?

As outlined in the Tidal Upload Marketplace Terms, Upload purchases are final and non-refundable due to the nature of digital content, except where required by law.

Are buyers charged a service fee?

Buyers are not charged a Tidal service fee at checkout. The price displayed for a Paid Upload is the amount the buyer pays, excluding any applicable taxes or fees charged by their payment provider.

I previously used Stripe. Do I have to switch to Square now?

Artists with existing Stripe accounts can keep their accounts, but any new content offered for sale after June 4, 2026, will require a Square account. All future sales will be processed through Square, including sales of content that was previously processed through Stripe.