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Audio Format Updates

Can I still access music in MQA or 360 Reality Audio on TIDAL?

No. As of July 24, 2024, music in the MQA or 360 Reality Audio formats is no longer accessible via any TIDAL application or integration.

For stereo sound, FLAC was chosen as the format we’ll support going forward because it is open source—meaning any artist can deliver their music in high quality directly to TIDAL without the involvement of a third party. This makes it easier for their fans to experience music in the highest possible sound quality on all their devices.

For immersive sound, Dolby Atmos was chosen as the format we will support going forward due to the number of compatible devices, catalog availability, and artist adoption of the format. Through our continued partnership with Dolby, we’ve given artists the opportunity to expand on their sonic vision, allowing their fans to experience their music like never before.

How did these changes impact My Collection?

For MQA: If you had an MQA track or album in your Collection – including in playlists – the track was automatically replaced by the highest quality FLAC version that has been distributed to TIDAL.

If you had an MQA track or album downloaded for offline access, you will need to update to at least TIDAL app version 2.123.0. Once updated, you will receive a pop-up alert asking if you'd like redownload those tracks. This action will replace any previously downloaded MQA tracks with their FLAC versions. Please note you will only receive the prompt to redownload once.

For 360 Reality Audio: If you had a 360 Reality Audio track or album in your Collection – including in a playlist or downloaded for offline access – the track or album will be grayed out and unavailable for streaming if you try to select it.

Why am I seeing an error code: 15:1 when playing Sony 360 Reality Audio tracks?

You may encounter the error code: 15:1 when attempting to play a 360 Reality Audio track from My Collection after updating to TIDAL version 2.123. This error typically affects saved Sony 360 tracks.

What should I do if I encounter this error?

Try searching for the track again and attempt to play or redownload it. Please note, if the track is still unavailable, it means it is no longer accessible due to the removal of 360 Reality Audio from TIDAL.

Does TIDAL have plans to make other changes to audio format availability in the future?

We have no further plans to change our audio format offerings going forward, and we remain committed to providing our subscribers with exceptional audio quality.

Are there any songs that are no longer available on TIDAL now?

While we have at least 16-bit, 44.1 kHz FLAC versions for nearly all MQA tracks today, we may not have a replacement for every single one. We are working hard to ensure all previously available MQA tracks will be replaced with a FLAC version in a timely manner.

Why is my digital to analog converter (DAC) still showing tracks are being played in MQA?

There were some tracks that were only delivered in the MQA format from content providers when we made this change. In these cases, the FLAC files available for streaming are produced from an MQA source file and certain DACs read them as MQA files.

We’re working with content providers to replace these files with HiRes FLAC versions if available.