TIDAL partners with MTN Nigeria for streaming service

On July 25, 2020, Pulse Nigeria exclusively reported that subscription-based music, podcast and video streaming service, TIDAL was set to officially launch operations in Nigeria. The tentative date of the official launch was slated to be Monday, July 27, 2020.

It came barely one week after Audiomack launched its office in Lagos, Nigeria with operations led by Ade Adetunji, Charlotte Bwana and Olive Uche.

On September 2, 2020, TIDAL announced a partnership with MTN Nigeria. According to Musically, it allows MTN users to access TIDAL streaming service via their phones in a wide variety of short and long-term subscriptions.

Musically also reports that the new TIDAL partnership in Nigeria offers music in a way more familiar to European and North American streaming users: time-based subscriptions.

Plans are as short as three days’ access, which costs N120, and a month’s Tidal access is N800.

In that exclusive report, Pulse Nigeria reported that the launch would be a culmination of about a year of active, intensive plans to move into Nigeria and Africa. Its app is still not fully operational in Nigeria, but at this time, the fee for premium subscription is said to be around N1,200.

In the new partnership, TIDAL subscriptions can be bundled with MTN mobile data purchases – monthly access with data is N1,200.

This will be in direct competition with Apple Music and YouTubeMusic that provide premium personal and family subscription at N900 and N1,400 respectively; Audiomack that offers freemium services and plans to incorporate premium services at around $1.38 and Boomplay that offers premium services at N500. Other streaming platforms like UduX and Gbedu are also in the mix.

What is Tidal?

Launched in 2014 by Norwegian company, Aspiro, TIDAL is a subscription-based music, podcast and video streaming service that combines lossless audio and high-definition music videos with exclusive content and special features on music.

In 2014, Aspiro was acquired by Project Panther Bidco Ltd, a company owned by Legendary American rapper, businessman and billionaire, Jay Z. Currently, it is reported that TIDAL boasts over 3.5 million subscribers from over 50 countries. In August 2017, Richard Sanders was announced as CEO of the company.

Other popular figures at the company include Tony Gervino (VP), Lior Tibon (COO) and most notably, Journalist and former Editor-In-Chief of XXL, Elliot Wilson. He serves as the Chief Content Officer for Tidal.