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Music · head to head

Shazam vs Tidal

Shazam logo

Shazam

Music

Apple-owned song identification app, free with no ads or in-app purchases

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Tidal logo

Tidal

Music

High fidelity music streaming

From
$10.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Shazam has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Shazam the app has no revenue of its own and exists structurally to drive Apple Music engagement, so its continued investment and feature direction depend entirely on how useful Apple finds it as a funnel rather than on its own standalone business case.; Tidal tIDAL has no permanently free listening tier; after a 30-day trial a paid subscription is required
  • They diverge on capability: Shazam covers Audio fingerprint matching, Tidal covers HiFi streaming.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Shazam and Tidal actually diverge.

Attributes where Shazam and Tidal differ
AttributeShazamTidal
Starting priceFree$10.99/month
Pricing modelFree, no ads and no in-app purchases; funded as an Apple Music discovery funnelsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsiOS, Android, WebWeb, Ios, Android, Desktop
FoundedUnknown2014

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Music).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Shazam

  • Audio fingerprint matching
  • Offline tagging queue
  • Apple Music integration
  • Shazam charts
  • Lyrics display
  • Shazam widget and Control Centre integration

Only in Tidal

  • HiFi streaming
  • Master quality
  • Music videos
  • Exclusive content
  • High-end audio systems
  • Smart speakers
  • Download protection
  • Account security

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Shazam

  • Someone hearing an unfamiliar song in a shop, cafe or on the radio and wanting to identify it instantlynot Tidal
  • A user wanting identified songs automatically saved into an Apple Music library or playlistnot Tidal
  • Someone using the offline tagging queue while without signal, resolving matches laternot Tidal
  • A listener browsing Shazam trending charts to discover what is being identified most in their citynot Tidal

Tidal

  • Streaming music in HiRes lossless up to 24-bit 192 kHz and Dolby Atmosnot Shazam
  • Offline listening to a personal librarynot Shazam
  • Casting lossless audio to supported hi-fi hardware over TIDAL Connectnot Shazam

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Shazam

  • The app has no revenue of its own and exists structurally to drive Apple Music engagement, so its continued investment and feature direction depend entirely on how useful Apple finds it as a funnel rather than on its own standalone business case.
  • Identification requires either a live audio sample or a stored recording, and it performs poorly on very quiet, heavily remixed, or non-commercially released audio where no fingerprint match exists in the database.
  • Saved tags and playlists are tied to an Apple ID even on Android, meaning non-Apple users still create Apple ecosystem account data by using the app.
  • It offers no music playback of its own beyond short previews or an Apple Music handoff, so a non-Apple Music subscriber cannot play a full identified track inside the app itself.
  • As an owned subsidiary of Apple rather than an independent company, there is no separate roadmap transparency or company reporting, so its longevity and feature set are subject to Apple's wider strategic priorities rather than its own user base.

Tidal

  • TIDAL has no permanently free listening tier; after a 30-day trial a paid subscription is required
  • The subscription renews automatically on a monthly basis
  • Lossless quality on external hardware needs TIDAL Connect and a supported device
  • The iOS app requires iOS 17 or later

Pricing, plan by plan

Shazam

Free
  • ShazamFree
    • Unlimited song identification
    • No ads shown within the identification experience
    • No premium tier exists

Tidal

$10.99/month
  • HiFi$10.99/month
    • Lossless audio
    • Downloads
  • HiFi Plus$19.99/month
    • Master quality
    • Direct artist payouts

Which should you pick?

Choose Shazam if

  • You need audio fingerprint matching.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want offline tagging queue.
Shazam review

Choose Tidal if

  • You need hifi streaming.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop.
  • You also want master quality.
Tidal review

Questions people ask

Is Shazam or Tidal better?
Neither clearly leads. Shazam starts at Free and Tidal at $10.99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Shazam or Tidal?
Shazam has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Shazam and $10.99/month for Tidal.
Does Shazam or Tidal run on more platforms?
Shazam runs on iOS, Android, Web. Tidal runs on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop.
Can I use Shazam for free?
Yes. Shazam has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Tidal starts at $10.99/month.
What is Shazam best used for?
Shazam is most often used for someone hearing an unfamiliar song in a shop, cafe or on the radio and wanting to identify it instantly, a user wanting identified songs automatically saved into an apple music library or playlist, someone using the offline tagging queue while without signal, resolving matches later, a listener browsing shazam trending charts to discover what is being identified most in their city. Of those, someone hearing an unfamiliar song in a shop, cafe or on the radio and wanting to identify it instantly and a user wanting identified songs automatically saved into an apple music library or playlist are not what Tidal is typically brought in for.
What can Shazam do that Tidal cannot?
Shazam covers Audio fingerprint matching, Offline tagging queue, Apple Music integration, Shazam charts. Tidal covers HiFi streaming, Master quality, Music videos, Exclusive content.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Shazam: Is Shazam free?

Yes, fully free with no ads, subscription or in-app purchases.

Shazam: Do I need Apple Music to use Shazam?

No, identification works without an Apple Music subscription, though full track playback of an identified song requires either Apple Music or another music service.

Shazam: Who owns Shazam?

Apple, which acquired it in 2018.

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