Tidal's new Apple Watch app brings streaming, offline playback

Tidal
Tidal (Image credit: Tidal)

What you need to know

  • Tidal has released a new Apple Watch app to users.
  • It supports streaming and offline playback.
  • Apple announced its own Lossless audio earlier this month.

Streaming platform Tidal has just released a new Apple Watch app that supports streaming and offline playback.

As noted by Watch Generation:

The streaming service TIDAL arrives in turn on watchOS. Its mobile app now includes a module dedicated to the Apple Watch, with two expected features: the ability to stream music or download songs or playlists to listen to them even without an internet connection.

Tidal says the app will bring music streaming and playback control to Apple Watch independent of your iPhone, and you can even listen offline, downloading your favorite songs for playback anywhere.

Spotify added the same feature to its app earlier this week:

Spotify is today rolling out downloads to Apple Watch so that users can listen to content without their phone.

The company stated:Your playlists and favorite shows can quickly turn from mundane to momentous—no matter where you are or what you're doing. With smart speakers, tablets, video game consoles, and TVs, there are more ways than ever to enjoy your favorite music and podcasts from any room of the house. But what if you're looking for something a little more . . . mobile?Starting today, we're rolling out the ability to download your favorite playlists, albums, and podcasts on Apple Watch. All users are already able to play tracks, albums, playlists, and podcasts, and now Premium users will also be able to download everything they're listening to for a true offline and phone-free experience. This is on top of all the other Spotify features on Apple Watch—from Connect & Control to streaming to Siri.

One of Tidal's biggest draws, of course, is its audio quality. Last week Apple announced its own Lossless audio format as well as Dolby Atmos and Spatial audio for Apple Music, coming to users for no extra cost in June.

Stephen Warwick
News Editor

Stephen Warwick has written about Apple for five years at iMore and previously elsewhere. He covers all of iMore's latest breaking news regarding all of Apple's products and services, both hardware and software. Stephen has interviewed industry experts in a range of fields including finance, litigation, security, and more. He also specializes in curating and reviewing audio hardware and has experience beyond journalism in sound engineering, production, and design.

Before becoming a writer Stephen studied Ancient History at University and also worked at Apple for more than two years. Stephen is also a host on the iMore show, a weekly podcast recorded live that discusses the latest in breaking Apple news, as well as featuring fun trivia about all things Apple. Follow him on Twitter @stephenwarwick9