Jay-Z's Music Streaming Service Aims For More Ears Ahead Of Made In America
By KYW tech editor Ian Bush
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Jay-Z is bringing Made in America back to Philadelphia this Labor Day weekend.
There's no word yet on who's performing at the festival, but the first tickets are earmarked for subscribers to the rapper's fledgling music streaming service -- called Tidal.
Jay-Z touts the benefits of Tidal for singers, songwriters, bands, and producers: they get more in royalties. But there's also a payoff for your ears:
"Audio is the only entertainment that we have that's consistently gotten worse over the last 20 years," says World Wide Stereo CEO Bob Cole.
Cole blames compression, which makes mp3s a breeze to download but leaves songs stripped:
"You're not getting all the highs, you're not getting all the lows, and it really can be demonstrable."
Tidal HiFi offers lossless streaming, but it'll set you back $20 a month:
"It's definitely targeting the more affluent people who have a better set of headphones or a better player," says Cole. "But honestly, if you have a decent set of headphones plugged in to your iPhone or Android, most people can notice the difference."
Cole expects other streaming services to head the way of higher quality. Already, they're staking out territory, with Spotify putting up podcasts and video and Tidal offering tickets and exclusive music.