Samsung follows on a recent collaboration in cross-device listening with Spotify with a similar deal putting the Tidal "high-fidelity" music streaming service on Samsung TVs.
Initially the deal involves a Samsung TV Tidal app, but the music service says this is "just the beginning of the partnership," with deeper integration expected in the near future. Available on Samsung TVs with Tizen 3.0 (ie 2017 and 2018 models), the app "prioritises Tidal visual content," with curated video playlists and concerts, as well as new releases, music videos and podcasts. A "My Collection" feature allows users to save and personalise content, and a search function comes as standard.
The Jay Z-owned streaming service was involved in controversy last May, as it was accused of falsifying subscriber counts-- the company claims it has 3 million subscribers, thanks to strong releases such as Kanye West's "The Life of Pablo" and Beyonce's "Lemonade," but independent researcher Midia insists subscribers total just 1 million.
Further adding to Tidal's woes is Norwegian newspaper Dagns Næringsliv, with a report claiming Tidal not only exaggerates subscriber numbers, but also manipulates listener numbers by the hundreds of millions. In addition, it also makes "massive royalty payments" to the likes of Kanye West and Beyonce "at the expense of other artists." Still, such reports appear to not have detered a name as big as Samsung to sign a partnership deal with Tidal, so take the reports as you will.
