How to Use Tidal on Linux: Best Methods and Tools

Part 1. Is There a Tidal App for Linux?

Unfortunately, there is no official Tidal app for Linux. While Tidal provides apps for Windows, Mac OS, and mobile devices, Linux users are left to find alternative solutions. Despite this, you can still access Tidal on Linux using various methods, including the web player, a third-party app, or a command-line interface client. These options, while not officially supported by Tidal, offer effective ways to stream or download Tidal music on your Linux system.

For those who are technophobic, ViWizard Tidal Music Converter is the best tool for you as it doesn't require you to be good with development tools and also provides user-friendly interfaces so that you can experience every feature on Tidal in a second!

Part 2. How to Play Tidal on Linux?

In this section, we'll explore some effective methods to play Tidal on Linux, starting with the simplest option—using Tidal's web player.

Method 1. Access Tidal Web Player

The easiest way to listen to Tidal on Linux is through the Tidal web player. This option doesn't require any software installation and provides access to all of Tidal's music, playlists, and albums directly from your web browser.

Steps to Access Tidal via Web Player

1. Open your preferred web browser (Firefox, Chrome, etc).
2. Go to tidal.com Web Player (https://my.tidal.com/login)
3. Sign in to your Tidal account.
4. Start streaming your favorite music.

While the web player offers a simple and accessible solution, it has a few limitations. Tidal web player only offers Tidal Hi-Fi sound quality. If you need Tidal Master Quality audio (MQA), this method may not work for you. Besides, you cannot download music for offline listening, and playback may occasionally experience latency depending on your internet connection. Still, for basic streaming, the web player is a great option.

Method 2. Install the Tidal Hi-fi Electron App

For those looking for an experience more similar to a desktop app, the Tidal Hi-fi is a great alternative, which is an Electron-based wrapper for the official Tidal web player. Although it's a third-party solution, it allows Linux users to stream Tidal with more control over their playback, including integration with media keys on your keyboard.

Before installing Tidal Hi-fi, ensure you have a notification library like libnotify or dunst installed on your system for the software to work properly. You can download the Tidal Hi-fi app in different kinds of Linux package formats. Here's an example to download it in a Linux snap package:

1. Download the Snap Package

Open your terminal and download the prepackaged Snap file from the GitHub repository. Replace "URL" with the specific one of the package version you want to install:

wget: https://github.com/Mastermindzh/tidal-hifi/releases/download/1.0/tidal-hifi_1.0.0_amd64.snap

2. Install the Snap Package

Use the following command to install the Snap package. Replace "path" with the file name of the downloaded package:

snap install --dangerous: tidal-hifi_1.0.0_amd64.snap

The "--dangerous" flag allows you to install Snap packages that are not available on the Snap Store.

3. Launch the Tidal Hi-fi App

Open your terminal and type: tidal-hifi. Or you'd search for "Tidal Hi-fi" in your application launcher (depending on your desktop environment), and click on the icon to start the app.

Although the Tidal Hi-fi Electron app provides a more seamless experience than the web player, it isn't an ideal option for those who aren't very tech-savvy, as there are many problems during the downloading or launching stages. Moreover, it's only accessible to Tidal subscribers.

Method 3. Use Tidal CLI Client [No Longer Work]

In the past, Linux users could take advantage of Tidal's CLI (Command Line Interface) client to control Tidal playback through terminal commands. This method offered a lightweight way to enjoy Tidal, but unfortunately, the Tidal CLI client is no longer functional due to API changes on Tidal's side.

Given this, we recommend using ViWizard Tidal Music Converter for a more reliable way to access and manage your Tidal content.

Part 3. How to Play Tidal on Linux Without Limits?

While the methods mentioned above allow you to stream Tidal music, they all require you to subscribe to Tidal's membership for the fullest experience. If you're looking for a way to play Tidal music on Linux without a subscription and limits, the ViWizard Tidal Music Converter is the best solution.

ViWizard Tidal Music Converter allows you to download and convert Tidal songs, albums, and playlists into common formats like MP3, FLAC, and WAV while preserving the high quality, even MQA quality (for HiFi Plus account) and ID3 tags, ensuring that you can enjoy your Tidal music most conveniently and flexibly. This means you can listen to Tidal music offline, without needing to rely on the web player or any third-party apps.

Key Features of ViWizard Tidal Music Converter

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• Download any Tidal content, including songs, albums, playlists, and artists
• Support exporting Tidal music to MP3, AAC, FLAC, WAV, M4A, and M4B
• Preserve a whole set of ID3 tag information in the downloaded Tidal songs
• Handle the conversion of Tidal music up to 5× faster speed and in batch

A Tutorial on How to Play Tidal on Linux with ViWizard

Step 1 Add Tidal Tracks

Open ViWizard Tidal Music Converter on your computer. The Tidal app will automatically launch, and you'll need to sign in to your Tidal account. Choose the tracks you'd like to download, then either copy and paste the links to songs, playlists, albums, podcasts, or audiobooks into the converter or drag and drop the tracks directly into the ViWizard interface. To finalize the import, click the "Plus" icon next to the search bar.

Step 2 Set up the Output Preferences

Click the "Settings" icon in the top-right corner. In the pop-up window under the Convert tab, you can configure the audio output format, sample rate, bit rate, channel, and codec. Remember to convert the tracks into a format compatible with Linux, such as MP3 or FLAC. Once your settings are in place, click the OK button to save them.

Step 3 Download and Convert Tidal Tracks

After setting your preferences, click the Convert button in the bottom-right corner to begin downloading your selected tracks. When the process is finished, a red dot will appear on the list icon below. By clicking this, you can view the downloaded tracks in your local files.

Step 4 Play Tidal Tracks on Linux

Lastly, insert a USB flash drive into your computer, and place your downloaded audio files on the removable drive. Next, transfer the downloaded files to your Linux system. Now, you'd play the music using any Linux-compatible media player like VLC or Rhythmbox.

Part 4. Conclusion

Although there's no official Tidal app for Linux, there are still several ways to access Tidal music on this operating system. From the simple web player to third-party solutions, Linux users have plenty of options. For those who want the most flexibility on Tidal, ViWizard Tidal Music Converter is the ideal choice for you.