Audio Fidelity: Spotify vs. Apple Music vs. Tidal
Harry O explains the technical differences in audio compression and fidelity between major streaming platforms.
Mackwop opens a question to the panel and chat at 2:56:20 regarding which music streaming service offers the best user and listening experience, comparing Spotify and Apple Music. Tiny notes that he has predominantly used Spotify but has started exploring Apple Music for specific artist releases.
Harry O intervenes at 2:57:10 to explain that from an audio engineering standpoint, Tidal offers the highest fidelity audio because it provides lossless, uncompressed streaming compared to its competitors. He explains at 2:58:20 that Spotify and YouTube apply heavy dynamic compression to reduce file sizes, which reduces high and low frequency detail in complex mixes.
At 3:00:00, Harry O explains how the low-fi music genre originally evolved as a byproduct of YouTube's aggressive audio compression algorithms when producers ripped samples from video uploads. Mackwop and Tiny note the advantages of spatial audio and Dolby Atmos on Apple Music, while recognizing Tidal as the benchmark for master-quality sound reproduction.