Beta Testers To Get A Live DJ Feature By Tidal

The high-resolution music streaming service Tidal announced today that it is inviting participants in its Early Access beta testing program to test out a brand-new feature called "DJ" that will enable them to share playlists, albums, and tracks with other Tidal members, live, at the same time, wherever they are. Even though there are few specifics about the DJ feature, according to a press release from Tidal, American HiFi Plus plan users who are also signed up for the Early Access Program can access a beta version of the Tidal app that has the new feature. Then, for a "session," such as a road trip, workout, or party warm-up, these users can construct and name playlists (using text and emojis) that can be shared and listened to live by other Tidal members. Full albums and tracks may also be shared, and it appears that all Tidal members have access to the iOS and Android apps to listen to DJ sessions, but only those on the HiFi Plus tier can currently create sessions using the beta software, which is now available for iOS only. DJs may construct sessions from Tidal's library of 90 million songs and then create a link to share it via social media, chat, or SMS. The press release states that "Tracks will play in normal AAC quality until high-resolution or lossless quality becomes available at a later date," but it's not clear if this means that the DJ feature will only be able to use lower quality AAC audio during the beta testing period or if higher quality audio formats from Tidal will eventually be made available. To access the DJ feature, you must enroll in Tidal's Early Access Program, which enables users to download and test beta versions of the Tidal app, and be a subscriber to the $20 per month HiFi Plus plan (which offers lossless High Fidelity and Master Quality Authenticated (MQA) formats).