TIDAL - The First High Fidelity Music Streaming Service with HD Music Videos and Curated Editorial - Announces U.S. and UK Fall Launch

OSLO, Norway, Sept. 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- WiMP HiFi, the award-winning Scandinavian music streaming service, today announced it will introduce TIDAL to the U.S. and the UK later this fall. Unlike any other service currently on the market, TIDAL will offer high fidelity sound quality, high definition music videos, and curated editorial, tailor made by experienced music journalists.

TIDAL will offer true high fidelity lossless sound quality, a prerequisite to enjoying music the way it was intended by the artists. For a single monthly subscription, TIDAL is the first to offer both quantity and quality with an extensive music library of 25 million-plus tracks, streaming at more than twice the bit rate of competitive services. TIDAL subscribers will also be able to watch more than 75,000 high definition (HD) music videos, all ad-free.  TIDAL's editors hand pick the music presented in the service, personally selecting and showcasing the best new albums and tracks across all genres every day, and provide:

• Album spotlights such as Album of The Week, Classical Album of the Month, and HiFi Album of The Month
• Playlists with a mission to educate, entertain, and enrich the music experience via in-depth knowledge
• Close-ups on artists, labels, sub-genres, and historical eras
• Weekly playlists that present highlights from this week's news and top recommended tracks
• Weekly artist interviews, magazine features, and daily magazine articles

"TIDAL reflects our mission to deliver the highest quality music streaming service," said CEO Andy Chen. "From making sure there's no loss in sound quality to telling the stories behind the creation of the music, we aim to maximize the listening experience. We are catering to people who really appreciate the quality things in life, whether that is music, sound or lifestyle, because quality should not be compromised and because music fans now demand more from their music service."

TIDAL's owners launched its original editorial-based music streaming service as WiMP Music in Scandinavia in 2010, when the music industry was in transition. Consumers embraced the ease of use and four years later the market is once again growing, with streaming accounting for over 70% of Scandinavian recorded music revenues. The HiFi-edition of WiMP Music was introduced in 2013.

"Initially, streaming was all about access to everything, everywhere, which many services now provide. TIDAL is not just another one of those providers. From the start, we knew that music streaming is not just about millions of tracks or thousands of playlists. Instead, it is about the ultimate music experience that makes you want to stop and listen. Rather than remaining in the background to some other activity, music deserves to take center stage with quality at its heart," added Chen.

As an advertisement-free, lossless, CD-quality music and HD video streaming service with extensive curated editorial expertise, TIDAL will be available in the U.S. and the UK for a monthly subscription of $19.99 / £19.99 starting later this fall.  To sign up to be one of the first to experience true high fidelity streaming, visit the TIDAL website at www.tidalhifi.com. TIDAL is initially tailored for the U.S. and UK markets.

TIDAL music streaming experience at a glance:

• More than 25 million music tracks in lossless quality (FLAC/ALAC 44.1kHz / 16 bit - 1411 kbps)
• More than 75,000 HD music videos
• Tailor made editorial provided by experienced music journalists
• Dedicated apps available for iOS and Android devices
• Web player for PC/MAC
• Support for a wide range of home music network players

WiMP HiFi and TIDAL are music streaming services owned by Aspiro Group, listed on the Nasdaq OMX in Stockholm, with HQ located in Oslo, Norway. The service was launched in 2010 and is also available in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany and Poland.

About Aspiro
Aspiro is a media technology company on the forefront in the ongoing redefinition of music consumption. Through its subscription services TIDAL and WiMP, the company offers a complete music experience with HiFi quality audio and integrated editorial, magazine and video. In parallel, Aspiro is a content provider to the online media industry through RADR, helping its partners to attract and retain visitors on their web sites. Read more on www.aspiro.com

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SOURCE TIDAL