Official TIDAL HIFI Streaming Issues Thread

[The Computer Audiophile]

4 minutes ago, AudioDoctor said:

 

Never?  It never just stops for a minute or more, or sometimes locking up so you have to force quit A+?

 

What are you running it on?

 

This happens on my 2011 Mac Mini with an SSD and 8gb of ram, as well as my brand new iMac with 32gb of ram and an SSD, super fast 4.5 or so I7 processor.

 

I wonder if it's a dns issue. Have you tried using Google dns 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4? This is what I use and have zero problems. 

[AudioDoctor]

Just now, The Computer Audiophile said:

 

I wonder if it's a dns issue. Have you tried using Google dns 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4? This is what I use and have zero problems. 

 

Chris, I appreciate your optimism that I would have any idea what that is!

 

lol

[wklie]

Tidal stuttering problems are regional.  In most cases (for people with wired connection to the Internet) it is not related to how much bandwidth the user has.

[rickca]

6 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

In my experience, once you have plenty of bandwidth, the issues are more related to the playback software/hardware. 

Way back in 2015, TIDAL issues frequently were related to their content distribution network, so reliability of their stream depended on your location.  I'm not sure if that's still the case, but it may explain why people have different experience.

[JMD54]

And two years later it is still related to their distribution network.  As Peter said the problems are regional and not related to bandwidth, DNS settings, hardware manufacturer or app used.  I have speeds of over 125 mbps and have tried four streamers from three companies with three software applications, multiple DNS settings recommended by Tidal and four different different routers.  None of them make any difference as the problem is Tidal's though they will blame everyone else.  Qobuz which has no content distribution network in the US is flawless as is Spotify with all of the same gear and settings.  It appears that the only thing that will get their attention is cancellations unless they are just hanging on long enough to find a buyer.  For those of you like Chris with no problems good for you but your experience is becoming less of the norm in more and more areas of the country. 

[AudioDoctor]

Well, I think I successfully changed my DNS settings.  I'll give it a go.  If you see something wrong, let me know.

 

 

[AudioDoctor]

If it seems orange, it is.  I use f.lux to get rid of the blue light to help me sleep.

[rodrigaj]

What regions are we talking about??? East coast? west coast? is it the location of Tidal Servers???

 

[Stephen Belter]

Anyone use a VPN to access more reliable streaming on Tidal? If so, where in the U.S. or elsewhere do you connect? From here in Taiwan, I get varying degrees of success or failure, often depending on time of day or day. Haven't noticed so much of a difference on different VPN servers or without VPN.

[randyhat]

16 hours ago, AudioDoctor said:

Well, I think I successfully changed my DNS settings.  I'll give it a go.  If you see something wrong, let me know.

 

 

Did that work?  If so, how did you do it?  The recommendation I got from Tidal was to have my ISP make these changes.  Looks like what you did was relatively simple.  Are you using your MAC to connect to Tidal?  I'm using a Bluesound Node 2.  Has anyone who has made these DNS changes found that it fixed the problem?   Thanks...

[The Computer Audiophile]

1 minute ago, randyhat said:

Did that work?  If so, how did you do it?  The recommendation I got from Tidal was to have my ISP make these changes.  Looks like what you did was relatively simple.  Are you using your MAC to connect to Tidal?  I'm using a Bluesound Node 2.  Has anyone who has made these DNS changes found that it fixed the problem?   Thanks...

 

I'm not sure if it helps everyone, someone, or no one, but if you need to do it for your Bluesound products, the easiest way to do it is at the router (if that's what's handling DHCP for you). You can login to your router and just tell it to hand out these DNS settings. 

[AudioDoctor]

1 hour ago, randyhat said:

Did that work?  If so, how did you do it?  The recommendation I got from Tidal was to have my ISP make these changes.  Looks like what you did was relatively simple.  Are you using your MAC to connect to Tidal?  I'm using a Bluesound Node 2.  Has anyone who has made these DNS changes found that it fixed the problem?   Thanks...

 

 

I followed these instructions:  https://www.howtogeek.com/howto/38793/how-to-switch-mac-os-x-to-use-opendns-or-google-dns/

 

Did it work?  I don't know yet, it hasn't even been 24 hours since I made the change.  Yes, I am using my Mac and A+ to use TIDAL.  I changed it on my iMac.  If I think it has worked I will go ahead and change the router as well.

[JMD54]

For anyone using a Comcast/Xfinity supplied router/gateway you can no longer change the DNS settings they are locked.  You will have to buy your own router or if using a Comcast device that also supplies your phone you have to keep the Comcast gear intact and set it to Bridge mode.  For me using the Google DNS settings made no difference at all and they have been in place for almost a month. 

[AudioDoctor]

1 hour ago, JMD54 said:

For anyone using a Comcast/Xfinity supplied router/gateway you can no longer change the DNS settings they are locked.  You will have to buy your own router or if using a Comcast device that also supplies your phone you have to keep the Comcast gear intact and set it to Bridge mode.  For me using the Google DNS settings made no difference at all and they have been in place for almost a month. 

 

Changing it on the device, in my case an iMac, however is all that is needed.  This is straight from Comcast.

[JMD54]

That's true if that is the only device involved in your streaming chain.

[AudioDoctor]

SO far, I have done non stop streaming for hours, and have not had a problem, but this is less than a full day since the change, and even less of actual streaming.  Still, it's longer than I normally go without a problem.

[mav52]

I know its not my cable provider, it happens in central Fl with Spectrum and AT&T , Comcast, Cox cable and it happens at my friends home in Columbia SC, TimeWarner. Different streamers , different cable providers,. different parts of the country.  Its a tidal problem.  Been using, Aurender A10, Lumin, Brooklynn its just getting really old, drop offs/studders/pause whatever you want to call it, its becoming a pain.  Heck maybe its a network/server capacity problem at Tidal wherever they are pushing music form.

[octaviars]

1 hour ago, mav52 said:

Heck maybe its a network/server capacity problem at Tidal wherever they are pushing music form.

 

I have not listened to Tidal for some while but today I casted to my Chromecast via the Tidal app on my Android phone. Lots of dropouts and pauses after a while. 

 

Started my computer with Roon and started playing Tidal through Roon instead (I have a small program that sends the audio on the computer to any Chromecast in the network) and zero dropouts or any pauses.

 

I dont know what to make of this is it just that Roon buffers more so the problems dont shows up? I have 100/100 fiber to my house and good network equipment. 

[The Computer Audiophile]

1 hour ago, mav52 said:

I know its not my cable provider, it happens in central Fl with Spectrum and AT&T , Comcast, Cox cable and it happens at my friends home in Columbia SC, TimeWarner. Different streamers , different cable providers,. different parts of the country.  Its a tidal problem.  Been using, Aurender A10, Lumin, Brooklynn its just getting really old, drop offs/studders/pause whatever you want to call it, its becoming a pain.  Heck maybe its a network/server capacity problem at Tidal wherever they are pushing music form.

 

If this was 2 years ago, with several people I know working at Tidal, this would be solvable. I could actually get a knowledgable person from Tidal to work with Aurender or Lumin, and tell us exactly where the problem is and how to fix it, if possible. 

 

Sadly, Tidal is a shell of its former self.

 

Speaking of that, everyone saw that Deezer Elite (lossless) no longer has an exclusive contract with Sonos right? I'd put my money on Roon integrating this service as soon as possible :~)

[firedog]

29 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

 

Speaking of that, everyone saw that Deezer Elite (lossless) no longer has an exclusive contract with Sonos right? I'd put my money on Roon integrating this service as soon as possible :~)

I'd think that depends on the willingness of Deezer to have their service integrated into the Roon UI. 

 

Roon isn't willing to compromise on their UI look. (Uderstandable from their point of view). 

 

I don't remember if it was Spotify , Qobuz, or someone else, but at the Roon forum the Roon guys said the reason a certain service wasn't integrated into Roon was that the company in question wasn't willing to let it's info etc., be displayed completely in the Roon look. Tidal was more than willing to allow not only access to their database, but also willing to give Roon total control over how that info is displayed within Roon. 

[The Computer Audiophile]

49 minutes ago, firedog said:

I'd think that depends on the willingness of Deezer to have their service integrated into the Roon UI. 

 

Roon isn't willing to compromise on their UI look. (Uderstandable from their point of view). 

 

I don't remember if it was Spotify , Qobuz, or someone else, but at the Roon forum the Roon guys said the reason a certain service wasn't integrated into Roon was that the company in question wasn't willing to let it's info etc., be displayed completely in the Roon look. Tidal was more than willing to allow not only access to their database, but also willing to give Roon total control over how that info is displayed within Roon. 

 

Spotify is the company that won't allow anything other than its own app.

[rodrigaj]

1 hour ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

 

...... Speaking of that, everyone saw that Deezer Elite (lossless) no longer has an exclusive contract with Sonos right? I'd put my money on Roon integrating this service as soon as possible....

Does Deezer Elite have the same offerings as Tidal? I don't care about Roon or MQA -  redbook is enough for me. I'd even be willing to give up the integration with Lumin App. I just want the vast classical music offerings that Tidal has in redbook without the technical difficulties (dropouts, stutter, etc...). Qobuz will never make it in the USA.

[JMD54]

Qobuz is superior to Tidal in terms of Jazz and Classical with no issues.  I am in the US.

[calloway]

How do you have Qobuz in the USA ??

[JMD54]

Set it up using VPN in UK or other acceptable location.  Just make sure you can speak the language of the country you choose to use.  You will be charged based on that countries exchange rate by Paypal.