Tidal users in the US can now become DJs on the streaming service. The company is testing a feature called DJ, which enables those on the $20 per month HiFi Plus tier to share songs or a playlist they’re listening to with other paying users in real time. Tidal added a proper playlist sharing option just last month.
You can choose a name for the DJ session and share a link that others can use to access it. Unfortunately, Tidal says that those tuning in won’t be able to listen to whatever the DJ’s playing at high-resolution or lossless quality for the time being. The songs will play in regular AAC quality (160 Kbps) — higher-resolution streams will be available at a later date.
Budding DJs will need to be enrolled in Tidal’s Early Access Program to access the beta. They’ll only be able to start a session on iOS for now, but Android support is coming soon. All paying Tidal users can listen to a DJ session on either iOS or Android.
The feature is different from Tidal for DJs, which enables producers and DJs to plug songs from the streaming service into professional audio software, as The Verge notes. So, this new feature is geared toward amateur tastemakers. However, the fact that listeners also need to be paid Tidal users might prevent folks from sharing their live DJ sessions with friends who typically use Spotify or Apple Music. At least Turntable.fm is still around, while Amazon’s Amp enables people to host their own radio shows with chat and licensed music.
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