Skip to main content

Tidal struggles to gain ground, fires its third CEO in just two years

tidal holiday preview apple deal 0001
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Tidal is making waves in its executive team once again. The music streaming service has confirmed that it has just booted its third CEO in the two years since its launch, with Jeff Toig departing the company. “As part of Tidal’s continued expansion this year we will be announcing a new CEO in the coming weeks,” the company said in a statement to Billboard. “We wish [Toig] all the best in his future endeavors.”

Tidal, which is a Jay Z-owned enterprise, made headlines (not always in the best of ways) when it launched a couple years ago, but has since had a bit of trouble attaining (much less maintaining) stability. Toig joined the company in January of last year as its CEO, replacing the interim leader Peter Tonstad, who was the replacement for Tidal’s first CEO, Andy Chen. When Jay Z first announced Toig’s appointment, he called the executive a “leader at the intersection of consumer ­technology and entertainment for more than two decades.” But alas, it seems that leadership has all come to naught, at least for this particular endeavor.

Toig certainly has an impressive résumé, as he came to Tidal from SoundCloud, where he served as chief business officer. Prior to that, he was the founder and senior vice president of Cricket Wireless’ music service, Muve Music, as well as one of the founding members of Virgin Mobile.

It would appear that Toig actually left the company in March, and it’s unclear as to the reasoning behind his departure. But given that Tidal has just 1 million paid subscribers, and has not managed to gain ground on leading competitors like Apple Music and Spotify, (which have 20 million and 50 million subscribers respectively), it’s easy to speculate.

Best of luck to the next leader to sit at Tidal’s helm. If history is any indication, it’s no easy ship to steer.

Editors' Recommendations

Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
Best Cyber Monday Deals 2022: Laptops, TVs, AirPods, and more
Best Cyber Monday Deals 2022

Cyber Week is here! With some truly epic deals out there, this is the best time of year to buy a new tech gadget. If you slept through the Black Friday sales, then the Cyber Monday sales, you better grab what you need during this week of slowly diminishing deals. From tablets to air fryers, laptops to smartwatches, we've rounded up the best Cyber Monday deals across a range of categories, and you'll find them all below.
Cyber Monday sales: Quick links

Amazon: Huge discounts on laptops, Echo devices, and tablets
Best Buy: Your destination for sales on super-sized TVs
Dell: Unbeatable discounts on gaming laptops, monitors, and more
Gamestop: Cheap video games, console accessories and monitors
HP: Gaming PCs, laptops, monitors, and printers from $129
Kohl's: Home decor, clothing and kitchen appliance steals
Lowe’s: Up to 60% off appliances like refrigerators and decor
Staples: Save big on laptops, home office hardware and supplies
Target: Tons of cheap kitchen appliances and stocking-fillers
Walmart: Great for laptops, and is restocking PS5 and Xbox Series X

Read more
What is hi-res audio, and how can you experience it right now?
Dlyan Wireless Headphones

High-resolution audio, hi-res audio, or even HD audio -- whatever you decide to call it (for the record, the industry prefers "hi-res audio"), it's a catch-all term that describes digital audio that goes above and beyond the level of sound quality you can expect from a garden-variety MP3 file and even CDs. It was once strictly the domain of audiophiles, but now that major streaming music services like Apple Music, Amazon Music, Tidal, Deezer, and Qobuz have embraced it, almost everyone can take advantage of what hi-res has to offer.

But what exactly is hi-res audio? What equipment do you need to listen to it? Where can you download or stream it? And does it actually sound better? We've got the answers.
What does the term 'hi-res audio' mean?

Read more
How to download music from Spotify for offline listening
How to download music and podcasts from Spotify: The downloads folder.

If you're a Spotify Premium user paying that premium Spotify fee, chances are you've taken at least some time curating playlists, liking songs, and using the platform's easy-to-use (and recently revamped) user interface to discover new and old music.

But sometimes all that music or your favorite podcasts aren't available if you find yourself without an internet connection to stream them from — like on a long plane ride or weekend camping trip in the sticks. That's where Spotify's offline listening feature comes in handy, allowing you to download playlists, albums, and podcasts through its desktop and mobile apps so you can still rock out while you're off the grid.

Read more