Here’s something you can’t hear on Spotify.
Jay Z has reportedly been dialing up listeners of his tracks on his recently acquired Tidal music service and been thanking them for tuning in, according to Business Insider.
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“This is the best customer service call I’ve ever received,†one fan allegedly said after a one-on-one conversation with Hova.
But Jay isn’t the only one making the calls. According to CNET, Tidal shares users’ contact information with musicians, and The White Stripes’ Jack White also rang up a few fans to extend his gratitude.
Jay Z made a play for Tidal’s parent company, Aspiro, earlier this year, and, after acquiring it, relaunched Tidal as a premium streaming service alongside a star-studded who’s who of music’s biggest stars a few months later.
The Brooklyn rapper has taken the hands-on approach just as it was announced that Aspiro CEO Andy Chen will be leaving the company, Business Insider reports. Tidal also dismissed recent claims that 25 staffers at the music streaming site had been laid off.
In another knock to competitor Spotify, The Verge recently tested out Soundiiz, a website capable of transferring playlists from one music streaming service to another. Tidal has partnered with Soundiiz, apparently knowing how inconvenient it is for users to recreate their entire playlist or library in a new program. The Verge found that the process worked well enough, but, “Let’s just say the whole experience feels a bit rough,†according to the review, which also noted that in one list transferred, 72 of the 75 songs were available on Tidal.
Jay Z’s campaign for Tidal seems to be pulling few punches in its assault on Spotify. His efforts may be needed, though, as Tidal’s price tag for Hi-Fi sound reaches skyward – $20 per month – with the cheaper premium rate being about $10 and making the same dent in your wallet as Spotify’s ad-free version.