Tidal Unveils ‘Discovery’ Platform to Showcase Emerging Artists
Tidal, the high-quality streaming service recently relaunched by Jay Z and other big-name musicians, announced a new Discovery section designed to showcase and promote music uploaded by young, budding artists.
According to a press release, the primary aim of Tidal Discovery will be to help new artists reach larger audiences by offering subscribers monthly playlists and other exclusives. The streaming service also plans to host a series of Discovery concerts across the country that will feature some of the top artists streaming on the new section.
Through a partnership with digital distributors Phonofile and Record Union, Discovery will also allow musicians to release their music directly through Tidal à la Bandcamp or Soundcloud. Musicians will be able to select their preferred royalty structure, but they will also be required to sign a contract in order to be eligible.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Discovery is one of three Tidal initiatives — along with Tidal X and Tidal Rising — designed to not only highlight up-and-coming artists, but foster more direct relationships between musicians and fans.
Through Tidal X, for instance, Jack White’s intimate North Dakota concert was streamed live on the service, while subscribers were automatically entered for a chance to win free tickets. Going forward, Tidal X will also hold concerts that book burgeoning musicians alongside marquee names.
Rising is somewhat similar to Discovery, though it will use both Tidal’s financial and star power to help promote emerging artists who have already cultivated a strong fan base. As Tidal’s chief investment officer Vania Schlogel pointed out, this could include spending production and marketing dollars on a Tidal X concert or fostering a mentorship between a young musician and an established artist.
Schlogel went on to admit that these programs, and Tidal’s overall dedication to promoting new talent, should have been more heavily stressed upon its relaunch. The star-studded rollout drew heavy criticism, with many claiming it would only bolster the music industry’s one percent.
“It’s their voices that really matter in this,” Schlogel told THR of the young artists she hopes will benefit from Tidal’s reach and artist-friendly royalty structure. “If their voices aren’t in positive support of this, then we have failed. I genuinely mean that.”