• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Arts & EntertainmentTidal

Kanye West and Beyoncé Might Have Saved Tidal

By
Jonathan Chew
Jonathan Chew
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Jonathan Chew
Jonathan Chew
Down Arrow Button Icon
February 15, 2016, 2:21 PM ET

By the power invested in Kanye, Tidal has hit number one.

With exclusive streaming rights to Kanye West’s new album The Life of Pablo firmly secured, Tidal has used that as a platform to jump to the top of Apple’s App Store charts as new users eager to hear the rapper’s latest work come on board as subscribers.

It’s the first time that the streaming service—which has endured a rocky start since it was relaunched by rapper Jay Z early last year—has hit number one on the app rankings, a point that West himself championed on his ever-active Twitter account:

https://twitter.com/kanyewest/status/699089796690534401

 

The rise of Tidal to the top was undoubtedly helped by West’s decision to hold back the sale of his latest album on his website for a week, giving the new streaming site true exclusivity over competitors like Spotify and Apple Music, and a golden chance to gain new subscribers:

https://twitter.com/kanyewest/status/698972107166892032

 

For those who may balk at the $9.99/month membership fee, there is also a way around that, thanks to another superstar artiste: Beyoncé. To promote the release of her own single “Formation,” you can head to a Tidal-Queen Bey partnered site, type in your name and email, and receive a 90-day free trial of the music service and a copy of Beyoncé’s Super Bowl-rocking song. (You can also thank Business Insider for the tip.)

Tidal’s new-found success, however, hasn’t been all that smooth. There are reports of users who have failed to receive the download link for The Life of Pablo even after paying for it, reported TechCrunch. In some cases, Tidal double-billed customers and still didn’t send the album download link.

@TIDALHiFi I bought #TLOP money out of bank and everything but never got email or download link! 2 hours after submitting ticket, nothing

— Groovy P (@pmakesmusic) February 14, 2016

 

Fortune has reached out to Tidal on the complaints from users, and will update this story if they respond.

About the Author
By Jonathan Chew
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Arts & Entertainment

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.


Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Economy
Trump may have shot himself in the foot at the Fed, as Powell could stay on while Miran resigns from White House post
By Eleanor PringleFebruary 4, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Politics
Peter Thiel warns the Antichrist and apocalypse are linked to the ‘end of modernity’ currently happening—and cites Greta Thunberg as a driving example
By Nick LichtenbergFebruary 4, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Success
After decades in the music industry, Pharrell Williams admits he never stops working: ‘If you do what you love everyday, you’ll get paid for free'
By Emma BurleighFebruary 3, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Investing
Tech stocks go into free fall as it dawns on traders that AI has the ability to cut revenues across the board
By Jim EdwardsFebruary 4, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Commentary
I've studied nonviolent resistance in war zones for 20 years and Minnesota reminds me of Colombia, the Philippines and Syria
By Oliver Kaplan and The ConversationFebruary 3, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Investing
Ray Dalio warns the world is ‘on the brink’ of a capital war of weaponizing money—and gold is the best way for people to protect themselves
By Sasha RogelbergFebruary 4, 2026
1 day ago

Latest in Arts & Entertainment

bunny
North AmericaSports
Why Bad Bunny is essential to the future of the NFL, even if Trump hates his halftime show
By Jared Bahir Browsh and The ConversationFebruary 4, 2026
23 hours ago
SuccessOlympics
Philippines’ first male Olympic gold medalist in history was given a fully furnished $550,000 condo and a lifetime supply of ramen to go with his medals
By Orianna Rosa RoyleFebruary 4, 2026
1 day ago
kalshi
RetailGrocery
Kalshi gave away $50 in free groceries for 3 hours in New York City. A line 4 blocks long full of students and people on food stamps formed
By Eva RoytburgFebruary 4, 2026
1 day ago
North AmericaMelinda French Gates
Bill Gates ‘has to answer’ for Epstein files mentions, Melinda French Gates says, weeks after record $8 billion donation in divorce settlement
By Sydney LakeFebruary 4, 2026
1 day ago
super bowl
Arts & EntertainmentAdvertising
The ‘Kardashian Kurse’ and a Jurassic Park reunion are among the Super Bowl commercials planned for this year
By Mae Anderson and The Associated PressFebruary 4, 2026
1 day ago
guthrie
LawCrime
Signs of forced entry found at home of Savannah Guthrie’s mother, source says
By Jacques Billeaud, Sejal Govindarao, Mike Balsamo and The Associated PressFebruary 4, 2026
1 day ago