any links for more info?
I have a happy middle ground:
I pay for Tidal’s student subscription. I leverage the fact Tidal streams FLAC files that can be decrypted by your account to build my local collection.
So I never actually stream or use their app, but technically am paying for the downloads.
I tried buying FLACs from companies that actually wanted to sell FLACs but they have ridiculously bad catalogues.
SidewaysHighways@lemmy.world 14 hours ago
kadup@lemmy.world 14 hours ago
I think any links would violate Lemmy.world’s policies.
But a quick search for “Tidal downloaded” will give you several options.
Basically when Tidal streams to specific devices they basically upload an encrypted FLAC to an AWS host and the device downloads the file and uses your account as the key.
So people create apps that do all that, but instead of simply streaming the FLAC, they download and save it.
The great part is you get album art, live lyrics, high resolution audio, an organized and properly tagged library with zero work. The output FLACs are regular files - no DRM or weirdness, I use them on a MP3 player.
SidewaysHighways@lemmy.world 14 hours ago
i gave it a cursory duckduckgo! everything looked a couple years old. I’ll keep digging.
i wouldn’t mind a dm! if you’ve the time.
kadup@lemmy.world 14 hours ago
You want a new generation tidal downloader.
On GitHub.
So a Tidal downloader new generation.
One could call such a thing tidal-dl-ng if they’re trying to save some letters, I guess.
PraiseTheSoup@midwest.social 13 hours ago
The files downloaded this way are usable offline? Is there some utility you are using to do this? I am very interested.
kadup@lemmy.world 5 hours ago
Yep, they’re regular FLAC files with tagged metadata.
You can use them as normal. Copy to another device, to an iPod, use them on a video editor, send to a friend.
This has been going on for ages, Tidal never patched it, so I think they quietly are okay with it because not many users do it anyway and at least you’re paying for the service.