How to Convert Tidal to FLAC [6 Best Ways]

By Miley Swift Updated on 2023-10-19 / Update for Tidal Tips

Tidal is the leader in high-fidelity music streaming services. With a Tidal HiFi subscription, you get access to a huge collection of tracks in lossless FLAC quality (1411kbps). If you subscribe to Tidal HiFi Plus, you can enjoy Master Quality Audio, Dobly Atmos and Sony 360 Reality Audio in addition to HiFi Audio.

Besides online streaming, you also have the option to download Tidal FLAC music for offline playback. But downloaded tracks are just cache files and cannot be transferred to other devices. Therefore, many users want to know a good Tidal to FLAC converter to download Tidal to FLAC in real files. Read on and learn the best 6 methods.

tidal to flac

Part 1. How to Convert Tidal to FLAC Losslessly - AudFree Tidal Music Converter

AudFree Tidal Music Converter is our list of the top 1 best Tidal FLAC downloader. It is specially designed for Tidal Free and HiFi/HiFi Plus users to download FLAC from Tidal losslessly. All the downloaded tracks have no copyright restrictions, and you can use them freely.

As an all-in-one Tidal music solution, this smart software can do more than just a Tidal music downloader. It is also capable of converting Tidal to 5 other audio formats including MP3, WAV, WMA, M4A and M4B. It can also detect and preserve all ID3 tags of Tidal music, such as title, genre, year, album art, etc.

AudFree Tidal Music Converter runs at 5X faster speed to get Tidal FLAC download on Windows and Mac computers. With this tool, you can play Tidal files on any media player, game console, smartphone or Bluetooth speaker outside of the Tidal app.

AudFree Tidal Music Converter

audfree tidal downloader for flac
  • Download music from Tidal Free, Tidal HiFi, and Tidal HiFi Plus
  • Convert Tidal to FLAC, MP3, M4A, WAV, AAC, etc.
  • Keep original ID3 tags and 100% lossless audio quality
  • Work at 5X fast speed, support to edit other audio parameters

How to Download FLAC from Tidal Losslessly

Please first download and install AudFree Tidal Music Converter on your computer to get ready. And then refer to the following detailed tutorial to locally get Tidal download FLAC for offline playing on all devices and players.

Step 1Load Tidal music to download
load tidal music to audfree tidable
AudFree Tidal Music Converter allows you to add your Tidal songs, playlists or albums from the Tidal desktop app. Simply find the albums or playlists you want to download from Tidal app, and click on them to go for details. Then, copy the song URL and paste it to the search bar of this smart Tidal downloader. Tap the '+' button to load the whole Tidal playlist. Alternatively, you can directly drag and drop music from Tidal to add.
Step 2Set Tidal output format as FLAC
set flac as tidal output format
As the default output format of AudFree Tidal Music Converter is MP3, you need to change it manually. Go to "Menu" from the upper-right corner and select the "Preferences" > "Convert" option. Here in this settings window, you can select FLAC as the Tidal output format and customize other parameters according to your needs.
Step 3Convert Tidal to FLAC Losslessly
convert tidal to flac via audfree tidable
The final step is to hit on the "Convert" button to launch the converting process. AudFree Tidal Music Converter will start to download Tidal to FLAC local files without touching the original sound quality. Once completed, you can hit the "Converted" icon to open the history list and locate all downloaded Tidal FLAC files in the destination folder.

Part 2. How to Get Tidal FLAC Download - Tidal-Media-Downloader

Tidal-Media-Downloader is free Tidal converter to FLAC. It is an open-source and cross-platform tool that allows you to download tracks, albums and playlists from the built-in Tidal Web Player on Windows, Mac, Linux and even Android. What's more, it is also convenient for you to download Tidal videos to M4A.

When working as a Tidal music downloader, it is able to automatically add metadata information to Tidal songs. You can choose the output Tidal quality from Normal to Master. However, note that you must rely on a Tidal HiFi or HiFi Plus subscription to use it. In addition, some newly released Tidal songs cannot be downloaded.

To download FLAC from Tidal HiFi with Tidal-Media-Downloader, you can download and install the tool. It has two versions, Tidal-gui for Windows and Tidal-dl for all supported platforms. According to your situation, choose the appropriate version of Tidal-Media-Downloader. After installation, do the following.

How to Download Tidal FLAC via Tidal-gui

Step 1. Open Tidal-gui and it will bring you to the Tidal Web Player.

Step 2. Please sign in to your Tidal account. And then it will require you to link your device to your Tidal account by entering the device code.

link device to tidal account

Step 3. After that, please go back to Tidal-gui and it will show a new window below.

Step 4. You can copy & paste the link of Tidal music to the search box of Tidal-gui or search for a certain song to download.

search tidal music to download

Step 5. Click the target Tidal music that you want to download to FLAC. And then the download window will pop up.

Step 6. Now, you can customize output Tidal FLAC download quality as Normal, High, HiFi, or Master.

Step 7. Once done, please hit on the 'Download' button to download Tidal music to local FLAC files.

tidal flac download via gui

How to Download Tidal Music to FLAC via Tidal-dl

Step 1. Run Tidal-dl and enter "1" to log into your account.

Step 2. Type "2" and click "Enter" to configure FLAC as output format and HiFi as audio quality.

Step 3. Copy Tidal music link to Tidal-dl to download Tidal as FLAC files.

Part 3. How to Rip Tidal to FLAC - AudFree Audio Capture

Apart from using the above 2 Tidal downloaders for FLAC to get lossless FLAC files, you can also apply a traditional ripping and recording way. Here, such a Tidal FLAC ripper named AudFree Audio Capture bears the brunt.


As a full-featured streaming music recording tool, AudFree Audio Capture can not only grab any audio from applications on your computer (including Tidal) without losing the original quality, but also save recordings as FLAC, MP3, WAV, AAC, M4A and other formats. With the built-in audio editor, it can also split recorded Tidal FLAC tracks and customize ID3 tags of Tidal audio.

The flexible output setter is another attraction of this tool. It enables you to adjust the encoder, channels, sample rate, bit depth, and even output presets of Tidal music according to your needs.

How to Rip FLAC from Tidal HiFi and MQA

Step 1. To begin with, please install AudFree Audio Capture and Tidal app on desktop. Then, open AudFree software and choose "Select/Add an App" area to add the Tidal app to AudFree Audio Capture.

add tidal to audio capture

Step 2. Next, head to the Format section at the bottom. Here, select "FLAC" as the output format and choose a quality you want. Next, locate the 'edit' icon next to it and hit on it. Then you can go to customize other parameters like encoder, sample rate, bit depth, etc.

customize tidal flac parameters

Step 3. Once set up, click "Create and apply" to save your settings and leave for the main interface. Now, touch the Tidal option from the added apps' list and touch 'Start' to open the Tidal app. Then you can start to play your favorite Tidal song. Then AudFree Audio Capture will automatically start ripping Tidal HiFi and MQA tracks to FLAC without protection.

rip tidal to flac via audfree audio capture

Step 4. After recording, touch "Stop" to finish the process. If needed, touch the "Trim" and "Edit Tag" button on Tidal recordings to trim unpleasant tracks and edit metadata info of Tidal music. Whereafter, you can save FLAC files to your local computer by use of the "Save" button.

save tidal flac files

Part 4. How to Download FLAC from Tidal for Free - Athame Tidal Downloader

What should you do if you are using a free Tidal account and want to convert Tidal files to FLAC? Athame Tidal Downloader is a satisfactory answer. It is a free, open-source tool released on GitHub specifically for downloading music from Tidal and Google Play Music streaming services. It offers a straightforward way to download Tidal music for offline listening and provides a user-friendly method for building an offline collection of your favorite tracks.

However, it is worth noting that Athame Tidal Downloader is only available for Windows. And it may takes a long time to rip Tidal playlists, and the output quality is not ideal.

How to Download FLAC from Tidal for Free

Step 1. Find the Athame Tidal Downloader software on GitHub and download the software.

open athame tidal downloader

Step 2. Once installed, open it and enter your Tidal account credentials (username and password) and click "Log in" to access your Tidal account.

Step 3. Click on the "Settings" icon in the top-right corner and choose the output format as FLAC and customize other settings according to your preferences.

Step 4. Open the Tidal app and find the Tidal playlist that you want to download to FLAC.

Step 5. Copy the link of the playlis and go back to Athame Tidal Downloader and paste the link into the "URL" textbox.

Step 6. Click on the "Add" button to load the Tidal playlist, then you will see Tidal music show up in the download queue.

download flac from tidal free

Step 7. Click on the "Start" icon to start downloading the Tidal playlist to FLAC.

Part 5. How to Download from Tidal FLAC - Audacity

Audacity is also a free and open-source audio recorder and editor that can be used to record Tidal music and export the recordings for offline listening. Then you can download Tidal music to your computer without paying for a subscription. It can keep high-quality Tidal audio and allows you to export Tidal recordings to multiple file formats, like FLAC.

Moreover, Audacity provides a range of editing tools to enhance the audio quality, trim unwanted portions, and apply effects, thus you can customize your Tidal FLAC recordings to your liking. However, there are some drawbacks to using Audacity to download from Tidal, such as it's not user-friendly for new users and it doesn't maintain HiFi sound quality. If you don't mind that, you can follow the steps below to record and download songs from Tidal for free.

How to Get Tidal FLAC Download for Free

Step 1. Download and install Audacity on your desktop, then open it.

Step 2. Click on the "Edit" option from the top-left corner and choose "Preferences" > "Audio Host Box" > "Windows WASAPI" to set up the playback devices.

set preferences on audacity

Step 3. Set "Recording Device" to "Loopback: Tidal", then play the Tidal song or album you want to download in FLAC format.

audacity settings for recording

Step 4. Press the red "Record" button in Audacity to start recording.

record tidal to flac with audacity

Step 5. Once you have recorded the Tidal song, you can export the recording as a FLAC file by clicking on "File" > "Export" > "Export as FLAC".

Step 6. Choose the location where you want to save the FLAC file and click "Save" icon.

Part 6. How to Get Tidal Download FLAC Online - Apowersoft

Eager to convert Tidal to FLAC online? Apowersoft Free Online Audio Recorder can be used because it is a free online recorder that can rip any sound from your computer and microphone. It supports multiple output formats, including MP3, FLAC, OGG, etc. Therefore, it can be used to record FLAC from Tidal with ease. However, it has a shortcoming, which is that it may lower the original Tidal sound quality.

How to Convert Tidal to FLAC Online

Step 1. Visit the Apowersoft Free Online Audio Recorder website and click "Start Recording".

apowersoft tidal music recorder online

Step 2. Before the recording, select the system sound (output) as your audio source.

select system sound on apowersoft

Step 3. To record the audio of Tidal music, you can select "Browser Tab".

Step 4. Then select the Tidal tab and tap "Share tab audio" > "Share" button.

share system sound and screen with apowersoft

Step 5. Once the Tidal recording is started, you can use "Pause" to leave the recording for later and resume the recording when you're back.

Step 6. After stopping the recording, you can simply click "Save" to download the Tidal audio file in FLAC format.

record tidal music online with apowersoft

Part 7. Comparison Table of the 6 Tidal to FLAC Converters

AudFree Tidal Music Converter Tidal-Media-Downloader AudFree Audio Capture Athame Tidal Downloader Audacity Apowersoft
Supported OS Windows, Mac Tidal-gui: Windows
Tidal-dl: Win/Mac/Linux/Android
Windows, Mac Windows Windows, Mac, GNU, Linux Online
Input Formats Any Tidal music Tidal music and videos Any audio Any Tidal music Any audio Any audio
Output Formats FLAC, MP3, M4A, AAC, M4B, WAV FLAC, M4A FLAC, MP3, M4A, AAC, M4B, WAV, AIFF, OGG, MP2, WMA, AU, etc. FLAC, MP3 WAV, AIFF, MP3, Ogg Vorbis, FLAC and MP2 MP3, WMA, AAC, FLAC, WAV, M4A, OGG
Output Quality Lossless Lossless Medium Lossy Lossy Lossy
Conversion Speed 5X Real-time Real-time 1X Real-time Real-time
Tidal HiFi Subscription Needed
Batch Conversion
Retain ID3 Tags
Customize Output Parameters

After carefully evaluating various Tidal to FLAC converters, it is evident that AudFree Tidal Music Converter stands out as the top choice. Its seamless integration with Tidal, lossless conversion capabilities, and user-friendly interface make it the ideal tool for obtaining high-quality FLAC files from Tidal. Whether you're an audiophile or simply someone who appreciates pristine audio, AudFree Tidal to FLAC Converter guarantees an unparalleled listening experience.

Part 8. FAQs about Downloading Tidal to FLAC

Q1: Does Tidal Use FLAC?

A: Yes. Tidal HiFi comes with FLAC format at 1411kbps or 44.1 kHz/16-bit. Tidal FLAC streams are CD-quality lossless tracks, which are improved audio tracks over MP3 and AAC files.

Q2: What's the Difference between Tidal FLAC vs AAC vs MP3?

A: FLAC is short for Free Lossless Audio Codec, which is similar to MP3 but in a lossless format. AAC stands for Advanced Audio Coding, which is an audio coding standard for lossy digital audio compression. AAC is the successor of MP3 but with better sound quality when encoding the same bit rate. The 'high-quality' tracks offered by Tidal Free stream in 160 kbps AAC format.

Q3: What's the Difference between Tidal Master vs Tidal FLAC?

A: The audio quality of Tidal FLAC is 16bit/44.1kHz, while Tidal MQA has the highest possible resolution at typically 96 kHz/24 bit. It's also worth mentioning that MQA is not lossless.

Q4: How to Download FLAC from Tidal?

A: You can subscribe to Tidal HiFi to download Tidal music under protection via the Tidal for Android or iOS apps. Alternatively, you can use one of the Tidal FLAC downloaders we introduce above to download, convert, and rip Tidal songs to FLAC effortlessly.

Q5: Are There FLAC Converters for Tidal Music?

A: Yes. There are many Tidal music converters that allow you to convert Tidal music to FLAC. Above we've introduced you to six of the best on the market. You can choose your favorite and enjoy Tidal music without limitation. If you don't know which one to use, we recommend AudFree Tidal Music Converter.

Miley Swift

Miley Swift

Staff Editor

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Miley Swift is a professional content creator in the field of music entertainment and tech. Passionate about Tidal streaming technology, she is adept in offering and updating relevant tech skills and tools of Tidal music.
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