Quick Answer: Tidal offers a built-in mini player on its Windows and Mac desktop app. You can control Tidal music playback without keeping the full Tidal app open on your screen. If you can't get Tidal mini mode, you can use AudFree Tidal Music Converter to download music as local files and play them with other players that have mini player.
Now, many users want to play Tidal songs on mini player while doing other things on their computers. Luckily, Tidal mini player is available on Tidal's Windows and Mac app. It takes up very little space on your screen and allows you to play/pause music and more, making it easy to control music from the desktop without having to go back to the Tidal app.
Today, we'll show you how to get and use Tidal mini player on Windows, Mac, Android and iPhone devices for the best Tidal listening experience. Besides, here's an effective approach to play Tidal music on any mini player for greater flexibility.
Part 1. What Is Tidal Mini Player
The Tidal Mini Player is a compact playback window that allows you to control music playback while taking up significantly less screen space than the full Tidal application. Now, only the Windows and Mac Tidal app offers the mini mode. Unlike the full interface, which includes playlists, recommendations, and settings, the Mini Player focuses on core playback controls. With this small mode, you can play, pause, and skip tracks, view album artwork, check the current song and artist, adjust playback progress, and even shuffle play. You can't browse playlists, search music, view recommendations, edit playlists, adjust settings, etc.
Depending on the platform you are using, the Mini Player may appear as a compact desktop window, a floating playback interface, a browser Picture-in-Picture (PiP) window, or a minimized player on Android or iPhone.
The Tidal small player is ideal for users who are working, studying, gaming, browsing the web, or doing creative work.
Part 2. How to Use Tidal Mini Player on Windows/Mac
For users who use Tidal app on Windows or Mac, you can follow the instructions below to get Tidal mini player on Windows and Mac.
How to Enable Tidal Mini Player on Windows/Mac via Built-in Mini Mode
Step 1. Launch the latest Tidal desktop app on your Windows or Mac computer.
Step 2. Log in to your personal Tidal account, browse your library, then select any Tidal song and start playing.
Step 3. Find and tap the 'Compact mode' icon next to the volume icon at the Now Playing bar. A floating Tidal mini player window will pop up, allowing you to resize the Tidal window to suit your needs and control the playback of your Tidal songs.
How to Get Tidal Mini Player on Web Player via PiP
Step 1. Launch Chrome on your Windows/Mac desktop and go to Tidal official website. From there, navigate to the Tidal web player directly.
Step 2. Log in to your Tidal account and start playing music.
Step 3. If your browser supports Picture-in-Picture for media playback, activate the PiP option from the browser bar to enable mini player for Tidal.
Part 3. How to Get Tidal Mini Player on Android/iPhone
If you use Tidal on mobile device, there is no in-app Mini Player that overlays on top of other apps. But you can control playback via the system notification bar, the lock screen or your device's home screen widget. Now, follow the steps below to learn how to use Tidal mini player on Android/iOS mobile device.
How to Get Tidal Small Player on Android
1. Via System Notification & Lock Screen
Step 1. Open the Settings app on your Android device, then tap Apps > Tidal.
Step 2. Choose Notifications and ensure Allow Notifications as well as Media Playback is enabled.
Step 3. If you are using a Samsung device, you may also need to go to Lock Screen > FaceWidgets or Widgets to enable Media.
Step 4. After that, launch the Tidal app on your Android phone and start playing music.
Step 5. Later, you will find the mini player on the Control Center on your phone. You can control playback while locking your phone's screen without entering the Tidal app.
2. Via Tidal Home Screen Widget
Step 1. On your Android phone, long-press on an empty space on the home screen.
Step 2. Choose Widgets in the pop-up menu, scroll down to Tidal, expand the options and drag the player widget onto your screen.
Step 3. After that, play music from the Tidal app and you can control playback via the widget on your phone.
How to Get Tidal Mini Player on iOS
1. Via iOS Lock Screen & Control Center Player
Step 1. Open the Tidal app on your iPhone or iPad, then start playing the track you like.
Step 2. Lock your device and find the native iOS media widget on your Lock Screen.
Step 3. Later, you can control Tidal music playback with this small player on the screen.
2. Via Live Activities & Dynamic Island (iPhone 14 Pro & Later)
Step 1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
Step 2. Scroll down and choose Tidal, then turn on the Live Activities switch.
Step 3. Long-press the Dynamic Island at the top of your screen to open the floating mini player.
Step 4. Next, start the Tidal app and play any music you want.
Step 5. Later, you will see a floating mini player in the Dynamic Island and you can control playback within it.
Part 4. How to Fix Tidal Mini Player Not Working
Sometimes, after an update, the Tidal mini player may fail to appear, open incorrectly, or stop responding. But don't worry. Listed below are the most common problems and their recommended solutions. Check and solve the issues now.
| Issue | Solutions |
|---|---|
| Tidal Mini Player Missing | Update Tidal app to the latest version; Clear Tdal app cache |
| Mini Player Won't Open | Close and restart Tidal app completely |
| Blank Mini Player | Log out, restart Tidal app and log in again |
| Playback Controls Missing | Restart playback or reopen the Tidal app |
| Mini Player Disappeared after Update | Install the newest version and restart the Tidal app |
Part 5. How to Play Tidal Music with Any Mini Player (Best Alternative)
The official Tidal mini player is convenient for controlling music playback, but it only works within the Tidal app. Or you can use third-party tools to help get mini player. To further improve the Tidal music experience, here is the perfect way to play Tidal music on any mini player within other music players, such as VLC, MusicBee, AIMP, Windows Media Player, etc. All you need is AudFree Tidal Music Converter, which enables all Tidal users to download music from Tidal for listening anywhere.
It is specially designed to download Tidal songs, albums, playlists and podcasts to common formats, such as MP3, AIFF, FLAC, WAV and more. This way, you can transfer the downloaded Tidal songs to any media player and play Tidal music on desired mini player with ease. What's more, you get ad-free Tidal music in 100% original quality (HiRes FLAC) and full ID3 tags for offline enjoyment.
AudFree Tidal Music Downloader
- Download various types of Tidal content, such as music, playlists and albums
- Convert Tidal to Lossless FLAC, WAV, MP3, AIFF, etc.
- Play Tidal on any media player without Premium
- Enjoy ad-free Tidal music in 100% original quality
How to Play Tidal Music in Any Mini Player
- Step 1. Add Tidal Music to AudFree Tidal Music Converter
- Launch AudFree Tidal Music Converter on your computer, log in to your Tidal account, and select the Tidal track you want to download. Then press the + icon and click the 'Add to list' button to load the Tidal song.
- Step 2. Set Tidal Music Output Parameters
- Now, set the output parameters for your Tidal tracks by clicking on the Menu bar > Preferences. By selecting the Conversion bar, you can set the output format of Tidal music to FLAC, MP3, WAV, etc. To improve the quality of your Tidal audio, you can adjust parameters, such as bit rate, sample rate and channels.
- Step 3. Download Tidal Music to Any Mini Player
- Simply click on the "Convert button to start the conversion process for Tidal music. Once completed, you can tap the "Converted" button to access the downloaded Tidal songs. Afterwards, you have the freedom to import and play Tidal music on any media player that supports mini player without any restrictions. You can add Tidal music to VLC Media Player, download and use customized skin on VLC to play Tidal music with a mini player.
Compare Official Tidal Mini Player vs AudFree + Third-Party Music Player Solution
| Feature | Official Tidal Mini Player | AudFree + Third-Party Music Player |
|---|---|---|
| Easy to Set Up | Very easy | Medium |
| Compact Playback Controls | ✅ | ✅ |
| Offline Listening | ✅ (within Tidal app) | ✅ |
| Works without Opening Tidal App | ❌ | ✅ |
| Supports MP3/FLAC Local Files | ❌ | ✅ |
| Works with VLC, Foobar2000, etc. | ❌ | ✅ |
| Customize Mini Player Appearance | ❌ | Depends on the player |
| Organize Local Music Library | ❌ | ✅ |
| Transfer Music to Supported Devices | Limited | ✅ |
| Best For | Daily Tidal streaming | Users who want maximum playback control |
To get local Tidal music files for any media player, you can also get help from AudFree Streaming Audio Recorder. It allows you to download music from Tidal, as well as YouTube Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Music, Qobuz, SoundCloud, etc.
Part 6. FAQs about Tidal Mini Player
Can I Resize the Tidal Mini Player?
Yes. On the official Tidal small player window, you can drag the window to adjust the size you want.
Does Tidal Mini Player Support Lyrics?
Yes, the Tidal compact player supports to show time-synced lyrics while you listen.
Is Tidal Mini Player Available on Linux?
No. Tidal does not currently offer an official desktop application for Linux. However, you can listen to music online via the Tidal web player and install a 'Picture-in-Picture' browser extension to create a handy floating mini-player.
Part 7. In Conclusion
That's how you can use Tidal mini player on your computer and mobile phone for the best Tidal listening experience. This way, you can easily control the playback of Tidal music with freedom. Also, to get more freedom and enjoy Tidal songs offline, AudFree Tidal Music Converter can help you download and play Tidal music in any music player with mini player.
Staff Editor
