Tidal GUI and Tidal DL Review & Its Best Alternative [Updated]

Part 1. What Are Tidal-dl and Tidal-gui from GitHub

Tidal DL and Tidal GUI, collectively known as Tidal-Media-Downloader, are two open-source projects available on GitHub. They allow users to download music and videos directly from Tidal. Both are developed in Python and are not affiliated with Tidal or its parent company.

Since many users are new to the GitHub Tidal Media Downloader, we will review it in multiple aspects. Both Tidal-dl and Tidal-gui are tools used for downloading songs from Tidal onto computers, but they have different interfaces and features. Tidal-dl is a simple command-line interface (CLI) tool on Windows, Mac, Linux and Android for downloading music from Tidal, and the Tidal Media Downloader repository only contains Tidal-dl. Tidal-gui is a more user-friendly graphical user interface (GUI) tool on Windows with additional features, and it can be downloaded in Tidal Media Downloader Pro.

Below, we will break down their main features respectively to help you decide which version best fits your needs. Please read on.

What Are the Differences Between Tidal DL and Tidal GUI?

Tidal-Media-Downloader-PRO (Tidal-gui) offers the updated and fixed process of the Tidal-Media-Downloader (Tidal-dl). You'd better download and install the updated version to avoid some bugs.

Tidal-dl GitHub

Main Features

💡Download tracks, albums, and playlists from Tidal by specifying their URL

💡Support high-quality up to 24-bit/192kHz FLAC format

💡Compatible with all Python-supported platforms (Windows, macOS, Android, and Linux)

💡Allow to customize the output format and directory

💡Retrieve metadata info such as ID3 tags including artist, album, and track

💡Batch downloads multiple tracks or albums at once

🙆‍ Benefits	🙅 Downsides
✔️ Open-source tool and free to use ✔️ Lightweight and fast with a command-line interface ✔️ Support high-quality and lossless FLAC files ✔️ Download entire albums and playlists with just one command ✔️ Multi-platform support (Windows, macOS, Android, and Linux)	❌ Difficult to use with technical knowledge requires and needs a Python ❌ Less user-friendly without a graphical user interface ❌ May stop working if Tidal changes its API or updates its security measures.

Tidal-gui GitHub

Main Features

💡Enable to search and browse Tidal music within it

💡Download entire albums or playlists from Tidal with a click

💡High-quality audio and video downloads Automatic track metadata tagging

💡Personalize output format and quality

💡Multi-language support

💡Open-source and free to use

🙆‍ Benefits	🙅 Downsides
✔️ Easier to use with a user-friendly graphical interface ✔️ Empower high-quality downloads for music and videos from Tidal ✔️ Supports multiple output formats (FLAC, MP4, and M4A) ✔️ Download entire albums or playlists at once	❌ Only available for Windows ❌ Require users to enter their Tidal login credentials with the security concern ❌ Not receive regular updates or support ❌ Require a Python on the computer

Part 2. How to Download and Use Tidal Media Downloader GitHub

After going through the review of the Tidal Media Downloader on GitHub, let's move on to a step-by-step user guide on how to download, install, and use it effectively.

Section 1. How to Get Tidal-dl & Tidal-gui from GitHub

To download Tidal-dl and Tidal-gui from the GitHub repository, you can follow these steps:

Step 1. Navigate to the relevant web page for Tidal-dl and Tidal-gui.

Step 2. Tap 'Code' > 'Download ZIP' to get the source code or the '.exe file' icon directly.

Step 3. Extract the zip file to a local folder of your computer or open the downloaded '.exe files' to open the program directly.

Step 4. If you download the zip, open the 'TIDALDL-PY' > 'tidal-dl.exe' files from the extracted folder to launch the program.

🔑 Tips: If you are going to install the Tidal DL, here is how to install the required packages based on your operating system:

For Windows users: Download and execute the tidal-dl.exe file.

For Linux users: Open the terminal and update the necessary packages with these commands:

• pip3 install tidal-dl --upgrade

For macOS users: Please install the following process.

• brew instal ffmpeg
• brew install python
• curl -O http://python-distribute.org/distribute_setup.py
• python distribute_setup.py
• curl -O https://raw.github.com/pypa/pip/master/contrib/get-pip.py
• python get-pip.py
• pip3 install --upgrade tidal-dl
• tidal-dl

For Android users: Install Termux and then open 'termux-setup-storage'. Next, install 'Python' and 'tidal-dl'.

• pkg install python clang libjpeg-turbo ffmpeg zlib -y
• apt update
• apt upgrade
• pkg update
• pip3 install --upgrade pip
• pip3 install --upgrade tidal-dl
• tidal-dl

Section 2. How to Use Tidal DL and Tidal GUI GitHub Downloader

To download music from Tidal with the GitHub Tidal-dl or GitHub Tidal-gui downloader, you need a TIDAL subscription. Then please refer to the detailed instructions below:

How to Use Tidal-dl GitHub Downloader to Download Tidal Music

To download music from Tidal using tidal-dl, you can follow these steps:

Step 1. Open the 'tidal-dl.exe' file from the folder to launch Tidal-dl.

Step 2. Enter the specific number to set your settings according to its prompts on the command-line interface.

Step 3. On the Tidal-dl command prompt, run the following command: 'tidal-dl [URL]', replacing [URL] with the URL you copied from Tidal.

How to Use Tidal-gui GitHub Downloader to Download Tidal Music

Here are the steps to download Tidal music with Tidal-gui:

Step 1. Launch Tidal-gui by clicking the downloaded 'tidal-gui.exe' file and you will receive a Tidal-gui device code.

Step 2. Log in to your Tidal account and enter the displayed device code. Afterward, you can use the software just like using the Tidal app.

Step 3. Search for the Tidal music you want to download and select it.

Step 4. Click the download button to start the download process.

Step 5. Choose the download format and quality you want, and select the download location.

Step 6. Click the 'Download' button to start the download.

Note: GitHub Tidal-Media-Downloader and Tidal-Media-Downloader-PRO are not officially supported by Tidal. Downloading music from Tidal may violate their terms of service. So, it's important to use a responsible and legal Tidal ripper.

Part 3. Best Alternative to Tidal Media Downloader GitHub - AudFree Tidal Music Converter

As we stated above, the GitHub Tidal DL and Tidal GUI may leave you vulnerable to risk. And the software needs to be updated when Tidal changes something. Fortunately, there is a reliable and safe tool that allows you to download Tidal tracks all the time with prompt services.

That is AudFree Tidal Music Converter, an all-in-one Tidal music downloader designed for both Mac and Windows users. It is legal to use for personal or educational use. This top-notch software enables you to download all content from Tidal with lossless audio quality and ID3 tags kept. Also, it is capable of converting Tidal music to multiple commonly-used formats.

Reasons to Choose AudFree Tidal Music Converter

To help you gain further knowledge of the AudFree Tidal Music Converter, we have listed the main features of this sought-after program as follows:

✨ Download all content from Tidal as local files

✨ Convert Tidal music to FLAC/Lossless/AIFF/MP3/WAV/M4A/M4B

✨ Available for both Windows and Mac

✨ Work with all TIDAL plans

✨ Preserve 100% original streaming quality and all metadata information like ID3 tags

✨ Support batch download at a fast 37X speed

✨ Enable to customize output formats and audio quality

✨ No need to use with the Tidal desktop app

✨ Simple way to add Tidal music audio files: Locate & Add

Download Tidal Music with AudFree Tidal Music Converter

Here is a how-to guide to download your favorites from Tidal with AudFree Tidal Music Converter. Clicking the above green 'Download' button, you are able to install the converter on your PC. Then please look into the following instructions:

Step 1Locate and Add Tidal Audio to AudFree Tidable

Once installed, please launch the AudFree Tidal Music Converter on your computer. Log into your Tidal account within the Tidal web player page. Then locate tracks or the entire playlist and click the bule '+' logo to add them to the converting window. Or, here is another way: copy and paste the URL links into the converter's address box. Then click the 'Enter' key and '+' to 'Add to List'.

Step 2Set Output Formats and Other Parameters for Tidal Music

Head over to the upper-right toolbar near the minimized window. Then from the draw-down menu, choose 'Preferences' > 'Conversion'. In the setting window, you can select an output format for exporting your Tidal songs to MP3 or other format files. Beyond this, by changing the bit rate, audio channel, sample rate, or other output parameters, you can make lossless Tidal Master or HiFi quality. It supports audio quality up to 32-bit. After that, tap OK.

Step 3Export Tidal Playlists Locally and Losslessly in Batch

Hit the 'Convert' button from the 'Converting' list to kick off the process. After a while, this expert converter will export your added Tidal music to the targeted format you set before at up to 37X speed. Then, it will save them to the computer's local drive. Please go to the 'Converted' tab to click 'Open Folder' to locate your Tidal downloads.

Video GuideDownload Tidal Tracks via AudFree Tidable

Watch the video demo to easily download Tidal tracks on your computer without using Tidal-dl and Tidal-gui.

Part 4. Comparison Between Tidal-dl/Tidal-gui and Alternative

Here is an overview chart to compare the GitHub Tidal Media Downloader and its alternative, which can help you make a quick decision to choose a suitable one.

	Tidal DL GitHub	Tidal GUI GitHub	AudFree Tidal Music Downloader
Operating System	Windows, macOS, Android, and Linux	Windows	Windows, Mac
Download Content	Tidal songs, playlists and albums	Tidal songs, playlists and albums	Songs, playlists, albums, podcasts, audiobooks
Supported Format	MP4/M4A/FLAC	MP4/M4A/FLAC	Lossless/MP3/FLAC/M4A/WAV/AIFF/M4B
Download Speed	/	/	Up to 37X
Output Quality	Lossy	Lossy	Lossless
Methods to Add Files	Copy-and-paste	Enter ID/Url/Title	Copy-and-paste Drag-and-drop
Audio Channel	1	1	2 (Mono/Stereo)
Conversion Success Rate	Low	Low	100% Working
ID3 Tags Retained	✔️	✔️	✔️
Personalized Settings	✔	✔️	✔️
Need Tidal Subscriptions	✔️	✔️	✔️
Secure	❌	❌	✔️
Save Covers	✔	✔️	❌
Ratings	⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Part 5. Summary

In this guide, you have learned key details about GitHub Tidal-Media-Downloader, including its features, nice and bad points, and how to use it. While it's a useful open-source tool, the alternative - AudFree Tidal Music Converter - stands out in most aspects compared with it. It supports more output formats and outputs real lossless audio quality after conversion. Also, it is a desktop app that is easy and user-friendly to install and use. If you are looking for a smoother and more reliable way to download Tidal music, AudFree Tidal Downloader is definitely worth trying. Enjoy your favorite Tidal music with greater flexibility and quality!