"Does Tidal have crossfade?" No. Tidal doesn't support crossfade now. Previously, there was a Tidal Crossfade feature that enabled the seamless transition between the end of one song track and the start of the next, enhancing the listening experience.
Unluckily, you cannot crossfade on Tidal now. Well, don't fret. You can still crossfade Tidal music via third-party apps like Mixonset or DJ software. We will show you how to do that on desktop or mobile in detail.
Part 1. Why Is Tidal Crossfade Gone?
Before we dive into the grand scheme of things, you could learn about the reason why is Tidal crossfade missing.
Tidal removed the crossfade feature from its most recent update in 2018, citing that it did not enhance the consumer experience. Tidal prioritizes 'Bit-Perfect' high-fidelity audio quality. Crossfading requires the software to mix two different audio streams simultaneously, which can interfere with the raw and lossless quality Tidal promises its Hi-Fi and Max subscribers. According to some users who contacted Tidal's support staff, the crossfade feature was removed because only a small percentage of users utilized it.
Today, Tidal focuses on "Gapless Playback", which ensures no silence between tracks but stops short of actually overlapping them.
Nonetheless, many users were concerned and aggravated by this decision, as they appreciated using the crossfade feature for various purposes, including parties, workouts, and personal enjoyment. Some users hypothesized that Tidal eliminated the crossfade feature to cut costs or to prioritize other features, such as sound quality, exclusive content, or offline mode.
🔖 FYR: Reddit: About Tidal Crossfade
Part 2. How to Crossfade Tidal Songs via Mixonset
Mixonset is an AI-powered 'Smart DJ' app that automatically creates smooth transitions (crossfades) between songs. It integrates with Tidal, Spotify and Apple Music, allowing you to enjoy your music with crossfading and beat-matching.
Step 1. Please find and download Mixonset from the App Store or Google Play Store on your iOS or Android device.
Step 2. Open Mixonset, and sign in to your Tidal account when prompted. This will sync your Tidal library with Mixonset, allowing you to access your playlists and songs directly within the app.
Step 3. Once Tidal is connected, choose a playlist or a set of songs you want to listen to with crossfade transitions. Tap 'Smart Mix'.
Step 4. Then select the 'Highlight' tab on the Now Playing screen.
Step 5. From the 'Highlight Preference' section, set the 'Play Full Song' option and tap 'Apply Preference'. If you just wanna listen to the highlight part of the song, please set 'Play Highlight'.
Step 6. Mixonset will crossfade Tidal songs smoothly into each other.
During our tests with Mixonset, we found that setting the crossfade to 4 seconds provided the most natural transition for Pop and Hip-Hop tracks, while 2 seconds worked better for Jazz.
Part 3. How to Crossfade Tidal Music via DJ Software
You can also use Tidal compatible DJ apps like Virtual DJ, djay Pro and Serato to crossfade your Tidal tracks. They allow you to stream Tidal music directly and manually crossfade or set up 'Automix' functions that handle transitions with studio-quality precision.
Step 1. Download and install the DJ software on your device, then open it.
Step 2. Go to the 'Library' or 'Source' section in the DJ app and tap the Tidal icon to log in to your account.
Step 3. Later, it will load your Tidal music library. Then drag a track onto 'Deck A' and another onto 'Deck B'.
Step 4. Locate the Crossfader at the bottom of the screen to slide manually between songs. Or, you can go to the 'Automix' settings to set an automatic crossfade duration.
Part 4. How to Download Tidal Music Locally for Crossfading
Though you can crossfade Tidal music with the methods above, they are online and the DJ apps method requires a Tidal DJ Extension plan. If you want a bit-perfect crossfade, you need the powerful AudFree Tidal Music Downloader to decrypt and convert Tidal songs to common audio formats with high quality. In this case, you can put Tidal music on other tools like MusicBee that with the crossfade feature.
AudFree Tidal Music Converter is a professional and easy-to-use tool. It supports converting Tidal music to MP3, FLAC, WAV, AIFF, Lossless, M4B and M4A. And it preserves lossless sound quality and original ID3 tags. You can also customize the output parameters, such as bit rate, sample rate, channel, etc., according to your needs.
With this AudFree program, you can easily get unlimited access to your favorite Tidal songs, playlists, and albums on any device or player without the Tidal app. You can also crossfade on Tidal music files with any music player or audio editor that supports this feature.
AudFree Tidal Music Downloader
- Download and convert Tidal music to MP3 and other popular formats
- Preserve the raw sound quality and original ID3 tags of Tidal tracks
- Support up to 37X stable conversion speed
- Offer advanced bitrate, sample rate and other settings
Check out these easy steps to use AudFree Tidal Music Converter to download Tidal music locally for free crossfading.
- Step 1. Change Tidal audio output settings
- Download and launch AudFree Tidal Music Converter on your device. Navigate to the Menu > Preferences > Conversion tab. Change the output format and adjust other audio settings if necessary in this configuration window. Then choose OK.
- Step 2. Import playlists from Tidal to AudFree Tidable
- Now, on the Tidal web player within the software, choose the tracks you want to convert. Then click the '+' button and add the songs to the Converting list.
- Step 3. Download Tidal playlists for crossfading on any device
- After all the settings are done, tap the Convert button from the Converting list to initiate the download process. After the process completes, go to the Converted window to access your downloaded Tidal music, which is available to crossfade on most devices.
- Video Guide. How to download Tidal playlists for crossfading
- Get local Tidal playlists to crossfade with the help of the AudFree Tidal Music Converter.
To download Tidal songs for crossfading on any device, you can also use AudFree Streaming Audio Recorder. It can download music from Tidal, Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, etc. as local audio files in high quality.
Part 5. How to Crossfade Tidal Music on Desktop
Once you get the local Tidal music via AudFree tool, you can transfer them to platforms that support the crossfade feature, such as Windows Media Player, Media Player Morpher, MusicBee, AIMP, Audacious, etc. on Windows or Mac.
Way 1. How to Crossfade on Tidal via MusicBee Player
Step 1. Open MusiBee Player on your computer, go to Menu at the top-left corner, then choose 'Edit Preferences'.
Step 2. On the left sidebar, click 'Player'.
Step 3. In the sound effects section, check the box that says 'Crossfade tracks for'.
Step 4. Now, set the duration you want and hit 'Save'.
Way 2. How to Crossfade Tidal Songs via Descript
Another possible solution is to use Descript. Descript is a creative tool that lets you edit audio and video easily. You can create smooth song transitions between your downloaded Tidal songs with its crossfade feature.
Step 1. Import your downloaded Tidal songs into Descript.
Step 2. Zoom in on your audio track timeline to make it easier to select your edit boundary and be more precise when creating audio fades.
Step 3. Find your desired edit boundary where your crossfade occurs. Hover over the edit boundary, and a vertical gray line will appear.
Step 4. Drag the gray line left or right to create a crossfade between the two adjacent clips. You can adjust the length and shape of the Tidal crossfade by dragging the handles on the fade curve.
Step 5. Preview your crossfade by playing back the Tidal audio. You can also adjust the volume of each clip by dragging the horizontal line up or down.
🔖 FYR: Descript: Adding crossfades and fades
Part 6. How to Crossfade on Tidal Songs on Mobile
Whether you're using an Android or iPhone, there are various music player apps like PlayerPro or Marvis Pro that offer crossfade functionality for Tidal. One such app is PlayerPro, which allows users to adjust crossfade playback to smoothly transition between tracks. By following the steps below, you can learn how to make Tidal crossfade on mobile devices.
Step 1. Move converted Tidal music to your Android or iPhone device in advance.
Step 2. Open the PlayerPro app and navigate to the "Settings" menu by tapping the three horizontal lines in the top left corner of the screen.
Step 3. Scroll down and select "Audio", then toggle on "Crossfade" and adjust the duration to your preference.
Step 4. Go back to the main screen and select "Folders". Find the folder where your converted Tidal songs are stored.
Step 5. Select the first song you want to play and tap the three vertical dots in the top right corner of the screen and select "Add to Playlist".
Step 6. Repeat Step 5 for each song you want to add to the playlist.
Step 7. Once your playlist is complete, tap "Play" to start enjoying your smooth transitions between your favorite Tidal tracks with PlayerPro's crossfade feature.
Part 7. How to Crossfade Tidal Music via Spotify
If you use Spotify, you can crossfade Tidal songs using the built-in Spotify Crossfade function. Because you get free Tidal downloads via the AudFree software, it is easy to import those Tidal downloaded files to Spotify.
Step 1. First, import Tidal playlists to Spotify. You can click "three dots" at the top-left corner. Then click "Edit > Preference... > Show songs from > Add a Source". Browse and import your converted Tidal music from your computer's local folder.
Step 2. Go to Spotify's "Profile > Settings" and enable "Crossfade songs".
Step 3. Play the imported Tidal songs that are saved in "Local Files".
View also: How to Crossfade Songs on Spotify
Part 8. FAQs about Tidal Crossfade
Is There a Tidal Crossfade Plugin for Chrome?
No. Now, there are no reliable Chrome extensions for crossfading Tidal music. Using AudFree Tidal Music Converter to crossfade Tidal songs via other tools is the most stable solution.
Can I Use Crossfade with Tidal Connect?
No, Tidal Connect typically streams the source file directly to your speakers, bypassing any software-based crossfade effects that may exist on your phone or computer.
Will Tidal Ever Bring Back the Crossfade Feature?
Though Tidal has not officially announced the return of crossfade feature, they frequently update the app based on user feedback. Until then, using a third-party integrator like Mixonset or a converter like AudFree Tidal Music Converter to crossfade Tidal songs remains the best solution.
Does Gapless Playback Work the Same as Crossfade on Tidal?
No, they have different functions. Gapless playback ensures there is no silence between tracks, which is crucial for live recordings and concept albums. However, the Crossfade feature will automatically overlap the end of the fade-out of one song with the start of the fade-in of the next song. Now, Tidal natively supports gapless playback, but it does not offer a crossfade function.
Part 9. In Conclusion
Even though you cannot get the Tidal crossfade function today, try using other methods to help you. With the intelligent Mixonset and professional DJ software, you can log in with your premium Tidal account and enjoy gapless music. To enjoy free playback, you should first rip Tidal music via AudFree Tidal Music Converter. It is the best solution to download Tidal music to various formats with lossless sound quality. After doing this, you can transfer the downloaded files to any platform (with the crossfade feature) to crossfade Tidal songs.
Miley Swift
Staff Editor
