How to Download Tidal MQA Files on Desktop/Mobile

Part 1. What Is MQA Format on Tidal

The full name of MQA is Master Quality Authenticated, so it is also called Masters. It is a method of preserving the original music quality by delivering master recordings straight from the artist to the listener. Distinct from traditional compressed files, MQA features small file sizes. So, it's easy to download or stream without sacrificing sound quality.

The partnership between Tidal and MQA provides high-resolution audio (typically 24-bit/192 kHz), which is much higher than Tidal's HiFi (16 bit/44.1 kHz). Also, Tidal only uses MQA for its Hi-Res audio files, which are basically any lossless files above CD quality. In this case, Tidal MQA is only available to all subscribers who updating to the Tidal HiFi Plus plan ($19.99 per month) on the Masters list.

Extension: How to Find and Listen to MQA on Tidal

To play Tidal MQA files, please use the latest Tidal desktop client app or mobile app. Also, you can listen to Tidal MQA on the Tidal Web Player through the most popular web browsers (Safari and Microsoft Edge excluded). Also, remember to subscribe to the Tidal HiFi Plus plan. Simply open Tidal and choose 'Home', and select 'Master List'. At this point, you can easily find MQA music.

Part 2. How to Download MQA from Tidal on PC/Mac

Like most music streaming services on the market, Tidal employs protection technology to protect music copyrights. But, even if you subscribe to Tidal HiFi Plus, you cannot download MQA from Tidal locally on your computer. Because Tidal only has the downloading feature on its mobile app. Also, your saved songs are only temporary cached audio files and cannot be accessed on other devices or platforms. You will fail to access those Tidal downloads after your subscription ends. So, you'd better use the a professional software for MQA music listening on your computer.

Best Tidal MQA Downloader for PC/Mac

Fortunately, there is a powerful tool that allows you to change this situation: AudFree Tidal MQA Downloader. It is dedicated to downloading free, HiFi, and MQA music from Tidal to different types of local formats like MP3, WAV, FLAC, AAC, M4A, and M4B. This smart Tidal Master downloader preserves 100% lossless music quality and ID3 tags of all Tidal songs. Besides, it allows you to change the output parameters for Tidal music. For example, you can customize the bitrate, sample rate, audio channels, etc. to keep the lossless Tidal audio quality.

Due to the precise interface and 5 times faster speed, the operation process is very simple and short. With the help of this best tool, you can listen to MQA on Tidal on all Tidal streamers or players offline whenever you want.

AudFree Tidal MQA Music Downloader

• Losslessly download all content from Tidal as local files at 5X speed
• Convert Tidal music to lossless FLAC, MP3, WAV, and more popular formats in batches
• Preserve original ID3 tags and lossless MQA music quality
• Adjust music quality and parameters, free software updates

Download

Download

How to Get Tidal MQA Download on Computer Losslessly

Simply click on the green 'Download' button above to install the free trial version of AudFree Tidable. Then follow the steps below to save Tidal MQA downloads and other Tidal music to MP3 or more formats on a computer with 100% original sound quality.

Step 1Import Tidal MQA Music to AudFree Tidable

Open AudFree Tidal Music Converter, then the Tidal app will be automatically opened. To load Tidal MQA songs, copy the link to the Tidal MQA tracks. Then please paste it into the search box on the AudFree Tidable homepage. After that, simply click the '+' button to add them to this software. Or you can try another way: drag and drop songs from Tidal to this software's main interface.

Step 2Reset the Tidal MQA Output Format

You can define the output format of Tidal music according to your requirements. On Mac computers, you have to click on the 'AudFree Tidal Music Converter' icon on the menu bar. On Windows, you need to click on the 'Menu' button that looks like three horizontal lines in the top right corner, and then select the 'Preferences' > 'Convert' bar. There is a settings window that lets you customize the output format of your Tidal MQA audio downloads to any common one. Also, if you want to preserve the quality of the MQA, it is recommended that you set the bit depth to 24-bit or 32-bit, the sample rate to 192 kHz, etc.

Step 3Get Tidal MQA Music Download to Computer Locally

Simply click the prominent 'Convert' button in the bottom right corner. The program will then run at 5X faster speed to download music from Tidal and save them to the format you set before. The conversion won't take long, depending on the number of songs or playlists you've imported. After the conversion, navigate to the destination folder on your computer to get all Tidal MQA free downloads.

Part 3. How to Download Tidal MQA Files on iPhone/Android

As mentioned above, Tidal HiFi Plus users have the privilege of playing Tidal MQA audio offline on the mobile phone via Offline Mode. Please upgrade to this high-end plan of Tidal in advance. Now, you can follow the steps below to download MQA streaming files from Tidal on Android and iPhone devices.

How to Download Tidal MQA Music on iPhone/Android

Step 1. Open the Tidal app for Android or iOS on your mobile device and Go to 'Home'.

Step 2. Scroll down to choose 'Master Quality Authenticated Albums' or 'Master Quality Authenticated Playlists' to enable Tidal MQA settings. Then tap on 'View all'.

Step 3. Or you can tap on the 'search' bar to find your desired music. Once there is a 'Masters' symbol, then you can download it in MQA music quality.

Step 4. Now, please tap on that item to turn 'Download' on to download Tidal music in MQA quality on iPhone and Android devices.

Step 5. When this process is complete, you can find all Tidal MQA downloads in the 'My Collection' > 'Downloaded' section for offline listening.

Part 4. How to Get Tidal MQA Download Free

Apart from the above two methods, there is also a free Tidal MQA downloader from GitHub, called Tidal-Media-Downloader. It includes two versions: Tidal-dl and Tidal-gui. Tidal-dl features a command-line interface while Tidal-gui is a graphical user interface tool. Both of them can be used to download HiFi and Master audio from Tidal to various local formats, e.g. MP3, FLAC, AAC, etc. Considering that you are new to this free Tidal MQA downloader, we have listed the detailed steps to use it there.

How to Get Tidal MQA Music Download Free

Step 1. Download and install the Tidal-dl or Tidal-gui from GitHub.

Step 2. Open the 'tidal-dl.exe' or the 'tidal-gui.exe' file on your device to launch the downloading window. For Tidal-gui users, you may need to log into your Tidal account.

Step 3. Then you can start to download MQA music free from Tidal. On the Tidal-gui downloader, you can browse and search for the Master or HiFi music you want and tap on the lower-right 'Download' button directly.

Step 4. For Tidal-dl users, please enter the specific number on the command-line interface. Then follow the prompts to download Tidal HiFi or MQA files from it.

Part 5. Best Tidal MQA Streamers and DACs for Audiophiles in 2023

To get a full MQA music listening experience, you need to have compatible hardware such as a music streamer or DAC(digital-to-analog converter) to connect your computer. Here we list the top 5 best Tidal MQA streamers and DACs for your reference:

Top Best Tidal MQA Streamers

• Cambridge Audio CXN (V2)
• Mytek Brooklyn Bridge
• Aurender A10
• Naim ND 555/555 PS DR
• Cambridge Audio Edge NQ

For more options of music streamers, please visit this page: Top 10 Best Tidal Music Streamers.

Top Best DACs for Tidal MQA

• Mytek Brooklyn DAC+
• Bluesound NODE 2i DAC for Tidal
• FiiO K3 Tidal DAC
• iFi Zen DAC for Tidal
• SMSL M500 MQA DAC

For more options of the best DACs, please visit this page: Top 7 Best Tidal DAC for MQA.

You can just select one from the above list and then start your amazing music journey. Or if you already have a DAC or music streamer but it is not compatible with Tidal, don't worry, simply use AudFree Tidal Music Converter. It allows you to listen to Tidal MQA music with any DAC and streamer.

Part 6. FAQs about Tidal and MQA

Q1: What Is the Difference between Tidal CD quality and MQA?

A: Tidal MQA claims that its data stream is like the bandwidth required for CD-quality tracks. According to the description on the Tidal website, MQA audio is an authenticated and unbroken sound that is typically stored at 9216 kbps or 192 kHz / 24 bit (the highest-possible resolution).

HiFi music is an excellent sound with a resolution of 1411 kbps or 44.1 kHz / 16 bit. Thus, we can see that MQA provides better quality music than HiFi provides.

Q2: Is It Better to Play Tidal MQA via DAC or Streamer?

A: Of course. If you connect your device to an MQA-enabled DAC or streamer, you'll get certified lighting and a better audio quality.

Q3: What is Tidal Master Quality (Tidal MQA bitrate/sample rate)?

A: We can find the Tidal MQA quality from Tidal subscription plans. It indicates that with a Tidal HiFi Plus account, you can enjoy Tidal MQA with the Max sound quality at 24-bit/192kHz. And Tidal claims that in the future, it will change its MQA quality to 24-bit/352kHz.

Q4: What does Tidal passthrough MQA mean?

A: Tidal Passthrough MQA means that Tidal gives MQA sound to an external MQA-enabled DAC particularly older DACs, or audio systems without any alteration or decoding by Tidal's software. It enables your DAC to address Tidal Master recordings while disabling MQA unfolding in Tidal. This endows you with the full MQA experience, including higher-quality audio and authentication of the original source.

Part 7. In Conclusion

From the above guide, you may master the skills to download Tidal MQA music on Android, iPhone, Windows, and Mac devices, or for free. It's easy to conclude that the best way to download Tidal MQA files is to use AudFree Tidal Music Converter. It allows you to download and convert Tidal playlists, albums, and tracks to a wide variety of popular formats locally. In such a way, you can listen to your favorite Tidal MQA music on any device. You can also keep the downloaded Tidal songs for as long as you want.