How to Save Tidal MQA Downloads Free on Desktop/Mobile

By Miley Swift Updated on 2024-03-28 / Update for Tidal Tips

Tidal is the first streaming music service to offer high-fidelity music and the only music app featured with MQA. It provides three options for listening to Tidal music: Normal, High, and Max. To enjoy Tidal MQA music, you should subscribe to Tidal HiFi Plus to choose Max as the streaming audio quality. After subscribing, you can download them on mobile devices for playback without using cellular data.

📢 News: A plan named 'Tidal' will be launched to replace Tidal HiFi and HiFi Plus starting on 2024.04.10. With the new plan, subscribers can pay the same price as the HiFi subscription to get high-quality music.

However, some people discuss that if Tidal plans to drop MQA in its new change. We cannot get a definite answer from Tidal now. But plan ahead, you are advised to get Tidal MQA download on your devices now. Read on and learn how to do that in the following sections.

tidal mqa download

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.

MQA on Tidal 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 subscribers who updating to the Tidal HiFi Plus plan ($19.99 per month) on the Masters list.

Music Quality Tidal MQA Tidal HiFi Tidal Low-quality
Tidal Plan HiFi Plus HiFi Free users
Tidal MQA Bitrate Up to 9216 kbps
(24-bit/192 kHz)
Up to 1411 kbps
(16-bit/44.1 kHz)
Up to 320 kbps
Audio Format MQA(three times of FLAC) FLAC AAC
Price $19.99/month $10.99/month Free

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 MQA Tidal on the Tidal web player through the most popular web browsers (Safari and Microsoft Edge excluded). Besides, remember to subscribe to the Tidal HiFi Plus plan. Simply open Tidal, then choose tracks labeled with 'MASTER' to play.

play tidal mqa audio

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. That is to say, even if you subscribe to Tidal HiFi Plus, you cannot download MQA music from Tidal onto your computer's local folder. Also, you cannot save Tidal MQA downloads on the Tidal desktop app because Tidal only has the downloading feature on its mobile app. So, you'd better use a professional Tidal MQA converter 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 streamers or players offline whenever you want.

AudFree Tidal MQA Music Downloader

audfree tidal mqa 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

How to Get Tidal MQA Downloads on Computer Losslessly

Simply click on the green 'Download' button above to install the free trial version of AudFree Tidal Music Converter. 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
import tidal mqa music to audfree tidable
Open the AudFree Tidal Music Converter, then the Tidal app will be automatically opened. To load Tidal MQA audio, copy the link to the MQA tracks from Tidal. Then please paste it into the search box on the AudFree Tidable homepage. After that, simply click the '+' button to add it. 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
set output format for tidal mqa files
You can define the output format of Tidal music according to your requirements. On Mac computers, you have to click in the 'AudFree Tidal Music Converter' icon on the menu bar located on the top left corner. 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 music to any common one.
Step 3Get Tidal MQA Music Download Free to Computer Locally
download tidal mqa files locally
Simply click the prominent 'Convert' button in the bottom right corner. The program will then run at a 5X faster speed to download music from Tidal and save it to the format you set before. The conversion process 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 MQA Music from Tidal on Android/iPhone

As mentioned above, Tidal HiFi Plus users have the privilege of playing Tidal MQA audio downloads 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 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 and go to 'Home'.

Step 2. Tap on the 'search' bar to find your desired music. Once there is a 'MASTER' symbol, then you can download it in MQA music quality.

tidal mqa music

Step 3. Now, please tap on that item to hit the 'Download' option to download Tidal music in MQA quality on iPhone or Android devices.

download mqa from tidal on mobile

Step 4. When this process is complete, you can find all Tidal MQA downloads in the 'My Collection' > 'Downloaded' section for offline listening.

tidal mqa downloads on phone

📢 The saved songs are only temporary cached audio files and cannot be accessed on other devices or platforms. You will fail to access those Tidal MQA downloads after your subscription ends. Therefore, a powerful Tidal MQA converter like AudFree Tidal Music Converter should be taken into consideration.

Part 4. How to Get Tidal MQA Download Free

Apart from the above two methods, there are also two free ways. One is a Tidal MQA converter 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 via Tidal-dl/Tidal-gui

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 to download Tidal songs onto your computer.

download mqa from tidal with tidal gui

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.

get tidal mqa downloads with tidal dl

Another way to download Tidal MQA music free is to use Tidal Premium APK. It is a modified version of Tidal, allowing users to use Tidal Premium features on Android phones with cost. With this Tidal APK Premium Mod, you can easily get Tidal MQA downloads freely.

How to Get Tidal MQA Audio Download Free via Tidal Premium APK

Step 1. Download the Tidal Mod Premium APK file from a reputable source on your Android device.

Step 2. Enable installation from unknown sources in 'Security/Privacy' under your device's 'Settings'.

install tidal premium apk from unknown sources

Step 3. Find the downloaded APK file on your device and tap to install it.

Step 4. Open the Tidal app after installation. Create a new account if you're a new user or login if you already have one. Then, you can use this modified Tidal version to play and download MQA music on Tidal.

Part 5. Best Tidal MQA Streamers and DACs for Audiophiles

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 for MQA/HiFi.

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 10 Best Tidal DACs 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 MQA

Q1: Tidal HiFi vs MQA, Which Is Better?

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.

tidal music quality

See also: How to Download Tidal Hi-Res Music

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 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 high-quality audio and authentication of the original source.

Q5: Is Tidal Moving away from MQA?

A: There are many users who say on Reddit that Tidal will end MQA music. But we still can find songs in MQA quality in Tidal now. Tidal didn't mention important information about MQA in its new Tidal plan but you can save MQA audio downloads as local files first to avoid Tidal dropping MQA.

Q6: What Is the Best Downloader for Tidal MQA?

A: From the Tidal MQA downloaders we recommend above, we conclude that the AudFree Tidal Music Converter is easy to use and can keep Tidal music forever.

Part 7. In Conclusion

From the above guide, you may master the skills to get Tidal MQA downloads on Android, iPhone, Windows, or Mac. It's easy to conclude that the best way to download MQA files from Tidal is to use the AudFree Tidal Music Converter. It allows you to download and convert Tidal playlists, albums, and tracks to 6 popular formats locally. In such a way, you can save and listen to your favorite Tidal MQA music downloads on any device.


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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