How to Listen to Tidal on Astell and Kern Offline [HiRes FLAC)

Part 1. How to Play Tidal on Astell and Kern via the Tidal App

The easiest way to listen to Tidal on Astell and Kern is via the Tidal app. To play Tidal music on MP3 player offline, you need to have the Tidal app installed. But you can't install the app like others from Google Play Store as Astell and Kern strips away the Android OS and uses a Walled Garden system, which prevents users from installing third-party apps. But with the Open App Service, you can sideload app to Astell and Kern for use.

What's more, though now many modern Astell & Kern devices such as A&ultima SP3000, A&norma SR35, A&futura SE300, and KANN Ultra had pre-installed the Tidal app, it is limited and lacks offline mode feature. So, you need to use Open App Service to install Tidal app to play Tidal music.

Step 1. Visit a reputable third-party Android repository like APKPure on your computer's web browser.

Step 2. Download both the 'XAPK Installer' helper app and the latest version of the Tidal XAPK file to your local hard drive.

Step 3. Connect your Astell & Kern device to your computer via a USB-C cable. Then open your AK device's internal storage and find the folder named 'OpenService'. Next, move the downloaded Tidal XAPK file and the XAPK Installer file from your computer into the 'OpenService' folder. Later, safely eject your device from your computer.

Step 4. On your Astell & Kern's touchscreen, swipe left from the main screen to open the menu and tap 'Services'. Then you will see the XAPK Installer, then click the download icon next to it to install it on your device. After that, open it.

Step 5. Find the Tidal XAPK file within the XAPK Installer, then tap 'Install' to install Tidal app on Astell and Kern.

Step 6. Now, open the Tidal app, log in to your account, browse and download HiRes FLAC music for offline listening.

Part 2. How to Stream Tidal to Astell and Kern via AK Connect / DLNA

Not all Astell & Kern players are equipped to support the "Open App Service" or the ability to sideload third-party applications. Earlier models, such as the classic AK70, AK380, and the original KANN, were designed and developed long before the practice of sideloading Android applications became widespread. Consequently, these devices are unable to natively run modern versions of the Tidal application.

However, if you happen to own one of these older players, you are not entirely excluded from the streaming ecosystem. You can still fully listen to Tidal music on Astell and Kern by utilizing Astell & Kern's proprietary DLNA networking feature: "AK Connect". This method essentially transforms your digital audio player into a high-end wireless receiver.

Step 1. Ensure both your mobile phone and your legacy Astell & Kern player are connected to the exact same WiFi network connection.

Step 2. Download a DLNA-capable streaming app such as BubbleUPnP for Android or mconnect for iOS to your mobile device.

Step 3. Launch the DLNA app, log in to your Tidal account and choose your Astell & Kern device from the list of available audio renderers.

Step 4. At last, start playing Tidal music on your phone, then the lossless audio files will stream directly through your player's superior DAC.

Part 3. How to Play Tidal Music on Astell and Kern Offline

The methods above require a Tidal app and a network connection. When you are on a road or a flight, you can't access Tidal on your legacy Astell and Kern device as they don't have offline mode. In this case, you have to save Tidal music locally on your device for offline playback.

The best tool for converting Tidal music to Astell and Kern is AudFree Tidal Music Converter. The features of the AudFree program are:

How to Download Tidal Music to Astell and Kern's Supported Files

To use AudFree Tidal Music Converter to download and play Tidal offline on Astell and Kern player, follow the given process:

Step 1. Install and launch AudFree Tidal Music Converter on your device.

Step 2. Set the output preferences for Tidal songs. Please go to the top menu bar and select the "Preferences" option. Click the "Conversion" section in the pop-up settings window to define the output format for Tidal to MP3, FLAC, WAV, etc.

Step 3. Select your favorite Tidal track or album from the song list. Once you have selected your preferred music, click the blue '+' bubble to add music. You can then add a Tidal playlist or album to the AudFree Tidal Music Converter.

Step 4. Click on the "Convert" button of "Converting" to start to download music from Tidal. After the conversion is finished, click the "Converted" button marked with red numbers to browse all the converted music downloads in high quality. And the converted Tidal music will be saved in the target folder on your computer.

How to Add Tidal Music Downloads to Astell & Kern for Offline Playback

If you have completed the conversion process above, all converted Tidal music will be saved in a local folder on your computer. You can then connect your AK player directly to the device and transfer the converted songs via Astell and Kern 'File Drop or File Transfer' feature. This feature allows the users to wirelessly drop Tidal music files from the PC to the AK player so that you can have access to them offline. Besides, it sets up your Digital Audio Player and allows you to view and modify file contents easily.

Step 1. Turn on your Astell & Kern player, go to the Settings menu > Network Settings and turn the 'AK File Drop' feature on.

Step 2. Remember and copy the specific FTP IP address shown on your player's screen.

Step 3. Go to your computer, open the File Explorer on Windows and right-click to 'Choose a custom network location', and then enter the FTP address. On Mac, use a FTP client like FileZilla or the 'Connect to Server' option in Finder, then enter the FTP info.

Step 4. Once connected, drag and drop your converted Tidal HiRes FLAC files or folders into the Astell and Kern's 'Music' folder.

Part 4. Troubleshooting Tidal on Astell and Kern Issues

Now, check the issues that you may encounter with Tidal on Astell and Kern and learn how to resolve them.

1. Tidal Installation Files Are Invisible in the Astell and Kern Menu

It is likely that you downloaded a standard APK file instead of an XAPK bundle. You must ensure you download the correct XAPK format and install the helper tool in advance. Please verify your downloaded Tidal file ends in .xapk rather than .apk. Also, confirm that you have already installed the XAPK Installer tool via the 'Services' menu.

2. WiFi Drops on Astell and Kern During Large Tidal Music Offline Downloads

While downloading Tidal HiRes FLAC files, Tidal app requires a massive amount of sustained bandwidth. To save battery life, Astell and Kern players will disable the WiFi connection shortly after the screen turns off. This will interrupt your download connection.

So, you can try to increase the screen timeout to its maximum duration temporarily in your player's Settings. Also, you can touch the screen periodically to keep the hardware awake manually until the caching finishes entirely.

3. The 'Invalid Token' Tidal Login Error on Older Astell and Kern Player

This is because Tidal changed its login authentication protocols. To fix this error, you must use the AK Connect casting or offline method via AudFree Tidal Music Converter above.

Part 5. Conclusion

This article has provided you with three methods to play Tidal on Astell and Kern audio player. If you have a modern AK device, you can sideload the latest Tidal app via the Open App Service for streaming Tidal music. If you have a legacy Astell and Kern device, you can use DLNA to cast music or use AudFree Tidal Music Converter to save and add Tidal music to Astell and Kern for offline playback.

You can enjoy and listen to your favorite Tidal music tracks by following your choice's suggested methods. All the methods are easy and effective to play Tidal on Astell and Kern. Try all the solutions and have answers to your problems.