"Does Tidal work with Virtual DJ?" Yes, there is direct Tidal Virtual DJ support. For most non-professional DJs or beginners, Virtual DJ is one of the perfect options to mix music. It is available for Windows and Mac computers. It offers 4 layouts for different users, including STARTER, ESSENTIALS, PRO, and PERFORMANCE. You can get the latest cutting-edge features in this DJ software, such as support for DJ controllers, EQ controls, and high compatibility. With it, you can mix music tracks by applying effects, adjusting speed, and more.
Today, Virtual DJ still works directly with Tidal, Deezer, Beatport, Beatsource, and SoundCloud. But some users might get error messages like 'Subscription Required' or 'Asset not ready'. So, why does it happen and how to use Tidal with Virtual DJ? Here we're going to show you how to do that online and offline, even without DJ Extension Add-on and get a wonderful musical experience.
Part 1. How to Use Tidal with Virtual DJ Online [Official Way]
Though there is a Tidal Virtual DJ integration, you must subscribe to the 'TIDAL' Individual or Student plan with DJ Extension Add-on first to use them. The DJ Extension costs $9.00 per month and needs applicable sales tax. Besides, it is not available for Tidal Family plan.
Now, let's learn how to mix Tidal music on Virtual DJ 8, Virtual DJ 2, etc. on your computer step by step.
Step 1. Open your Virtual DJ on your desktop and then go to the 'Folder' list to find the 'Online Music' option. Hit on it and scroll down to find the 'TIDAL' streaming music service.
Step 2. Right-click it and choose 'Sign in'. It will pop up a browser window, where you need to log in with your Tidal username and password. Then allow to Authorize Virtual DJ to access your account. Once done, please close this window.
Step 3. Click the '+' button before the Tidal option to expand the Tidal folder. All playlists you create will display in the VirtualDJ search bar.
Step 4. Before loading Tidal music into Virtual DJ deck for mixing, you can adjust Tidal music streaming quality first. Please go to Virtual DJ Settings section, click the Options tab and search for Tidal. Later, you can change the 'Audio Quality' setting to 'High' (16-bit Lossless FLAC) or 'Max' (24-bit HiRes FLAC) to get the best sound for your mix.
Note: Do not choose 'Max' unless you have a fibre-optic internet connection at your gig, as HiRes FLAC files are massive and can cause buffering interruptions.
Step 5. Now, you can drag and drop favorite songs from the 'File List' to a deck and start to mix them within the Virtual DJ 8, Virtual DJ 2, etc. Also, you can right-click the track and choose 'Load on' > 'Deck 1'/'Deck 2'.
Step 6. Then, you can start mixing and performing with the tracks. Try using the mixer controls, crossfaders, effects, and other features as desired.
Limitations of Using Tidal on Virtual DJ Online
1. No True Offline Mode: You are allowed to use Tidal's offline cached files in Virtual DJ. But it is temporary, you have to re-authorize every 30 days. At the same time, you should connect to the Internet to refresh DRM authorizations. It is the official way you use Tidal in Virtual DJ.
2. The 'Greyed Out' Track Issue: Due to licensing rights, some Tidal music tracks may be greyed out if the license expired. So, you can't access it in Virtual DJ anymore.
3. Stems Performance Issues: Separating stems (vocals, drums, instruments) in real-time requires downloading the entire file instantly. With high-bitrate FLAC files, if your network bandwidth fluctuates, it can cause problems such as "stuttering" or "distortion".
Part 2. How to Use Virtual DJ with Tidal Offline
If you want to break the limits shown above, you are advised to download and convert Tidal music to local audio files and save them to hard drive for use on Virtual DJ. Besides, the supported audio formats by Virtual DJ are MP3, WAV, M4A, AAC, FLAC, AIFF, OGG, and so on.
If you'd like to play millions of Tidal songs at high audio quality offline and without Tidal DJ Extension on Virtual DJ forever, you can use AudFree Tidal Music Converter. It can convert Tidal music to MP3, FLAC, AIFF, M4A, etc. with original 24-bit FLAC quality and full ID3 tags. All Tidal music downloads are free of protection. Moreover, with advanced technology, this powerful tool can work at 37X faster conversion speed. After that, it can't be easier to create your own Tidal playlist and explore Tidal music offline in Virtual DJ.
| Virtual DJ Compatible Streaming Music Services | Tidal, Deezer, SoundCloud, Beatport, Beatsource |
| Virtual DJ Compatible Format | MP3, WAV, M4A, AAC, WMA, OGG, FLAC, etc. |
| AudFree Tidal Music Converter Output Format | MP3, WAV, M4A, FLAC, AIFF, M4B, Lossless |
How to Convert Tidal Music for Virtual DJ
Before beginning to export Tidal playlists for Virtual DJ, there are 3 preparations that you should note.
1. Please download and install the AudFree Tidal Music Converter on your computer. Please note that you can only get the first 30-second conversion for each audio in the free trial version.
2. Please make sure that you have created a Tidal account with a paid TIDAL plan.
After the preparations, then you can refer to the following steps to download music from Tidal for Virtual DJ.
- Step 1Load Tidal songs to AudFree Tidal Music Converter
- Please launch the AudFree Tidal Music Converter. Then find the Tidal music you like to mix in Virtual DJ. Click the '+' icon > Add to list to import Tidal audio.
- Step 2Define output settings for using Virtual DJ Tidal Offline
- On the Mac computer, please click the 'AudFree Tidable Music Converter' on the Mac system's menu. For the Windows's version, you should hit the menu icon at the top right of this program. After that, choose 'Preferences' > 'Conversion' to start defining the Tidal output audio settings for Virtual DJ. You can personalize the audio format, channel, sample rate, bitrate, etc. according to your special needs.
- See also: How to Convert Tidal to WAV Losslessly/Free/Online
- Step 3Convert Tidal music for Virtual DJ as local files
- Now, just hit the 'Convert' button on the bottom-right corner of the 'Converting' window. The Tidal files will be converted and downloaded as local files to your computer. Once the conversion completes, you will see a red spot with a number appearing on the 'Converted' button. Please click it and you will locate and check the converted Tidal audio files on your computer.
How to Add Tidal Music to Virtual DJ for Offline Mixing
Now, check the steps below to learn how to add local Tidal files to Virtual DJ for mixing. After that, you can mix Tidal in Virtual DJ offline without any limitation.
Step 1. Open the Virtual DJ software on your computer. If you haven't installed it before, please download and install it first.
Step 2. Click the 'Local Music' option on the left side of the Virtual DJ main interface. Then you will see options like 'My Music', 'My Video', 'Hard Drive', etc. Please choose the target one that you saved the converted Tidal music. Or you can directly drag and drop the converted Tidal music from your computer to the deck of Virtual DJ software.
Step 3. Finally, please drop Tidal music into the Automix area of the SideView in Virtual DJ. You can start to record or mix Tidal tracks offline. You can also use Stems, scratch and loop with latency and without network connection.
Part 3. Compare Methods to Use Tidal with Virtual DJ
Which method is better to link Tidal to Virtual DJ? Here you can look at the comparison table.
| Feature | Via Official Tidal Integration | Via AudFree Tidal Music Converter |
|---|---|---|
| Required Tidal Subscription | Tidal Individual/Student + DJ Extension | Any Tidal subscription |
| Price | ~ $20 per month | One-time software fee ($89.95/lifetime) |
| Internet Requirement | Always Online (High Speed) | 100% Offline |
| Audio Quality | FLAC (Not stable) | FLAC / WAV (Stable) |
| Stems Quality | Variable | Perfect |
| File Ownership | Cache files | Local files |
| Stability | Low | High |
| Family Plan Support | ❌ | ✅ |
Part 4. FAQs about Virtual DJ Tidal
Why Are My Tidal Playlists Empty or Not Syncing in Virtual DJ?
It is might be caused by a database synchronization delay. So, you can try to right-click the Tidal folder in the Virtual DJ browser, then choose Refresh or Reload Cache. Also, make sure that the tracks are not greyed out on the Tidal app.
How to Record Mixes on Virtual DJ with Tidal?
The record function is provided on the 'MASTER' part of 'ESSENTIALS' and 'PRO'. However, the tracks with DRM are not allowed to be recorded. Therefore, you need a Tidal music downloader to remove the digital rights management. Also, you can mix Tidal Virtual DJ offline with its help.
Can I Mix Tidal Music Video in Virtual DJ?
No. The Virtual DJ only supports Audio streaming from Tidal.
Can I Use Tidal with Virtual DJ on My iPhone or iPad?
Yes. But you must have the Tidal DJ Extension Add-on active.
Part 5. In Conclusion
With Virtual DJ Tidal integration, it's simple to stream millions of Tidal content in Virtual DJ at FLAC quality online. But if you want offline mix, you can get help from AudFree Tidal Music Converter. It can download and convert Tidal music as local files instead of cached files. And it helps you stream Tidal music not only on Virtual DJ, but also on Serato DJ, Traktor DJ, Djay Pro, and more for free.
Miley Swift
Staff Editor
