Emails from music streaming services usually bring news of price changes or new features. However, Tidal recently announced a significant change that will take effect next month. Tidal is bidding farewell to MQA and Sony’s 360 Reality Audio formats, replacing MQA tracks with FLAC versions and removing all podcasts and music available in 360 Reality Audio by July 24, 2024.

The decision to streamline its streaming services by eliminating MQA support was somewhat expected, considering Tidal’s previous FLAC update. It is now unlikely that Tidal will license MQA’s successor, AIRIA. On the other hand, the termination of Sony 360 Reality Audio support came as a surprise to many.

So, why is Tidal making these changes? The shift towards Dolby Atmos is cited as the reason, as Tidal aims to focus on Atmos due to the broader device compatibility, extensive catalog availability, and artist adoption of the format.

For users with MQA tracks in their collection, Tidal will automatically replace them with FLAC versions starting July 24. However, not all tracks will be replaced immediately, and some FLAC versions may not be available in high resolution initially. While Tidal assures that they have FLAC versions for almost all MQA tracks, replacements for every single track may not be available.

Similarly, 360 Reality Audio tracks in users’ collections will be grayed out and unavailable for streaming from the same date. These changes mark a significant shift in Tidal’s audio format offerings, emphasizing a focus on Dolby Atmos technology.