Who owns Tidal Music
Executive summary
TIDAL is majority owned by Block, Inc. (formerly Square), a financial-technology company founded and chaired by Jack Dorsey, which agreed in March 2021 to acquire a controlling stake for about $297 million [1] and later disclosed owning roughly 86.8% of the service [2]. The platform was originally marketed as an artist-owned service with Jay‑Z and a roster of high-profile musicians as stakeholders, who remain minority owners and retain board representation even after the Block transaction [3] [1] [4].
1. The buyer: Block (formerly Square) took majority control in 2021
Square, Inc. — renamed Block later in 2021 — announced a definitive agreement in March 2021 to buy a majority ownership stake in TIDAL for a mix of cash and stock valued at $297 million, with the company saying TIDAL would continue to operate independently within Square’s ecosystem [5] [1]. Subsequent disclosures show Block’s stake rose to roughly 86.8%, a figure reported in corporate filings and summarized by aggregated sources [2].
2. Who sits on the cap table now: artists remained, but Block dominates
TIDAL launched and was promoted as the “first artist‑owned music streaming service,” with Jay‑Z’s Project Panther and a long list of celebrity artist‑owners including Beyoncé, Rihanna and others presented at its 2015 debut [3] [6]. The March 2021 deal explicitly left existing artist shareholders as remaining stakeholders while transferring majority control to Square/Block, and Jay‑Z retained a board role after the acquisition [1] [4].
3. The personalities involved: Jack Dorsey’s Block and Jay‑Z’s continued influence
Block, led by founder and chairman Jack Dorsey, is the corporate majority owner of TIDAL following the 2021 transaction [7] [8]. Despite the sale, coverage makes clear Jay‑Z and the artist‑owners were portrayed as still running or shaping the artist‑centric mission of the service, even as governance and economic control shifted to Block [4] [1].
4. Historical shifts: from Aspiro to artist ownership to Block’s acquisition
TIDAL’s roots go back to Aspiro and its WiMP service in Norway; it re‑launched in North America as the artist‑backed TIDAL in 2014–2015 [3] [6]. Sprint briefly bought a significant stake in 2017, illustrating that ownership has been fluid, and Block’s 2021 deal represents the latest and most decisive shift in control [2].
5. Why ownership matters: strategy, financial services and editorial direction
Block framed the acquisition as an extension of its economic‑empowerment mission, with plans to integrate artist financial services and tools within the broader company ecosystem — a strategic rationale repeated in Block and industry coverage [1] [8]. Observers note that Block’s majority control enables product and monetization pivots that can change TIDAL’s artist‑centric promises into new business models tied to Block’s payments and creator tools [8].
6. Points of tension and competing narratives
Reporting highlights two competing narratives: TIDAL has been marketed as a platform run by artists for artists (a message reinforced at launch and in Guinness recognition) while now being majority‑owned and steered by a large fintech corporation, Block, whose chairman’s public positions (and company priorities) can shape licensing, staffing and strategy — for example, media accounts documented layoffs and leadership directives under Block ownership [3] [9]. The coverage leaves open how much day‑to‑day editorial and royalty policy authority remains with artist‑owners versus Block executives [4] [1].