Tidal is one the popular streaming music services providing 110 million songs and 650,000 videos with Tidal Lossless, Tidal HiRes FLAC, and Tidal Dolby Atmos. It has brought a wave of excitement for Tidal users with the advancements showcased by Tidal DL, Tidal GUI, and the modern Tidal-DL-NG, the different iterations of the open-source Tidal-Media-Downloader (Pro) project. These are dedicated applications allowing users to download music from Tidal to local files for offline use.
In the following read, you can embark on a thrilling journey to delve deep into the details of Tidal-DL, Tidal-GUI, and the upgraded Tidal-DL-NG in 2026. We will examine their features, pros and cons, and how they enrich the overall Tidal listening experience. Also, you will discover a better alternative to these tools on GitHub in the form of DRmare Tidal Music Converter.
Tidal-DL & Tidal-GUI & Tidal-DL NG Quick Overview
These three Tidal downloaders on GitHub represent the evolution of the Tidal-Media-Downloader ecosystem.
- Tidal-dl is the original command-line engine (found in the yaronzz repository) designed for power users who prefer terminal-based control.
- Tidal-gui serves as the visual shell for this engine, often bundled within the Tidal-Media-Downloader-PRO repository to provide a user-friendly, point-and-click interface primarily for Windows users.
- Tidal-dl NG is a modern, high-performance fork (such as the r3ferrei version) that supersedes the older projects by introducing multithreaded downloading and full support for Tidal MAX (HiRes FLAC) and Dolby Atmos.
Part 1. Tidal-DL vs. Tidal-GUI vs. Tidal-DL-NG Comparison Table
To help you quickly choose the right Tidal-Media-Downloader for your specific setup and audio quality needs, we have compiled a side-by-side comparison. This table highlights the technical differences between the classic Tidal-DL and Tidal-GUI versions, alongside the performance-driven enhancements of Tidal-DL-NG.
| Feature | Tidal-dl | Tidal-gui | Tidal-dl-ng |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interface | Command Line (CLI) | Graphical (GUI) | Dual (CLI & GUI) |
| Platform | Win, Mac, Linux, Android | Windows | Win, Mac, Linux |
| Max Quality | HiFi | HiFi | HiRes Max / Atmos |
| Speed | 1X (Standard) | 1X (Standard) | Fast (Multithreaded) |
| Ease of Use | Technical | Simple | Moderate |
| Stability | Medium (API Depended) | Low (Outdated) | High (Active Fork) |
| Best For | Power users/Android | Windows beginners | Hi-Res enthusiasts |
Part 2. What Is Tidal DL?
Basic Info:
- GitHub Repository: https://github.com/yaronzz/tidal-media-downloader and https://github.com/yaronzz/Tidal-Media-Downloader-PRO
- Price: Free
- Support OS: Windows, Mac, Linux, Android
- Output Format: MP3/FLAC
- Conversion Speed: 1X
- Output Quality: Normal, High, HiFi
Tidal-DL is a version of the Tidal-Media-Downloader or Tidal-Media-Downloader-Pro created in Python and released on GitHub. It lets users download Tidal albums, tracks, videos, playlists, and artist discographies on computers and Android devices. Tidal-DL also allows users to add metadata to songs or select the video resolution and track quality before downloading. It uses a Command-Line Interface (CLI), designed for those who require advanced capabilities and prefer terminal-based control.
Key Features of Tidal DL on GitHub:
- Command-Line Interface: Operate through a command-line interface (CLI), providing more control and flexibility for advanced users.
- High-Quality Downloads: Enable downloading of music in high-fidelity formats such as FLAC.
- Batch Downloads: Support downloading multiple tracks, albums, or playlists in one go, streamlining the process.
- Customization: Allow users to specify download parameters, such as output format and destination folder.
- Metadata Management: Retain and manages metadata, ensuring downloaded files have accurate tags for artist, album, and track information.
Pros and cons of Tidal-DL
Pros
It is available for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and other popular platforms. This makes it easy to access for all Tidal users.- Offer an ad-free experience to users. You can download Tidal music without interference from annoying advertisements after every click.
Cons
Tidal-DL is a third-party tool developed on GitHub and, hence, is not acknowledged by Tidal officially. This can give rise to privacy concerns and a lack of official support by Tidal.- To use it, you have to subscribe to Tidal premium plan.
Part 3. What Is Tidal GUI?
Basic Info:
- GitHub Repository: https://github.com/yaronzz/Tidal-Media-Downloader-PRO
- Price: Free
- Support OS: Windows Only
- Output Format: MP3
- Conversion Speed: 1X
- Output Quality: Normal, High, HiFi
Tidal GUI is another version of Tidal-Media-Downloader-Pro available on GitHub. Like Tidal-DL, you can use it to download any type of media content from Tidal. The files are then available for offline streaming and listening. It provides a Graphical User Interface for the original downloader engine. It is perfect for users looking for a straightforward, visual way to navigate Tidal's catalog. If you prefer clicking buttons and menus over typing commands, this version is your go-to choice, though it is primarily restricted to Windows.
Pros and cons of Tidal-GUI
Pros
- Offer an intuitive interface that users can easily operate. This makes the download process much easier for beginners.
- Tidal-GUI offers an interactive platform that paves the way for experimentation and creativity.
Cons
- This version of Tidal-Media-Downloader is only available for Windows. You cannot use Tidal GUI on any other OS.
- A premium Tidal subscription is required to work with this app.
- Sometimes, it fails to finish the conversion process of some songs.
Part 4. What Is Tidal-DL-NG (Next Generation)?
Basic Info:
- GitHub Repository: https://github.com/r3ferrei/tidal-dl-ng-1
- Price: Free
- Support OS: Windows, Mac, Linux
- Output Format: MP3, FLAC, M4A, Atmos
- Conversion Speed: Faster (Multithreaded)
- Output Quality: HiRes FLAC (Max), Dolby Atmos
Tidal-DL-NG is the spiritual successor to the original tools. It was developed to address the limitations of older versions, specifically focusing on high-speed performance and modern audio formats.
Key Features of Tidal-DL-NG:
- High-Speed Downloads: Supports multithreaded and multi-chunked downloading, significantly reducing waiting times.
- Modern Audio Support: Optimized for TIDAL MAX (HiRes Lossless up to 24-bit/192 kHz) and Dolby Atmos tracks.
- Dual Interface: Often provides both a modern CLI and a refined Qt-based GUI.
- Auto-Metadata: Features improved automatic embedding of lyrics and high-resolution album art compared to older versions.
Pros and Cons of Tidal-DL-NG
Pros
- Fastest download speeds among GitHub tools
- Support the highest possible Hi-Res quality and immersive audio.
Cons
- Requires Python and FFmpeg installation
- Frequent updates to the Tidal API can occasionally break functionality.
Part 5. How to Use Tidal DL on Mac/Windows/Android/Linux
If you prefer the control offered by a command-line interface, you can follow this part to install and use Tidal-DL to download Tidal songs and playlists to your computer.
How to Install Tidal DL on Mac/Windows/Linux/Android
Step 1. Before installing Tidal DL, ensure you have Python installed on your computer, as Tidal DL requires Python. You can download Python from Python's official website.
Step 2. Go to the Tidal-Media-Downloader page on GitHub to find the repository to install Tidal DL or visit the source where the Tidal DL package is hosted.
Step 3. You can download the latest release of Tidal DL based on your computer system by following these steps:
On Windows: Click the "tidal-dl.exe" directly.
On Linux:
On macOS:
brew install python
curl -O http://python-distribute.org/distribute_setup.py
python distribute_setup.py
curl -O https://raw.github.com/pypa/pip/master/contrib/get-pip.py
python get-pip.py
pip3 install --upgrade tidal-dl
tidal-dl
Android: Install Termux from your Google Play Store. Open permission: termux-setup-storage. Then copy the following command prompts to install Python and tidal-dl on Android.
apt update
apt upgrade
pkg update
pip3 install --upgrade pip
pip3 install --upgrade tidal-dl
tidal-dl
How to Use Tidal-DL on GitHub to Download Tidal Music and Video
Step 1. Fire up the tidal-dl.exe from your computer and enter the Tidal username and password.
Step 2. Type '2' and click the 'Enter' from your keyboard. Now, you can set the config file, such as download path, audio quality, output format, save covers, etc.
Step 3. Copy and paste the Tidal track\video\album\playlist\artist URL to download Tidal music on Mac, Windows, Linux, or Android devices automatically.
Part 6. How to Use Tidal GUI on Windows
If you want to know how to use Tidal-GUI to download Tidal music on GitHub, this part is for you. The following steps indicate how you can save audio and video files from Tidal to your computer using Tidal GUI:
How to Install Tidal-GUI on Windows Computer
Step 1. Navigate to the Tidal-Media-Downloader-Pro page on GitHub and scroll down to find the "Releases" section.
Step 2. Tap the "tidal-gui" option to find the latest version of Tidal GUI.
Step 3. On the new page, go to "Assets", and click the "tidal-gui.exe" to install Tidal GUI on your Windows computer directly.
How to Use Tidal GUI on GitHub to Download Tidal Music and Video
Step 1. After launching the software, log in using your Tidal premium account on the program.
Step 2. Then, set the configurations according to your requirements. You can adjust various parameters such as audio or video quality, saving cover files, and more.
Step 3. Copy the URL to your Tidal playlists or tracks and paste them into the program. The software will download the selected tracks to your device.
Part 7. How to Use Tidal-DL-NG on Mac/Windows/Linux
If you want the best performance and highest quality, follow these steps to install the "Tidal Downloader Next Generation" version and use it to get better-quality Tidal local files.
How to Install Tidal-DL-NG and Use It to Download Tidal
Step 1. Tidal-DL-NG Installation: Ensure you have Python 3.10+ installed. Open your terminal and run:
Tips:
To include the Tidal-DL-NG GUI, use:
Step 2. Login Tidal Account: Run the command tdng or tidal-dl-ng. The tool will provide a link and a device code. Open the link in your browser, log in to your Tidal account, and enter the code.
Step 3. Download Tidal Music: Paste a Tidal URL (track, album, or playlist) into the terminal or the GUI window. Configure your quality settings to "Max" for HiRes FLAC or enable "Dolby Atmos" in the settings menu.
Part 8. Best Alternative to Tidal-DL (NG) and Tidal-GUI Downloader
While GitHub tools are powerful, they can be unstable or complicated for non-technical users. Their latest versions are relatively outdated and have not been updated. This results in a low success rate and affects the user experience. If you want a more efficient alternative for downloading songs from Tidal, you can try DRmare Tidal Music Converter.
Unlike the GitHub tools that rely on API vulnerabilities, this program is dedicated to downloading and converting Tidal music, albums, playlists, and other content from the built-in Tidal Web Player. It uses a high-quality internal conversion engine to ensure 100% success rates.
Why choose DRmare over GitHub tools?
- Lossless Conversions:Allow lossless conversions of Tidal tracks. The program ensures the preservation of original ID3 tags and can download high-quality content.
- Vast Conversion Support:Offer vast support for various file types. You can convert Tidal music into formats such as MP3, FLAC, M4A, M4B, AIFF, or WAV.
- Quick and Easy Conversions:Offer quick and easy conversions to users. You can download files with Tidal free trial account at up to 37X speeds and even opt for batch conversions to save time.
How to Use DRmare to Download Tidal Content
- Step 1Adjust Tidal Music Output Settings
- Start downloading DRmare Streaming Audio Recorder for your Windows or Mac computer. Launch the tool and click on the menu bar in the program to choose "Preferences." A new pop-up window will emerge on the screen. You can now adjust the output settings for your Tidal content. The program allows users to choose the audio formats, quality, bit rate, and other preferences.
- Step 2 Launch DRmare Tidal Music Downloader and Log in to Tidal
- Tap the "Tidal" option from the main interface of DRmare Streaming Audio Converter to open the built-in Tidal music downloader. It features a Tidal Web Player, where you can log in to your Tidal account.
- Step 3Enter Tidal Tracks and Convert Tidal Music
- Search for and find your Tidal tracks or playlists that you want to download and tap the "+" > "Add to List" icon to load the songs. Tap the "Convert" button to start the download. Once the process is completed, you can use the "Converted" > "Folder" and locate the downloaded Tidal tracks on your device.
Part 9. FAQs about Tidal-Media-Downloader (Pro) on GitHub
Is Tidal-DL (NG) and Tidal-GUI on GitHub safe to use?
Generally yes, provided you download them from official GitHub repositories. They are open-source and transparent. However, using them violates Tidal's Terms of Service, which carries a minor risk of account suspension. Always use official versions to protect your login credentials.
Do I need a Tidal Premium plan to use these Tidal downloader on GitHub?
Yes. These tools do not provide free music; they are "download managers" for existing accounts. You must have an active paid plan to access and download high-quality FLAC or Atmos files.
What to do if I get an error when extract_flac is enabled?
This error means the program can't find FFmpeg. You need to correct your path_binary_ffmpeg and let the program know exactly where the FFmpeg file is located on your hard drive.
Part 10. In Conclusion
The evolution from Tidal-DL, Tidal-GUI, to Tidal-DL-NG showcases a future where high-fidelity music is more accessible than ever. Whether you prefer the control of a CLI or the speed of the "Next Gen" multithreaded engine, there is a tool for you. However, for a stable, professional, and hassle-free experience, DRmare Tidal Music Converter remains the top recommendation.
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