UPDATE: Samsung has confirmed to us that the rumor surrounding their acquisition of Tidal is not true. You can read more on this by clicking here.
The music business has always been one which some have considered fickle. A business where bands and artists can be everything one day, and gone the next. As time has gone on and technology evolved, the streaming side of music is one which has come to the forefront and leading the way in the next generation of music consumption. That said it is now starting to look like the streaming industry is likely to be one just as fickle with companies popping up and disappearing again just as quick.
There has been a number of streaming services coming through and then being acquired or retired some time afterwards, with Rdio being one of the most recent casualties following its assets being picked up by Pandora. Not to mention, Tidal has been another service which has consistently been hitting the headlines in regards to its future. The most telling of which was only a few days ago when reports came through detailing that Samsung were considering acquiring the service. Following on from those specific reports, a new report from Variety today states that Samsung could be close to announcing a deal on Tidal, although it could be a deal which comes at the expense of its own streaming service, Milk Music.
Milk Music is another streaming service which has only been available for a short amount of time so far and if the current information is correct, when Samsung does announce a Tidal deal, they will announce the shuttering of the Milk Music service. According to a “source close to the company“, the reason for the shuttering of Milk Music is that it simply has not garnered the user-base Samsung had hoped for. The report details that while the free version gained some momentum, consumers were not interested in paying for the premium tier. As Samsung has already closed their video side of the same business (Milk Video), it now seems likely they will do the same with Milk Music.
This is partly thought to be what is primarily fueling the current Tidal rumors. According to the same report and “multiple sources” Samsung are on the verge of making “a major announcement” in regards to their music side of things. One which is thought to be based on a seaming service acquisition. However, the report also details that the deal with Tidal is one which has been met with some resistance due to the asking price being sought by those behind Tidal. As such, the sources detail that it could actually be a partnership with Tidal that is announced instead of an outright acquisition, or of course, an acquisition/partnership with a completely different music streaming service if the Tidal deal cannot be agreed.