Tidal has recently announced they are removing their MQA and Sony’s 360 Reality Audio next month. This change comes after Tidal introduced Hi-Res FLAC as their preferred format and the increasing Dolby Atmos content available on the platform.

The last day you will be able to hear MQA and Sony’s 360 Reality Audio is going to be July 23, 2024, with the content being removed the next day.

These changes makes sense because MQA is now owned by Lenbrook Media Group. The most probable cause for this is that Tidal chose not to renew a contract with them.

As for Sony’s 360 Reality Audio, the catalog was very limited compared to the amount of Dolby Atmos content available. In comparison, Dolby Atmos is now widely adopted, being featured on a lot of phones and soundbars. Also, Sony’s 360 Reality Audio was limited to some of Sony’s own headphones as they could be customized via their app.

Dolby Atmos content can be streamed on a Fire TV stick. When connected to a compatible sound bar, you can really experience the immersive experience.

On a technical side, Sony’s 360 Reality Audio is based on MPEG-H 3D Audio. Dolby Atmos is either AC-3 or AC-4 tracks with object metadata embedded in them.

A new service from HDTracks and Lenbrook is coming soon. This service will feature those MQA tracks for those who wants them. Sony’s 360 Reality Audio can be found on competing services like Amazon Music.

You can find more information about this upcoming change in this article on Tidal’s website.