Jordan O'BrienNetflix will now have to worry about more than just Amazon and traditional TV channels; as Jay-Z’s Tidal music streaming has begun working on original TV content.
Tidal has already struggled to compete against the likes of Spotify and Apple Music, but it is hoping to offers its subscribers more than what they get on those platforms.
The music streaming service’s first television series launched yesterday under the name No Small Talk.
No Small Talk is hosted by DJ and TV personality Cipha Sounds, with each episode profiling three comedians performing at Manhattan’s Comedy Cellar.
It is set to be one of two TV series to launch on Tidal; the next will launch in January, although some viewers will already be familiar with the concept.
Jay-Z was pictured with the creator of Money & Violence earlier in the year. It has now been confirmed that the YouTube phenomenon is to launch its second series exclusively on Tidal.
Money & Violence’s first season launched on YouTube in August last year and instantly became a hit – gaining over 13 million views in just a few months.
The show follows the lives of real New Yorkers with little to no acting experience trying to survive the streets of Brooklyn.
Speaking to Variety, Tim Riley, Tidal’s senior VP artist and label relations, said the strategy is a natural next step to enhance the service’s value to subscribers — and provide a platform for creators, talent and audiences underserved by existing outlets.
“If someone is paying for Tidal, we want that to be the best experience they can have,” Tim notes.
Tidal is no stranger to exclusive video content; more than 70 music videos, short films and on-demand videos of past livestreams are already available on the service. That’s in addition to the 36 million songs and 86,000 music videos widely available on the service.
Jay-Z’s music streaming service is trying to grow its subscriber base against strong competition in the marketplace. The service has already branched out into traditional media and has partnered with various audio brands to grow its subscriber base, which reportedly stands at one million.