TIDAL adds TV shows

Jay-Z’s vision for Tidal is to move beyond music streaming and expand into original TV shows for its 1 million paying subscribers.

The first of theseis No Small Talk, with each episode featuring three lesser-known comics performing unscripted at New York’s Comedy Cellar. It is hosted by DJ and TV personality Cipha Sounds and debuted this week.

In January comes the second season of the YouTube drama hit Money & Violence. Funded, produced and starring Moise Verneau, It follows a group of young men in Brooklyn’s Flatbush hood who turn to thieving and drug dealing to survive. The 12 new episodes will be exclusive to Tidal for one week. Tidal is already airing the first series to familiarise customers.

More shows, one focussed on emerging musicians and some related to sports are in the pipeline.

Tim Riley, Tidal’s Senior Chief of Artist and Label Relations explained about the move into TV, “If someone is paying for Tidal, we want that to be the best experience they can have.

Tidal has 36 million high-fidelity songs and 86,000 music videos. Tidal also offers exclusively 70 music videos, short films and past live streams. After a slow start after its March relaunch, it hit its millionth subscriber last month.