Jay Z says Tidal is 'doing just fine' with 770k subscribers

Jay Z is not one for writing a lot of tweets - but he's just put out a "stream of consciousness" defending his music streaming service, Tidal.

Launched last month with some very high profile backers, critics have said that the company has been a bit of a flop, with low subscriber numbers.

But Jay Z says: "Tidal is doing just fine. We have over 770,000 subs. We have been in business less than one month.

"We are here for the long haul."

Jay Z bought Tidal from a Swedish company, Aspiro, earlier this year, for $56m (£37m).

There was a spike in interest when he re-launched it on 30 March but then dropped out of the top 50 for downloaded music apps on the US iTunes store.

The company also got rid of its CEO and announced redundancies earlier this month but also said it was looking for new staff.

At the launch event, musicians including Beyonce, Madonna and Kanye West were announced as backers of the service.

But other artists, such as Mumford & Sons, have been critical of Tidal, saying that when the company is mentioned, the band members make "a series of loud fart sounds".

Tidal is marketed as a high-end service for music lovers, uses larger file sizes than Spotify and charges twice as much as them - $19.99 (£13) - for the full service.

Jay Z tweeted: "Stream of consciousness coming in 5, 4, 3, 2… #TidalFacts"

Jay Z tweeted: "Tidal is doing just fine. We have over 770,000 subs. We have been in business less than one month. #TidalFacts"

Jay Z tweeted: "The iTunes Store wasn't built in a day. It took Spotify 9 years to be successful…"

Jay Z tweeted: "We are here for the long haul. Please give us a chance to grow & get better. #TidalFacts"

Jay Z tweeted: "There are many big companies that are spending millions on a smear campaign. We are not anti-anyone, we are pro-artist & fan. #TidalFacts"

Jay Z tweeted: "We made Tidal for fans. We have more than just music. We have video, exclusive concerts, tickets for events early, live sports!..."

Jay Z tweeted: "….Tidal is where artists can give their fans more without the middlemen. #TidalFacts"

Jay Z tweeted: "Indie artists who want to work directly w/ us keep 100% of their music. "If you don't want the CEOs all in the videos" haa #tidalfacts"

Jay Z tweeted: "Tidal pays 75% royalty rate to ALL artists, writers and producers - not just the founding members on stage."

Jay Z tweeted: "Rich getting richer? Equity values... YouTube $390 billion. Apple $760 billion. Spotify $8 billion. Tidal $60 million. #TidalFacts"

Jay Z tweeted: "My cousin just moved to Nigeria to discover new talent. Tidal is a global company."

Jay Z tweeted: "We have Tidal X - it supports artists by giving them a platform to connect with their most loyal fans. Tidal is for all. #Tidalfacts"

Jay Z tweeted: "Our actions will speak louder than words. We made Tidal to bring people the best experiences..."

Jay Z tweeted: "and to help artists give that to their fans over and over again…"

Jay Z tweeted: "We are human (even Daft Punk ha). We aren't perfect - but we are determined. #TidalFacts"

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