Tidal vs YouTube Music:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, YouTube Music had more branded searches than Tidal among music streaming services in the United Kingdom. YouTube Music had about 823,000 branded searches, while Tidal had 74,000. YouTube Music made up 21% of all music streaming service searches we track, and Tidal accounted for 1.9%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about music streaming services, Tidal and YouTube Music each appeared in three of the four answers. Tidal was mentioned before YouTube Music in three out of four answers.
Who do people search for more?
YouTube Music, about 11 searches for every 1 for Tidal
Who does AI mention more?
Both were mentioned in 3 of 4 answers.
Who does AI recommend more?
Tidal, named ahead of YouTube Music in 3 of 4 answers
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Top music streaming services in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, Tidal and YouTube Music were each mentioned in three out of four: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in the Google AI Overview. Tidal was listed before YouTube Music in three out of four answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Apple Music1st
Spotify2nd- Tidal3rd
- YouTube Music4th
Amazon Music5th
SoundCloud–
Deezer–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Spotify4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
- Apple Music4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
- YouTube Music3 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
- Amazon Music3 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
- Tidal3 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
- SoundCloud0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
- Deezer0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
See every answer about music streaming services
4 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best music streaming service in the UK?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Which music app has the best sound quality?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Which music streaming subscription is best value?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“music streaming”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United Kingdom on October 27, 2026.
Is Tidal or YouTube Music more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Tidal and YouTube Music by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven music streaming services we track, month by month, from searches in United Kingdom.
Share of searches by month for YouTube Music, Tidal. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Spotify | YouTube Music | SoundCloud | Apple Music | Amazon Music | Tidal | Deezer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 55.6% | 20.4% | 13.7% | 4.1% | 3.4% | 1.8% | 1% |
| Nov 2025 | 57.3% | 17.2% | 14.1% | 4.2% | 4.2% | 1.9% | 1% |
| Dec 2025 | 62.2% | 15.3% | 12.5% | 3.7% | 3.7% | 1.7% | 0.92% |
| Jan 2026 | 55.2% | 20.3% | 13.6% | 4.1% | 4.1% | 1.8% | 1% |
| Feb 2026 | 59.4% | 17.9% | 11.9% | 4.4% | 3.6% | 2% | 0.88% |
| Mar 2026 | 55.1% | 20.3% | 13.5% | 4.9% | 3.3% | 1.8% | 1% |
| Apr 2026 | 57.6% | 21.2% | 11.6% | 3.5% | 3.5% | 1.9% | 0.85% |
| May 2026 | 60.5% | 18.2% | 12.1% | 3.6% | 3% | 1.6% | 0.89% |
| Jun 2026 | 54.8% | 20.1% | 13.5% | 4.9% | 4% | 1.8% | 0.81% |
| Jul 2026 | 54.5% | 20% | 13.4% | 4.9% | 4% | 2.2% | 0.99% |
| Aug 2026 | 57.8% | 21.3% | 11.6% | 2.9% | 3.5% | 2.3% | 0.57% |
| Sep 2026 | 57.1% | 21% | 11.5% | 4.2% | 3.4% | 1.9% | 0.84% |
How has the Tidal and YouTube Music comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- YouTube Music was ahead of Tidal in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Tidal’s share of searches among music streaming services in the United Kingdom moved from 1.8% to 1.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 74K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, YouTube Music’s share of searches among music streaming services in the United Kingdom moved from 20.4% to 21%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 823K.
How did search popularity change for United Kingdom music streaming services in September 2026?
0 changes
Neither Tidal nor YouTube Music moved beyond provider rounding among music streaming services in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Tidal’s and YouTube Music’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Tidal
1 branded search term
- tidal
YouTube Music
1 branded search term
- youtube music
Other head-to-heads among music streaming services
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