Tidal's high-fidelity streaming service will now be cruising onboard next year's line of Mercedes-Benz cars, with a complimentary year free for drivers connecting their cars to the Mercedes me portal. The long-term partnership announced today will be celebrated with a Sept. 15 kickoff concert at Frankfurt's me Convention, held in conjunction with the Frankfurt International Motor Show and SXSW.
"The joint mission of superior quality and excellence is a natural synergy between both brands," said Tidal exec Lior Tibon. "Mercedes customers value ingenuity and we're proud to share Tidal's elevated music and entertainment experience with them."
The finer points of the Mercedes me portal are outlined at Billboard, but, in essence, it's the manufacturer's digital platform to integrate their brand with their cars and drivers more deeply.
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Jay Z relaunched Tidal in 2015 after acquiring Norway's Aspiro with goals to be artist-driven, top quality and a home for juicy exclusives. While management shake-ups or a beef with Kanye West have grabbed headlines, loyalty and word-of-mouth have helped meet these goals and sustain the perception that Tidal is one of today's streaming services that indeed offers an "elevated" experience, with more than 1 million paid subscribers and millions more who sign up for free trials during promotions.
From a product placement standpoint, Jay Z's Tidal rolling in the 2018 Mercedes-Benz lines hopes to build on the brand vision and provoke luxury buyers, who can choose anything they want, to adopt Tidal. Artist announcements for the me Convention show are expected soon.
