Jay Z, Beyonce & more launch TIDAL

With the emphasis on not only benefiting the listener, but also the artist, Jay Z launched his new TIDAL service yesterday and brought heavy hitters from the music world along with him.
Those in attendance at the New York event included – deep breath – Beyonce, Jack White, Usher, Rihanna, Alicia Keys, Madonna, Kanye West, Jack White, Daft Punk, Win Butler and Régine Chassagne from Arcade Fire, Deadmau5, Nicki Minaj, Arcade Fire, Jason Aldean and J. Cole, while Chris Martin and Calvin Harris were on video link-up.
Speaking at the launch, Alicia Keys said: "We come together before you on this day...with one voice in unity in the hopes that today will be a moment that will forever change the course of music history," said Keys, the only artist to address the audience, in an exuberant speech. "Our goal is simple: We want to create a better service and a better experience for both fans and artists, and that is our promise to the world."
In January, Jay Z confirmed he had invested around $56 million in the Norwegian company, Aspiro, behind TIDAL. Setting itself up as a rival to Spotify, it offers lossless audio that is comparable in quality to CDs and HD video.