Square to buy majority of Tidal streaming service

SAN FRANCISCO – Financial technology company Square Inc. said Thursday that it has reached an agreement to acquire majority ownership of Tidal, the music-streaming service partly owned by Jay-Z.

Under the deal, Square will pay $297 million in cash and stock for Tidal; Jay-Z will be named to Square's board of directors; and he and other artists who currently own shares in Tidal will remain stakeholders.

Tidal will operate as a distinct entity alongside the point-of-sale hardware and software offerings of San Francisco-based Square, the payments company founded by CEO Jack Dorsey, who also is co-founder and chief executive of Twitter.

Tidal has presented itself as the artist-friendly alternative to other music streamers

Square says it will take that phenomenon further for musicians, just as it has for businesses with its financial systems.

“It comes down to one simple idea: finding new ways for artists to support their work,” Dorsey said in a statement announcing the deal.

Jay-Z said in the statement that the “partnership will be a game-changer for many. I look forward to all this new chapter has to offer!"