Tidal couldn’t beat Spotify, so now it’s trying to beat Netflix

Tidal may have launched as a premium music streaming service, but numerous controversies have held the service back to the point where it struggled just to achieve one million users, which is why it may be thinking about shifting its focus to other forms of entertainment. The service already has dozens of exclusive music videos, but now it looks like it’s working on some original video content, starting with two new shows, one of which is launching today. 

Jay Z’s company is set to debut a comedy series November 3, 2015. TIDAL has ordered two new series, according to Variety. Its No Small Talk program, which profiles emerging comedians and is hosted by Cipha Sounds, is set to premiere tomorrow (November 3). The five-episode first season of No Small Talk features three comedians performing at Manhattan’s Comedy Cellar in each episode, which are set to be between 25 and 30 minutes each. The other project is the second season of Money & Violence, which is slated to bow in January. Its 12 new episodes will be available exclusively on TIDAL for one week before they are distributed elsewhere. Money & Violence’s first season, which premiered on YouTube and focuses on a group of thieves and drug dealers in Brooklyn, is available via TIDAL, which also provides extras and commentary. “If someone is paying for Tidal,” Tim Riley, TIDAL’s senior VP artist and label relations, says to Variety, “we want that to be the best experience they can have.”