Report: Square Interested In Acquiring Jay-Z's Tidal Service

Square Inc., the digital-payment company run by Jack Dorsey, has held talks to acquire the music-streaming service Tidal as part of a push to diversify, according to Bloomberg citing a person familiar with the situation.

Dorsey has discussed a potential deal with Jay-Z, the rapper and music mogul who acquired Tidal for $56 million in early 2015, said the person, who asked not to be identified because the talks were private. The negotiations may not result in a transaction.

Tidal, which first launched in 2014, has struggled to keep pace with other streaming services, including Spotify Technology SA and Apple Music. Jay-Z’s own music has been a lure for the platform, but he put his songs back on Spotify last year -- raising questions about the health of Tidal. The closely held service hasn’t reported subscriber figures since saying it had 3 million paying customers in 2016.

Dorsey, meanwhile, has ambitions to build Square into a much broader company made up of stand-alone, complementary services. Square’s two core products, Square Seller and Cash App, already operate somewhat separately within Square Inc., each with its own “lead” on the executive team. It’s believed Dorsey, who spent more than four years on the board of Walt Disney Co., imagines Square will similarly own a collection of businesses under one corporate umbrella.

Tidal’s owners include nearly two dozen high-profile artists, including Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, Coldplay, Madonna, Rihanna and others, according to its website. The service is available in 53 countries and offers more than 60 million songs and 250,000 videos.