Tidal is a huge flop (sorry, Jay Z)

Tidal was launched with great fanfare at a press conference attended by Madonna, Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj and Kanye West last month.

The streaming service is owned by a company controlled by Jay Z and several musicians have equity in the business.

In the short time since it launched Tidal has boasted exclusive tracks from Rihanna and Beyoncé as well as footage of The White Stripes' first ever TV appearance. But, despite the celebrity involvement, the numbers suggest Tidal has flopped. As BGR repors, the app did briefly make the top 20 iPhone downloads in America but is now not even in the top 700.

Part of the reason for this may actually be the celebrities. The streaming service's promise to give musicians a fairer deal because it was "artist-owned" raised eyebrows - as Gawker sarcastically noted "Usher, Daft Punk, and Madonna have been living in wretched penury for far too long".

And while Tidal is floundering, its rivals Spotify and Pandora are flourishing. Spotify actually went back into the top 40 iPhone downloads on 31 March, straight after it was attacked at Tidal's launch press conference.

What happens next remains to be seen. Tidal has made some changes since launch, bringing in new boss Peter Tonstad. But as BGR notes, "he has his work cut out for him".

More: Beyonce and Jay Z release spoof Bonnie and Clyde-style film trailer