🌊 Riptide v1.5.0 - Major Feature Release

🎉 New Features

🔄 Cross-Platform Playlist Conversion

• Spotify Playlist Support: Convert Spotify playlists to Tidal using intelligent track matching
• Deezer Playlist Support: Import and convert Deezer playlists seamlessly
• YouTube Playlist Support: Convert YouTube Music playlists to Tidal
• Smart Matching Algorithm: Uses ISRC codes and advanced search for accurate track conversion
• Conversion Results Dialog: Detailed conversion statistics and failed track reporting
• Real-time Conversion UI: Visual feedback with platform detection and progress tracking

⚙️ Enhanced FFmpeg Management

• Optional FFmpeg Usage: New "Use FFmpeg" setting to control FFmpeg dependency

• Raw Download Support: Download without FFmpeg requirements

• Audio: Native .m4a format (lossy/lossless)

• Video: Native .ts format (Transport Stream)

• Smart Quality Handling: Automatic format selection based on FFmpeg availability

• Flexible User Choice: Users can choose between convenience (raw) or quality (FFmpeg)

📂 M3U8 Playlist Generation

• Automatic M3U8 Creation: Generate .m3u8 playlist files for all playlist downloads
• Metadata Integration: Include track duration, artist, and title information
• Absolute Path Support: Full file paths for maximum compatibility
• Tidal & Converted Playlists: Works with both native Tidal and converted external playlists

🎵 Advanced Lyrics Support

• LRC File Downloads: Save synchronized lyrics as .lrc files alongside tracks
• Lyrics Embedding: Embed lyrics directly into audio file metadata
• Timed Lyrics Support: Full support for synchronized lyrics with timestamps
• Fallback Handling: Graceful handling when lyrics are unavailable

🎬 Enhanced Video Downloads

• FFmpeg-Free Video Downloads: Download videos without FFmpeg in .ts format
• Smart Format Selection: .mp4 with FFmpeg, .ts without FFmpeg
• M3U8 Video Support: Full support for segmented video downloads
• Clean Filename Handling: Consistent filename formatting across all modes

🚀 Improvements

📊 Download Management

• Enhanced Queue System: Improved queuing for albums and playlists
• Better Progress Tracking: More accurate progress reporting with speed/ETA
• Smart Status Updates: Real-time status updates with queue position information
• Bulk Operations: Improved handling of large album and playlist downloads

🎯 Quality Detection & Optimization

• Album Quality Detection: Automatic detection of album maximum quality
• Quality Optimization: Smart quality adjustment based on album capabilities
• Master/Hi-Res Support: Enhanced support for Master and Hi-Res audio formats
• Quality Mismatch Warnings: Helpful recommendations for optimal quality settings

🖥️ User Interface Enhancements

• Modern Settings Interface: Redesigned settings with organized cards and sections
• Placeholder Information Popup: Interactive guide for filename format placeholders
• Platform Detection UI: Visual feedback for external playlist conversion
• Enhanced Download Status: Better visual indicators for different download states
• Conversion Info Panels: Dedicated UI for playlist conversion workflows

📁 File Organization & Formatting

• Flexible Filename Formats: Enhanced support for custom filename patterns
• Preset Format Options: Quick-select presets for common filename structures
• Metadata Placeholders: Expanded placeholder support ({artist}, {album}, {playlist}, etc.)
• Year Extraction: Improved year detection from multiple metadata sources
• Sanitized Filenames: Better handling of invalid characters in filenames

🛠️ Technical Improvements

🔧 Backend Enhancements

• Robust Error Handling: Improved error recovery and user feedback
• Connection Stability: Better handling of network interruptions and API limits
• Memory Optimization: Reduced memory usage during large downloads
• Concurrent Downloads: Optimized concurrent download limits to prevent API issues

📊 Performance Optimizations

• Faster Search: Improved search performance across all content types
• Efficient Queueing: Better resource management for bulk downloads
• Smart Retry Logic: Intelligent retry mechanisms for failed downloads
• Progress Optimization: More responsive progress updates and UI feedback

🔐 Authentication & Stability

• Enhanced Login Flow: More reliable authentication process
• Session Management: Better handling of login sessions and token refresh
• Background Authentication: Improved background authentication handling

🐛 Bug Fixes

• Fixed video filename formatting issues when using FFmpeg
• Resolved playlist conversion edge cases with special characters
• Fixed album quality detection for certain release types
• Improved handling of missing track metadata
• Fixed M3U8 generation for playlists with mixed content types
• Resolved UI freezing during large playlist conversions
• Fixed duplicate download detection for external playlists
• Improved error messages for failed track conversions

📋 Settings Changes

New Settings Added:

1. UseFFmpeg: Enable/disable FFmpeg usage (default: true)
2. AllowVideoWithoutFFmpeg: Allow video downloads without FFmpeg (removed - simplified to UseFFmpeg only)
3. DownloadLyrics: Enable .lrc file downloads (default: false)
4. EmbedLyrics: Embed lyrics in audio files (default: false)
5. CreateM3U8Playlists: Generate M3U8 playlist files (default: true)

Enhanced Settings:

1. Filename Format Presets: Quick-select dropdown options for common formats
2. Placeholder Helper: Interactive popup showing available placeholders
3. Smart Validation: Real-time validation of filename formats

🎯 Breaking Changes

1. Video File Extensions: Raw video downloads now use .ts extension instead of .mp4 when FFmpeg is disabled
2. Default Filename Formats: Some default filename formats may have changed - check your settings after update

📖 Usage Notes
External Playlist Conversion:

• Paste Spotify/Deezer/YouTube playlist URL in the download field
• App automatically detects platform and shows conversion UI
• Review conversion results before downloading
• Successfully matched tracks download to Tidal format

FFmpeg Usage:

• Enabled: Best quality, FLAC conversion, .mp4 videos
• Disabled: Faster downloads, native formats (.m4a audio, .ts video)
• Setting Location: Settings → "Use FFmpeg for audio processing"

M3U8 Playlists:

• Automatically created in playlist folders
• Compatible with most media players
• Contains full file paths and metadata
• Can be disabled in settings if not needed

📊 Download Statistics

• Supported Platforms: Tidal, Spotify, Deezer, YouTube Music
• Audio Formats: FLAC, M4A (depending on FFmpeg setting)
• Video Formats: MP4 (with FFmpeg), TS (without FFmpeg)
• Quality Support: LOW, HIGH, LOSSLESS, HI_RES, HI_RES_LOSSLESS
• Playlist Formats: M3U8 generation with full metadata

Total Downloads Supported: Tracks, Albums, Playlists, Videos, Artist Discographies, External Playlists

Riptide v1.0.0 - Initial Release

We're excited to announce the initial release of Riptide, a powerful and user-friendly Tidal downloader application!

About Riptide

Riptide is a desktop application designed to help Tidal users download and manage their favorite music and videos from the Tidal streaming service. With a sleek interface and robust functionality, Riptide makes it easy to build your offline music library.

Features

• Tidal Account Integration: Securely log in to your Tidal account.
• Multi-Format Downloads: Download tracks, albums, playlists, and videos.
• Quality Options: Choose from various audio qualities, including HiFi and Master quality.
• Search Functionality: Easily find the content you want to download.
• Download Management: View and manage your download queue with a user-friendly interface.
• Metadata Preservation: Keeps all relevant metadata intact, including album art.
• Customizable Settings: Set your preferred download path and file naming conventions.

System Requirements

• Windows 10 or later
• .NET Framework 7.0 or higher
• Active Tidal subscription

Known Issues

• The application may experience slight UI freezes during searches with large result sets.

Feedback and Contributions

We welcome your feedback and contributions! Please report any bugs or feature requests in the Issues section of our GitHub repository.

Disclaimer

This application is for personal use only. Please respect copyright laws and Tidal's terms of service when using Riptide.

Future Plans

We're already working on improvements for future releases, including:

• Improved search performance
• Batch download capabilities
• Integration with local media players

Thank you for trying Riptide! We hope it enhances your Tidal experience.