The rapper staged a high-profile unveiling for the company last month (Mar15) after buying the brand for around $56 million (£35 million), enlisting the help of stars including his wife Beyonce, Madonna, Rihanna, and Alicia Keys.

However, the huge promotional push has failed to give Tidal the boost it needed. New figures show that Tidal surged to the top 20 in the iTunes download chart after the launch, but subsequently crashed out of the top 700, leaving rivals Spotify and Pandora holding strong in the top five.

The news comes after a wave of criticism from fans and artists, including folk group Mumford & Sons and British pop star Lily Allen, who fears the company's high subscription fees and lack of a free service, which is provided by rival Spotify, could drive music-lovers back to illegal downloads.

Jay Z was also accused of designing the service to line the pockets of super-rich artists instead of focusing on the needs of fans, but he defended Tidal by insisting it also provides more money for the writers and producers behind hit tracks.