NEW YORK (AFP) - Jay Z's upstart Tidal streaming service has enjoyed a surge of interest after the rap mogul released his latest album exclusively on the platform.

Tidal - which he acquired in 2015 but trails far behind streaming leader Spotify and Apple Music - has seen a jump in downloads coinciding with the release of his 4:44 album on Friday.

Tidal on Friday and Saturday was the most downloaded app for iPhones in the United States, jumping 163 places from Thursday, according to tracking service App Annie.

It stood at number six on Monday, behind app stalwarts such as Instagram.

4:44, the first album in four years by the rapper who has devoted much energy to his business empire, came out to favourable reviews and a major buzz online over his unusually introspective lyricism.

On the album, he apologises to his wife, pop superstar Beyonce, for infidelity and reveals that his mother is a lesbian who struggled in the closet.

Jay Z has not revealed whether the album will remain a Tidal exclusive.

Other stars including Beyonce who released their albums through Tidal eventually made them available for download on Apple's iTunes or rival streaming platforms.