Apple is launching a classical music streaming app
Apple Music is about to get even bigger
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Applehas bought the classicalmusic streaming appPrimephonic and plans to release its own app dedicated to classical music, as well as offering Apple Music subscribers Primephonic playlists and exclusive audio content.
According to apress releasefrom the tech giant, classical music fans with Apple music will get “the best features from Primephonic”, including the ability to search by composer and repertoire, and more detailed classical music metadata.
Primephonic is now no longer accepting new subscribers, and will officially shut down on September 7. Existing subscribers will get a prorated refund and will be able to use the service for free until then, as well as receiving six months ofApple Musicfor free, which includes access to Lossless andhi-res audiostreams and classical albums inSpatial Audio.
Analysis: Apple Music continues its expansion
Apple is clearly on a mission to make its music streaming service as appealing to the widest spectrum of subscribers as possible.
The new integration with Primephonic will open Apple Music up to a new demographic of classical music enthusiasts, potentially giving it the edge over its biggest rivals, includingSpotifyandTidal.
Apple Music has already expanded its catalog by offering Lossless and Spatial Audio at no extra cost to subscribers, democratizing hi-res audio while most other streaming services provide it for a fee – if they provide it at all.
While Spotify is looking to bring in its own higher quality (but not hi-res) audio tier withSpotify HiFi, it’s expected to cost more than a Premium subscription to the service.
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We still think Spotify is the best music streaming service for those that value easy music discovery and well-curated playlists over the very best audio quality – but improved access to classical music streams and the expertise of Primephonic means that even more users could be lured to Apple Music from Spotify.
Olivia was previously TechRadar’s Senior Editor - Home Entertainment, covering everything from headphones to TVs. Based in London, she’s a popular music graduate who worked in the music industry before finding her calling in journalism. She’s previously been interviewed on BBC Radio 5 Live on the subject of multi-room audio, chaired panel discussions on diversity in music festival lineups, and her bylines include T3, Stereoboard, What to Watch, Top Ten Reviews, Creative Bloq, and Croco Magazine. Olivia now has a career in PR.
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