Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Apple Acquires Classical Music Service Primephonic, Will Launch Dedicated Classical Music App

MacRumors

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
65,232
33,508


Apple today announced that it has acquired classical music streaming service Primephonic, and will be folding it into Apple Music.

apple-music.jpg

Primephonic offers an "outstanding listening experience" with search and browse functionality optimized for classical audio, plus handpicked recommendations and "contextual details on repertoire and recordings."
"We love and have a deep respect for classical music, and Primephonic has become a fan favorite for classical enthusiasts," said Oliver Schusser, Apple's vice president of Apple Music and Beats. "Together, we're bringing great new classical features to Apple Music, and in the near future, we'll deliver a dedicated classical experience that will truly be the best in the world."
Click to expand...
Apple says that with the Primephonic purchase, Apple Music subscribers will be provided with an improved classical music experience. This will start with Primephonic playlists and audio content, and in the coming months, Apple will offer a dedicated Primephonic experience with improved browsing and search capabilities by composer and repertoire, better classical music metadata, and more.

Primephonic will be taken offline on September 7, and is no longer available for new subscribers. Next year, Apple says it will launch a dedicated classical music app that combines Primephonic's classical user interface with added features.

Current Primephonic subscribers will receive six months of Apple Music access for free with access to hundreds of thousands of classical albums that support Lossless and Spatial Audio.

Article Link: Apple Acquires Classical Music Service Primephonic, Will Launch Dedicated Classical Music App
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2021/08/30/apple-acquires-primephonic-classical-music-service/
  • Like
  • Love
Reactions: iPhilPHX, symphony1010, DeepIn2U and 9 others
Realityck

Realityck

macrumors G4
Nov 9, 2015
11,119
16,831
Silicon Valley, CA
MacRumors said:
Next year, Apple says it will launch a dedicated classical music app that combines Primephonic's classical user interface with added features.

Current Primephonic subscribers will receive six months of Apple Music access for free with access to hundreds of thousands of classical albums that support Lossless and Spatial Audio.
Click to expand...
I assume the app will allow people familiar with Primephonic to continue to use a similar interface. Wonder how this will work with the existing classical music in Apple Music?
 
D

dguisinger

macrumors 65816
Jul 25, 2002
1,102
2,259
I don’t understand why they had to do this. Clearly this isn’t a major coding or infrastructure issue, Apple Music should have been able to handle classical music.

is this about the user base or the licenses they have on performances? I can’t imagine it’s something beyond that….
 
  • Like
Reactions: mackiemesser97
K

KaliYoni

macrumors 68000
Feb 19, 2016
1,771
3,897
now i see it said:
wouldn't legislative bodies consider this acquisition as yet another anti-competitive purchase?
Click to expand...
I think regulatory action is unlikely because the market for classical music is very small compared to other genres, especially country and rock-related.

Personally, I think a separate Apple service for classical has a lot of potential. Apple Music's current UX and UI is terrible for classical but its existing relationships with record companies and deep financial resources are a significant strength. If Apple's current music employees don't steamroll Primephonic's people and actually take advantage of their expertise, Apple Music Classical could be "insanely great".
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: UltimaKilo, Alwis, Brenster and 1 other person
Marco Klobas

Marco Klobas

macrumors 6502
Jul 14, 2017
478
947
Italy
one more said:
Next year, Apple says it will launch a dedicated classical music app that combines Primephonic's classical user interface with added features.

What’s the point of that, I wonder? Will they have a different database from the main Apple Music? If so, why? ??‍♂️
Click to expand...

I guess Apple will leverage Primephonic's searching and metadata capabilities, integrating them in Apple Music.

Classical lovers will find additional informations in the classical music albums (about composer, conductor, orchestra, etc.) which Apple Music always lacked.
 
  • Like
  • Love
Reactions: freedomlinux, hans1972, amartinez1660 and 5 others
B

Brenster

macrumors 6502a
Jul 7, 2008
826
837
Great news, especially given how the composer/conductor/performer (orchestra, singer, soloist, group)/era/label means for sorting and searching classical doesn’t map readily onto the artist/album metadata most other musical genres use.

As someone who is a huge fan of classical on Apple Music, especially Deutsche Grammophon’s curated playlists & support for Atmos, its hard to see a downside to this.

Looking forward on the new app and what it might highlight from AM’s classical catalogue.
 
  • Like
Reactions: UltimaKilo, mackiemesser97, Schauspieler and 2 others
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom