Apple Announces Apple Music Classical, Now Available on the App Store

[MacRumors]

Apple has announced the release of Apple Music Classical, which is now available to download in the App Store. Apple originally planned to launch a classical music app in 2022, but the app was not announced until this year.

"We love music — that's really what we're all about — and classical music is foundational to music of all genres," said Oliver Schusser, Apple's vice president of Apple Music and Beats. "Apple Music Classical is a dedicated app that is great for classical experts as well as anyone who is new to classical, with the largest classical music selection in the world, the very best search and browse capabilities, the most premium sound experience with Spatial Audio, and thousands of exclusive recordings. We believe this is the very best classical music streaming experience available anywhere, and for us, this is just the beginning."

The new ‌Apple Music‌ Classical app offers ‌Apple Music‌ and Apple One subscribers access to over five million classical music tracks, including new high-quality releases, in addition to thousands of exclusive albums, and other features like composer bios and deep dives on key works.

Over 700 playlists are available to guide listeners through 800 years of music, with more to be added, according to Apple. Beginners can start with The Story of Classical audio guides, which blend expert commentary and selected works to introduce key composers, periods, instruments, and classical terminology.

Meanwhile for devotees, there's the chance to go behind the scenes of selected recordings as leading classical artists offer track-by-track audio commentary. Every week, Apple Music Classical's hand-picked Hidden Gems will also highlight a selection of lesser-known works, while Composer Undiscovered playlists promise to bring a new perspective to famous names.

The app offers a simpler interface for interacting with classical music specifically. Unlike the existing ‌Apple Music‌ app, ‌Apple Music‌ Classical allows users to search by composer, work, conductor, catalog number, and more. Users can get more detailed information from editorial notes and descriptions.

Apple Music Classical also features lossless audio of up to 24 bit/192 kHz throughout the service so listeners can experience the nuances of every performance, while a Spatial Audio catalog adds new albums every week as legendary recordings are remastered and contemporary performances are captured in Spatial Audio.

Additionally, Apple Music has partnered with classical institutions including the Berlin Philharmonic, Carnegie Hall, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Metropolitan Opera, the New York Philharmonic, Opéra national de Paris, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony, and the Vienna Philharmonic — to bring Apple Music Classical listeners new and exclusive content and recordings.

Apple Music Classical will also host several live performances featuring some of these partners at Apple Store locations around the world as part of the Today at Apple programming beginning in March 2023. Users can sign up to Today at Apple events via Apple's website.

Apple Music‌ Classical is based on Primephonic, a classical music streaming service that Apple acquired in 2021. Apple Music‌ Classical will only support iOS devices running iOS 15.4 or newer, and an Android version of the app is coming soon, according to Apple. Apple made the app available for pre-order earlier this month.

The app is currently available in English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese, and Dutch. Note that the app is not available in China, Japan, Korea, Russia, Taiwan, and Turkey.

Article Link: Apple Announces Apple Music Classical, Now Available on the App Store

 

[and 1989 others]

Opened it and the very first thing that that played after a random succession of button clicks (to test the app) was 'Haydn on Synthesizers project'. That is not classical.

 

[wenepyru]

Opened it and the very first thing that that played after a random succession of button clicks (to test the app) was 'Haydn on Synthesizers project'. That is not classical.

How are you not familiar with that one? It’s a classic.

 

[Blapo]

Nice experience, like it a lot, partially because it includes outer ranges of classical music, like interpretations by jazzmen.
I’m very surprised that there is no Favourites (no possibility to assign „hearts” to your loved pieces)… coming next?

 

[iJeffmac]

First impressions are it has some very well curated playlists and I'm impressed with what I have come across so far. I'm going to enjoy this a lot and look forward to rediscovering some classics and different productions.

 

[zapmymac]

I’m just glad they didn’t do Apple-magic and not, not allow it on the iPad, as I have a dac/amp usb-c, and ⚡️is going away sadly

My know level: “for kids” 😂

 

[Smartass]

I think this is a very good idea, classical music really deserves its own special app. You cant just cram 300 years of history under one category in spotify..

 

[jon3543]

How are you not familiar with that one? It’s a classic.

Go to Mozart under Composers. There you'll find the first item under Latest Albums is "Classical Music for Dogs". They didn't name him "Woofgang" for nothing, you know.

 

[woolypants]

Too expensive for an individual subscription unless you're SERIOUSLY into classical (and honestly, I don't know a single person who'd fall into that category).

Great that it's part of the Apple One bundle but that's a comedy show in itself that's hard to justify —

• Cloud storage: comically small amounts. I honestly don't know how Apple views this internally. It must be some kind of cognitive dissonance.
• Apple TV with some great shows but not many (I like around 50% of Apple's TV shows – the rest I don't care for). Once you've watched the ones you like, well, you don't open the app until something else arrives. That can be weeks or even months. On Amazon or Netflix there's enough old content to keep me interested for months.
• Apple Music pushes contemporary pop hard, and if you're over 40 it gets very tiresome. There is honestly space for a music app that takes an "oldies" or "gold" approach like some radio stations.
• Apple Arcade – some good games but again, once you'd played those you're interested in, you're not using it until the next interesting release is rationed out. Certainly no triple A titles, though, and nothing to get involved in. Just casual gaming.
• Apple News – actually quite good! But here in the UK it leans right wing a little in highlighted stories, perhaps because we have such a right-wing press. I'm on a free trial of this and use it often, but I wouldn't consider paying for it.
• Apple Fitness – good for you if you're into exercising. Mostly young 'uns I think.Again, once you're past 40 exercising regularly is a minority interest outside of general exercise like walking (and I KNOW people will reply below saying they're 60 and do circuit training – good for you. But you're an outlier.)

 

[wenepyru]

Go to Mozart under Composers. There you'll find the first item under Latest Albums is "Classical Music for Dogs". They didn't name him "Woofgang" for nothing, you know.

 

[woolypants]

I think this is a very good idea, classical music really deserves its own special app. You cant just cram 300 years of history under one category in spotify..

There are many, many classical music apps and services.

 

[Abadgermac]

No CarPlay integration for this new app? I don’t understand why this is missing.

 

[wenepyru]

No CarPlay integration for this new app? I don’t understand why this is missing.

Classical music is too distracting to drive with 😐

 

[Docsta80]

Love the app. I just wish they also included an iPad version also.

 

[Lioness~]

Love the app. I just wish they also included an iPad version also.

Hope they work on it. But the iPhone app works on iPad at least, ugly as it is.

 

[mookc1]

And no CarPlay app. It will play through CarPlay, but you need to use your phone to select the works.

 

[AppleiPhone4lyfe]

I wasn’t too keen on having a separate classical app, but seeing all my classical/orchestral music automatically move into the new app is a huge perk

 

[roncron]

Opened it and the very first thing that that played after a random succession of button clicks (to test the app) was 'Haydn on Synthesizers project'. That is not classical.

That’s how Haydn intended it. He was ahead of his time. 😉

 

[ch1ptune]

Can't believe it only supports AirPlay and no direct playback on the HomePods. What an oversight.

 

[Pecka]

Makes no sense that it's only an iPhone app. I want to use my MBP laying in the sofa listening through headphones or on my stereo.

 

[RigSatMe]

Frankly speaking, just got no idea: why should be there a separate app? A fragmentation has began!
Following this logic, why hasn't Apple created a separate app for each genre?

 

[jennyp]

Apple Music is a no-go for me. I signed up some while back, only to find that my favourite and rare classical recordings (CD rips) had been replaced by other, different recordings! Whaat?! I had to erase everything and restore from backup. Yes, I like hearing new recordings, but I don't like my favourites being trashed! For that reason I wouldn't touch Apple Music Classical (or Apple Music, for that matter).

 

[ben428]

Apple Music Classical is now available for everyone to download in the App Store, at last fulfilling the company's promise to offer a dedicated classical music app. Apple originally planned to launch a classical music app in 2022, but the app was not announced until this year.

The new ‌Apple Music‌ Classical app offers ‌Apple Music‌ and Apple One subscribers access to over five million classical music tracks, including new high-quality releases, in addition to hundreds of curated playlists, thousands of exclusive albums, and other features like composer bios and deep dives on key works.

The app offers a simpler interface for interacting with classical music specifically. Unlike the existing ‌Apple Music‌ app, ‌Apple Music‌ Classical allows users to search by composer, work, conductor, catalog number, and more. Users can get more detailed information from editorial notes and descriptions.

Apple Music‌ Classical is based on Primephonic, a classical music streaming service that Apple acquired in 2021. Apple Music‌ Classical will only support iOS devices running iOS 15.4 or newer, and an Android version of the app is coming soon, according to Apple. Apple made the app available for pre-order earlier this month.

The app is currently available in English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese, and Dutch. Note that the app is not available in countries including China, Japan, Korea, Russia, Taiwan, and Turkey.

Article Link: Apple Music Classical Now Available to Download on the App Stor

I wasn’t too keen on having a separate classical app, but seeing all my classical/orchestral music automatically move into the new app is a huge perk

I have a bunch of random stuff in the Classical Library—mostly Broadway musicals. Oddly, these don't have the classical genre in my Music library. I'm guessing that they were mistakenly classified as classical at some point and even though I changed the genre manually, the Classical app somehow sees the original genre. On the flip side, I have stuff in the classical genre in Music that _isn't_ showing up in Classical. 🤷🏻

 

[ben428]

Frankly speaking, just got no idea: why should be there a separate app? A fragmentation has began!
Following this logic, why hasn't Apple create a separate app for each genre?

Because classical music is primarily organized by composer and pretty much every other genre is organized by artist.

 

[Edsel]

Can't believe it only supports AirPlay and no direct playback on the HomePods. What an oversight.

Imagine how "Siri" would interpret "Hey, Siri! Play Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125".