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

Apple Music Classical: 15 Things You Need to Know About the New App

MacRumors said:


Apple today unveiled Apple Music Classical on the App Store. Here are 15 things you need to know about the new app:

Apple-Music-Classical-App-Icon-15-Things-Feature-Red-2-1.jpg


  • Apple Music Classical is based on Primephonic, a classical music streaming service that Apple acquired in 2021. The new app leverages Primephonic's playlists and audio content, search capabilities, metadata, and more.
  • Apple Music Classical works in tandem with the existing Apple Music app, providing dedicated features to engage with classical music on the Apple Music platform more directly, but with many of the same features like support for Spatial Audio.
  • As its name suggests, the app singularly contains classical music, offering over five million tracks, hundreds of curated playlists, and thousands of exclusive albums.
  • Apple says that it has been working with classical music artists and institutions to offer exclusive content and recordings in Apple Music Classical, including Hi-Res Losless and Spatial Audio tracks.
  • The app's design is based on Apple Music, but with a simplified UI that heavily uses Apple's New York font instead of SF Pro.
  • There is no Radio tab in the Apple Music Classical app, and it is not yet clear if it will support classical Radio Stations from Apple Music.
  • The app features a more capable search experience, allowing users to search by composer, work, conductor, catalog number, and more.
  • The Now Playing screen has an all-white or all-black background, unlike Apple Music, which generates a background from the currently playing track's album artwork.
  • The Now Playing screen features an info button instead of lyrics, providing detailed written descriptions of songs.
  • The app features rich composer bios, editorial notes, and detailed information about key works.
  • Apple has commissioned unique artwork of famous artists for Apple Music Classical using color palettes and artistic references from the relevant classical period. The first portraits include Ludwig van Beethoven, Frédéric Chopin, and Johann Sebastian Bach, with more to come in the future.
  • There is no version of Apple Music Classical for iPadOS, making it an iPhone-only app.
  • An Android version of Apple Music Classical is in the works and set to arrive "soon," according to Apple.
  • Apple has launched a new Twitter account for Apple Music Classical, @appleclassical, to track news and updates about the app.
  • Apple Music Classical is included for free as part of an existing Apple Music or Apple One subscription, but it is not included in the $4.99-per-month Apple Music Voice plan.

Apple Music‌ Classical is now available for pre-order on the App Store and due to be released on March 28, 2023.

Article Link: Apple Music Classical: 15 Things You Need to Know About the New App
Click to expand...
Will it be available to use in CarPlay?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Will Co and compwiz1202
For classical music, especially with the rich content Apple Classical promises to provide, a dedicated iPad or Mac app would be a lot better for me.

When I listen to classical, I'm more likely to be at home listening through my stereo than on the go, and more likely to be focusing on the music rather than splitting my attention between the music and driving, working out, talking with friends, etc.

For me, it works really well to plug my iPad or Mac into my stereo's DAC, the sound quality is surprisingly great. I could plug in my iPhone, or install the iPhone classical music app on my iPad or Mac, I suppose, but a dedicated app for ipad or mac would be better.

If Apple Classical works well for me, that's one less reason to keep paying for Qobuz or TIDAL.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Colonel Blimp, Artemis70, zapmymac and 2 others
sniffies said:
One of the few apps I'm genuinely excited about.

Right now, many are probably scratching their heads wondering 'why,' but I have no doubt that it will become big and have a lot more people talking about and listening to classical music.
Click to expand...
Nope, it will be a flop like the iPhone mini. To make the grade at Apple it requires tens of millions of users. Classical is not that popular. BTW I am a classical music listener.

Currently listening to Brahms Piano Concerto No.2 in B flat major, Vienna Philharmonic.
 
  • Haha
Reactions: TheDailyApple
roncron said:
For classical music, especially with the rich content Apple Classical promises to provide, a dedicated iPad or Mac app would be a lot better for me.

When I listen to classical, I'm more likely to be at home listening through my stereo than on the go, and more likely to be focusing on the music rather than splitting my attention between the music and driving, working out, talking with friends, etc.
Click to expand...
Agreed. I guess it's another confirmation that Apple is now more of a phone company than a personal computer company. Priorities. The flagship product gets the most resources and attention.
 
  • Like
Reactions: roncron and nt5672
BC2009 said:
I can see a few reasons why this is a separate app, but it seems unnecessary. Couldn’t they have just folded this into the Music app?
Click to expand...
Because most streaming music sounds really bad when played through a good audio system. If it was the same app, then you would blame Apple when it sounded bad.
 
  • Like
Reactions: cbsnbiker
BC2009 said:
I can see a few reasons why this is a separate app, but it seems unnecessary. Couldn’t they have just folded this into the Music app?
Click to expand...
Likely so they can roll it into Apple One as yet another included "subscription."
 
TVos is the big miss here - IPad is kind of in the same boat as the iPhone in terms of the complications that exist in outputting the source material in hi-res lossless. And classical music and audiophiles go together like peanut butter and jelly.

TVos would be the easiest way to get hi-res lossless - at least up to 24/48 - through an hdmi output into an audio system. External DAC is required for any other device. For my Mac Studio, I have an external audio interface capable of 24/192 but doesn’t support atmos. So for me, I’d also have been happy with a MacOS version as well, but for my main listening system, it’s the HDMI from the AppleTV that is the most seamless way to get lossless audio into an audio system.
 
  • Like
Reactions: elephant man, zapmymac, dallardice and 1 other person
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
Back