Apple buys classical music streaming service Primephonic

Apple Music is expanding further into classical music. Today, Apple announced that it has acquired Primephonic, a service that specializes in streaming the classical genre, and will add app functionality and playlists to Apple Music. The result will be "a much better classical music experience," Apple said in a press release. There will also be a standalone Apple Music classical app coming sometime in 2022.

Effective immediately, Primephonic is no longer accepting new customers, and the service will cease from today on September 7.

Apple says PrimeFonic's playlists and "exclusive audio content" will be integrated into Apple Music first. Down the line, it will "combine the best features of Primephonic, including improved browsing and search capabilities across composer and repertoire, a detailed display of classical music metadata, as well as new features and benefits."

To show how serious Apple is about attracting classical fans, the company says it will launch "a dedicated classical music app" next year that uses Primephonic's "classical user interface that fans have loved." will use. "

Primephonic launched three years ago, and its team says the deal is largely about reaching more audiences. "As a classical startup alone, we cannot reach the majority of global classical listeners, especially those who also listen to many other music genres," the company wrote in a note on its webpage. “So we concluded that to achieve our mission, we need to partner with a leading streaming service that covers all music genres and also shares our love for classical music.”

According to Primephonic's FAQ, customers with an active subscription will receive a pro-rata refund. They'll also get a code to redeem six months' worth of Apple Music.

As I wrote in my early review of Apple Music's Spatial Audio, the Classic lends itself very well to Dolby Atmos mixes—so I'm hailing the service as a better home for the genre. I am ready I am doing