Apple has announced that it has acquired the classical music streaming service Primephonic. The service, which is set to close following the purchase, offers a search and browsing experience optimised for classical, recordings that are of high quality, expert recommendations and contextual details on its catalogue of music. The purchase will also help improve Apple’s own Music service with Primephonic playlists and exclusive audio content.
Commenting on the news, Thomas Steffens, Primephonic’s co-founder and CEO, said:
“Bringing the best of Primephonic to Apple Music subscribers is a tremendous development for the classical music industry. Artists love the Primephonic service and what we’ve done in classical, and now we have the ability to join with Apple to deliver the absolute best experience to millions of listeners. We get to bring classical music to the mainstream and connect a new generation of musicians with the next generation of audience.”
Aside from the Primephonic playlists and exclusive audio content coming to the Apple Music streaming service, Apple said that fans of classical music will get a refined experience as features from Primephonic are ported to Apple Music. In the coming months, Apple Music will inherit better browsing and search capabilities by composer and repertoire and more detailed displays of classical music metadata.
With the acquisition, Primephonic is no longer accepting new subscribers and will be completely taken offline on September 7. Apple Music will launch a dedicated classical music app next year that combines the Primephonic user interface with new features. Those who are already subscribed to Primephonic have been promised six months of free Apple Music which contains a large library of high-quality classical music.