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Apple’s latest foray into the streaming marketplace is actually a spin-off service from its already-competitiveApple Music. But what does Apple Music Classical actually offer and why is it a separate app in the first place? We’ll tackle those questions.
What is Apple Music Classical and how does it work?
Apple Music Classical made its way onto theApple App Store in March 2023, followed by theGoogle Play Storetwo months later. It debuted about nearly two years after Appleacquired British classical streaming service Primephonic, which wrapped up discrete operations in September 2021. Some of the company’s assets and features were integrated into the Apple Music experience as time went by.
As you might be able to surmise, it provides a breakout experience for enthusiasts of the classical genre with all the interpretations of well-trodden instrumental works and operas plus curated lineups from Apple’s editors as well as big names including Joyce DiDonato and Yo-Yo Ma.
Apple Music Classical also includes non-musical bonus content including commentary tracks and unique artwork.
Depending on the source material, the app supports playback at 24 bits and 192kHz as well as Dolby Atmos. Apple touts weekly additions to its catalogue of new spatial/surround sound albums.
Why is Apple Music Classical a separate app from Apple Music?
With more than 5 million tracks, Apple makes the case for a standalone classical streaming experience here is the search engine which takes advantage of the metadata that Primephonic has compiled over the years. Users are able to filter down to their favorite renditions by composer, composition, performer, instrument, and other criteria. It’s much unlike the rest of the recording ecosystem, which is mainly driven by searches for the artist, album, and/or song - there aren’t 100 different recordings of the same composition as performed by different bands.
Apple could do well to superserve this audience and, perhaps, find new revenue streams from it.
How much does Apple Music Classical cost?
The service is free withan Apple Music subscription, which starts at $10.99 or £10.99 per month, to those with a device on iOS 15.4, Android 9.0, or later.
How to try Apple Music Classical now
You may not even need Apple Music to take advantage of some of the festivities surrounding Classical: Some Apple Stores are promoting Apple Music Classical with local Today at Apple event programming featuring live performances from local orchestral groups. You can keep an eye out for these events on Apple’s dedicatedToday at Apple page.
