Apple is launching a new music streaming service focused on classical music. Building on its 2021 acquisition of Amsterdam-based streamer Primephonic, the new Apple Music Classical app will offer Apple Music subscribers access to more than 5 million classical music tracks, including new releases in high-quality audio, as well as Hundreds of curated playlists. thousands of exclusive albums and other features like songwriter biographies and in-depth reviews of key works, Apple says.
The service was rumored to be nearing completion, given its appearance in the latest OS updates rolled out to developers, but the exact timing of the release was not yet known.
However, while the app is announced today, it is only available for pre-order on the App Store for now. The release date will be later this month on March 28. Also, the app will only support iOS devices running iOS 15.4 or later at the time of release.
The company’s decision to target classical music listeners with a standalone app is a differentiator for its Apple Music subscription service, though it’s quite different from the features rival Spotify announced this week, which included high-tech features. like AI and video. sources of discovery.
Image Credits: Apple
Instead, Apple Music Classical will present a simple interface for interacting with classical works. Users will be able to search by composer, work, director or even catalog number, to locate recordings. These can be transmitted in high-quality audio up to 192 kHz/24-bit Hi-Res Lossless. And thousands of recordings will also be available in Apple’s Immersive Spatial Audio.
The app will also allow users to dive into the recordings to read editorial notes on the composers and descriptions of their key works. Famous composers will have their own high-resolution digital portraits available, commissioned by Apple from artists. These were designed with color palettes and artistic references from the relevant classical period, Apple notes, with more to be added over time. At launch, portraits of Ludwig van Beethoven, Frédéric Chopin and Johann Sebastian Bach will be available.
The service will also continue to update with new music over time. Apple notes that it has been working with classical music artists and music institutions to offer exclusive content and recordings at launch and this will continue in the future. For now, users will be able to follow news and updates about the app and music releases on the @appleclassical Twitter account.
There’s no additional charge for Apple Music Classical as it’s delivered as part of your Apple Music subscription. The app will be available to subscribers of all plans, including Individual ($10.99/mo), Student ($5.99/mo), Family ($16.99/mo), and Apple One bundles.
Although the service is iOS-only at launch, it will be compatible with Android “soon”, similar to the Apple Music app.
