Apple Buys Classical Music Streaming Service Primephonic

Apple has acquired the renowned classical music streaming service Primephonic.

Apple Music will launch a dedicated classical music app next year combining Primephonic’s classical user interface with more added features.

A significantly improved classical music experience

Apple Music subscribers will get a significantly improved classical music experience starting with Primephonic playlists and exclusive audio content. In the following months Apple Music Classical fans will get a dedicated experience with the best features of Primephonic, including better browsing and search capabilities by composer and by repertoire, detailed displays of classical music metadata, plus new features and benefits.

Oliver Schusser, Apple’s vice president of Apple Music and Beats, said, “We love and have a deep respect for classical music, and Primephonic has become a fan favourite for classical enthusiasts. Together, we’re bringing great new classical features to Apple Music, and in the near future, we’ll deliver a dedicated classical experience that will truly be the best in the world.”

A tremendous development for the classical music industry

Thomas Steffens, Primephonic’s co-founder and CEO, added, “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.”

Primephonic launched three years ago to create a better future for classical music by addressing the challenges and complexities of the genre for the streaming era. In a statement on their website Primephonic explained, “As a classical-only startup, we can not reach the majority of global classical listeners, especially those that listen to many other music genres as well. We therefore concluded that in order to achieve our mission, we need to partner with a leading streaming service that encompasses all music genres and also shares our love for classical music. Today, we are therefore thrilled to share a great step forward in our mission – Primephonic is joining Apple Music!”

Primephonic will no longer be available for new subscribers and will be taken offline from 7 September 2021. Current Primephonic subscribers will receive six months of Apple Music for free.

Do you want to be the first to hear the latest news from the classical world? Follow uDiscover Classical on Facebook and Twitter.