Apple acquires Primephonic music streaming service

Apple will release a stand-alone classical music app next year. Roman Loyola reports

Apple has revealed that it has acquired Primephonic, a streaming media start-up with a focus on classical music. In a press release (fave. co/3yNup9d), Apple says that users will be able to access Primephonic playlists and exclusive audio content, and that a “dedicated experience with the best features of Primephonic” will eventually be available.

Digital music can be challenging to manage on streaming services – the metadata system for music files was created with popular music in mind. Apple made some improvements years ago when Apple Music was called iTunes, but it still was frustrating for classical music listeners. With the Primephonic acquisition, Apple says it can provide a better experience, with the ability to search by composer

and repertoire, as well as “detailed displays of classical music metadata, plus new features and benefits.”

A note on the Primephonic website (fave.co/3h9nWiK) seems to indicate that the three-year-old company saw the acquisition as necessary for it to achieve its goals. “As a classical-only start-up, we can not [sic] reach the majority of global classical listeners, especially those that listen to many other music genres as well,” said the company. “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.”

Primephonic shut down on 7 September, and its users will get six months of Apple Music for free. Apple will release a dedicated app for classical music next year that will have features that Primephonic are familiar with, plus ‘more added features’.