Apple acquires Primephonic streaming service for classical music

Apple has acquired Primephonic. That is a streaming service for classical music. The service is closed. It will be replaced by a standalone Apple Music app for classical music, with the interface of Primephonic.

Primephonic will continue to operate until September 7, Apple said in a press release. After that, the platform will go offline, while Apple is working on a separate Music app for classical music. The streaming service will immediately stop accepting new subscribers. The app also appears to have already been removed from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

Apple Music will release a “standalone classical music app” next year, which Apple says will combine Primephonic’s user interface with new features. The app should, among other things, get improved search capabilities compared to the current Apple Music app, which allows users to search for classical music pieces by composer or repertoire, for example.

It is not yet known when this standalone Apple Music app will appear. Current Primephonic subscribers get six months of free access to Apple Music and a refund for the remainder of their subscription.

Primephonic started three years ago as a start-up, among other places. The Primephonic team reports on its website that the deal with Apple is aimed, among other things, at reaching more listeners.

“As a start-up focusing only on classical music, we cannot reach the majority of global classical listeners, especially those who listen to many other music genres as well,” the company said. “That’s why we’ve come to the conclusion that in order to achieve our mission, we need to partner with a leading streaming service that spans all genres of music and also shares our love for classical music.”

Image via Apple