Apple incorporates Primephonic classical music streaming

The purchase of Primephonic, the Dutch startup dedicated exclusively to classical music, takes Apple another step into the world of music for fans and audiophiles. In recent months, the company announced the possibility of listening to all its songs in “lossless” resolution (choosing between various compression levels up to the highest possible quality on digital media) and the launch of Spatial Audio, a multidimensional listening mode that transports within the music, making it perceive as if it came from different points of space at the same time. With the incorporation of the Primephonic classical music streaming service, Apple is further expanding its library of 75 million songs (for comparison: Spotify has 70 million), expanding the classical sector and thus aiming to acquire new ones. exclusive listeners. In addition to the extensive library, Apple will also leverage Primephonic’s wealth of data and information to improve its ability to search and archive classic songs and to organize and propose thematic playlists. Primephonic will go offline starting September 7, and its users will have six months of free subscription to Apple Music through which they will be able to access all songs in lossless audio and hundreds of albums with the Spatial Audio function. In addition, Apple announced that it will launch an app dedicated exclusively to classical music next year, which will use Primephonic’s existing interface plus some Apple Music features. The startup said it was enthusiastic about the acquisition which, they assure, will not distort its focus on classical music but will rather allow it to reach more listeners, especially those with wider musical tastes, and will make Primephonic’s heritage of songs available to users of Apple Music. Speaking from co-founder and CEO Thomas Steffens and Gordon P. Getty, one of Primephonic’s largest shareholders, the company adds: “Together the two companies will be able to fulfill the mission of bringing together a new generation of musicians with the next generation of listeners, making sure that classical music remains relevant by bringing it to a ‘worldwide audience’. Oliver Schusser, Apple Music Vice President, acknowledged the superiority of the Primephonic experience for classical music lovers, announcing the integration of the features that made it famous on Apple Music. For the Cupertino giant, the focus on music has been a constant over the years. Among the dozens of acquisitions, many made to incorporate already formed teams, particular expertise or key technologies, those with a musical theme stand out in a particular way. In 2014, it bought headphone manufacturer and streaming provider Bets for $ 3 billion, in 2014 Shazam song recognition service for $ 400 million, and in 2018 it incorporated Platoon, a startup that helps independent artists finance, distribute and advertise your own music.