Apple has acquired classical music streaming service Primephonic

Apple announced that it has acquired classical streaming service Primephonic and will be launching a dedicated classical music app later this year

With literally hundreds of recordings of the same musical work by different ensembles available, getting classical music search and reccomendatuions right is more difficult than in other genres.

Primephonic does both well and its that functionality optimized for classical music along with handpicked expert recommendations and extensive contextual detail that Apple Music plans to use to give its subscribers an improved classical music experience

Primephonic will shut down on Septmeber 7th and its playlists and exclusive content transferred to Apple Music.

Apple will launch a dedicated classical music app next year combining Primephonic’s classical with added features. In the meantime, current Primephonic subscribers will receive six months of Apple Music free.

“We love and have a deep respect for classical music, and Primephonic has become a fan favorite for classical enthusiasts,” said Oliver Schusser, Apple’s vice president of Apple Music and Beats. “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.”

“Bringing the best of Primephonic to Apple Music subscribers is a tremendous development for the classical music industry,” said Thomas Steffens, Primephonic’s co-founder and CEO. “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.”