‘Apple Music Classical,’ Apple’s standalone app for classical music, is now available on Android devices.
The Android rollout came two months after the app officially launched on the App store, allowing Apple Music subscribers to enjoy its features at no additional cost as part of their existing subscription.
The launch of the app on Android devices was first spotted by 9to5Mac.
The availability of the app on Android devices precedes its release on Mac and optimization for iPad. The app also has yet to make its way to CarPlay.
The worldwide availability of the Apple Music Classical app aligns with the presence of Apple Music, except in certain regions such as China, Japan, Korea, Russia, Taiwan, and Turkey.
To access the Apple Music Classical app, users must have an active Apple Music subscription, although it is not compatible with the Apple Music Voice Plan, a subscription tier designed for Siri integration
The app promises to deliver the listening experience classical music aficionados deserve, integrating the features of Primephonic, a classical music streaming service that Apple acquired in August 2021.
Drawing inspiration from Primephonic, the Apple Music Classical app offers enhanced browsing and search capabilities categorized by composer and repertoire. The app also provides detailed displays of classical music metadata, empowering users with comprehensive information about their favorite compositions.
The app features a catalog of over 5 million tracks, including new releases and celebrated masterpieces. It supports up to 192 kHz/24-bit Hi-Res Lossless audio quality, ensuring an immersive listening experience with Dolby Atmos spatial audio.
Apple introduced Lossless Audio and Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos in June 2021, offering enhanced sound quality to its users at no extra cost.
Apple’s decision to develop a separate app for classical music stems from the unique challenges faced by classical music enthusiasts on traditional streaming platforms.
In a recent analysis by Ryan Blakeley, a Ph.D. in Musicology candidate at the Eastman School of Music, he noted that classical music has struggled to adapt to the streaming era despite the emergence of services like Spotify and Apple Music.
Blakeley’s analysis raises the question of whether classical music can generate substantial revenue for Apple, given its niche appeal. He suggested that rather than being a significant revenue generator on its own, classical music serves as a gateway to Apple’s product ecosystem.
By attracting classical music enthusiasts, Apple can potentially lead them to explore and invest in other Apple products such as iPhones, AirPods, HomePods, Macs, Apple Watches, and the range of services offered by these devices.
Apple Music Classical may face competition from STAGE+, a high-resolution classical music streaming service introduced by Deutsche Grammophon, a subsidiary of Universal Music Group, in November 2022.
STAGE+, however, is only available on the App Store.
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