Apple has added Apple Music Classical to CarPlay, enhancing its utility for users who enjoy classical music. This service, based on the Primephonic platform acquired by Apple in 2021, offers the world's largest classical music catalog with over 5 million tracks. The update also includes support for Spatial Audio, Announced Notifications, and new accessibility features in iOS 18. Apple Music Classical is available with an Apple Music subscription, providing a rich, immersive listening experience for CarPlay users.
Apple surprised the tech world in 2023 with unexpected announcements and product launches. The highly anticipated Vision Pro headset was unveiled, but its release is still pending. Apple also introduced new financial products, Apple Pay Later and a high-yield savings account, while facing reports of a troubled partnership with Goldman Sachs for the Apple Card. Apple Music Classical was launched as a separate app, addressing the challenges of organizing classical music libraries. The iPhone 15 featured a switch to USB-C charging ports and the potential support for RCS messaging. The HomePod speaker made a comeback with improved sound quality. Apple's environmental efforts included the release of the FineWoven case, which received mixed reviews. Additionally, Apple made a significant investment in MLS, bringing global soccer superstar Lionel Messi to the Inter Miami team.
Apple Music Classical, a standalone music app included in Apple Music, aims to make classical music more accessible to both seasoned devotees and newcomers. Apple's acquisition of Primephonic, a successful classical streaming platform, helped transform the experience by providing careful navigation and sophisticated search options. With a vast library of classical music and exclusive content, Apple Music Classical offers a structure for users to explore centuries of music and discover underrepresented composers. The app features work pages, playlists, and human-curated recommendations, striking a balance between pleasing knowledgeable classical fans and attracting newcomers. The team continues to work on improvements to enhance the accessibility and enjoyment of classical music for all listeners.
Apple has announced its acquisition of BIS Records, a major Swedish classical music label, which will be integrated into Apple Music Classical and Platoon. BIS Records, known for its extensive catalog and commitment to audio quality, celebrated its 50th anniversary recently. This acquisition follows Apple's purchase of Primephonic earlier this year and demonstrates the company's dedication to supporting classical music and expanding its presence in the genre.
Berlin Philharmonic's in-house record label, Berliner Philharmoniker Recordings, has partnered with Apple Music Classical, making its entire catalogue available on the new app. The label's recordings can be accessed in Hi-Res Lossless with a maximum resolution of up to 192 kHz/24 bit and will be supplemented by detailed background information and complete metadata. The recordings will also be available for streaming in Spatial Audio exclusively on Apple Music Classical.
Apple will launch its classical streaming service, Apple Music Classical, on March 28th, offering hundreds of curated playlists, thousands of exclusive albums, and deep-dive guides for many key works. The service will be available at no extra charge to existing Apple Music subscribers and will offer around 5 million tracks in resolutions up to 24bit/192kHz. However, users will need to connect an iPhone to an external DAC via USB to stream sample rates higher than 48kHz, as MacOS doesn't offer native automatic sample rate switching.
