Apple has officially acquired renowned classical music streaming service Primephonic and plans to launch a new app entirely dedicated to the genre in 2022. Following the deal, Primephonic will stop accepting new subscribers and close down as a sole service.
Instead, Primephonic will be integrated into Apple Music. However, the tech giant did assure users of the original service that the company will work on "combining Primephonic’s classical user interface that fans have grown to love with more added features," rather than building the platform from scratch.
According to Apple, these features will include better browsing and search capabilities and more detailed displays of music-related metadata. While this could seem like a case of an indie app being swallowed up by a massive corporation, Thomas Steffens, Primephonic’s co-founder and CEO, believes that it is, in fact, a "tremendous development for the classical music industry." Considering that the merger will certainly bring classical music to a larger global audience, this seems like a fair assessment.
Classical Music App Integrations
Apple Acquires Primephonic in Move to Launch Classical Music App
Trend Themes
1. Classical Music App Integration - The integration of Primephonic into Apple Music signals a trend towards a more specialized and curated music streaming experience.
2. Increased Focus on Music Metadata - The added focus on detailed displays of music-related metadata signals a trend towards a more data-driven and user-centric music streaming experience.
3. Indie App Acquisition by Major Corporations - Apple's acquisition of Primephonic signals a trend towards major corporations acquiring indie apps with a strong user base to expand their music streaming portfolio.
Industry Implications
1. Music Streaming Services - Music streaming services can focus on providing more specialized and curated experiences in specific genres, as demonstrated by Apple's acquisition of Primephonic.
2. Classical Music Industry - Classical music industry players can leverage the increased exposure and access to a wider audience provided by the integration of Primephonic into Apple Music.
3. Data Analytics and Metadata Providers - Data analytics and metadata providers can capitalize on the trend towards more data-driven and user-centric music streaming experiences, as seen with the increased focus on music metadata in the Primephonic and Apple Music integration.