The music has stopped for the great classical streaming service Primephonic, as Apple recently announced that it is acquiring the service and adding it into Apple Music.
Let's take a look at what the news means for current Primephonic subscribers.
Apple Acquires Primephonic, Then Shuts It Down
Primephonic, a classical music streaming service, is no longer available to new subscribers and the app is no longer available to download. According to a press release from Apple, Primephonic will be taken completely offline on September 7, 2021.
After that date, the service and its music will no longer be available.
Primephonic Subscribers Get Free Apple Music
Even though Primephonic will be completely offline in just a few days, there is a bit of good news. Apple is providing six months of Apple Music free to current Primephonic subscribers.
So while the loss is sure still to sting for subscribers, the free subscription from Apple is a nice gesture, especially with the recent addition of spatial audio and lossless audio.
All of the classical albums on Apple Music are in the lossless audio format. Read our primer to find in more about what lossless audio means in Apple Music.
According to a letter on the Primephonic site, subscribers will receive the Apple Music subscription code and any refund information via email.
The Future of Classical Music on Apple Music
Apple does have some big plans for Primephonic's classical music expertise.
In 2022, Apple is planning to launch a dedicated classical music app using Primephonic's user interface along with additional features.
Some of the features planned for the classical music app include a browse and search capability by composer and repertoire, along with detailed displays of classical music metadata.
Is Apple Music Your New Music Streaming Home?
While Primephonic subscribers are definitely disappointed to see the end of the service, it looks like Apple is planning to supercharge its classical music features for its own subscription offering.
If you're new to Apple Music, there are plenty of great features to try on the popular streaming service. You may like it more than Primephonic.