Following its acquisition of classical music service Primephonic earlier this year, Apple is working on a new music app dedicated to classical music, a recent job posting says.
Earlier this year, Apple announced that it had purchased classical music streaming service Primephonic and would integrate it with Apple Music. Primephonic offered a “great listening experience” with search and browse features specifically optimized for classical music, as well as hand-picked recommendations and “contextual repertoire and recording details”.
Apple said that with the acquisition of Primephonic, Apple Music subscribers will enjoy an enhanced classic music experience. It was to start with Primephonic playlists and audio content, followed by a dedicated Primephonic experience with improved browsing and search capabilities by composer and repertoire, better classical music metadata, and more, at a later date. .
Most strikingly, Apple has announced that it will launch a new Apple Music app dedicated to classical music in 2022. The app will combine Primephonic’s user interface and specializations for classical music with Apple Music and features such as Lossless and Spatial Audio.
Apple is now looking to hire a UX designer to work on the new app on the classical music team, according to a Apple job site registration. The position, located in London or Amsterdam, is expected to “provide UX expertise and fresh insights specifically for Primephonic”. The to-do list goes on to explain that Apple is exploring and creating a distinct experience for classical music, including “visual, auditory, and haptic” aspects.
Although the job listing suggests that the Primephonic branding will persist for the new app, Primephonic went offline on September 7, 2021 and is no longer available to new subscribers. Current Primephonic subscribers received six months of free Apple Music access with access to thousands of classic albums supporting Lossless and Spatial Audio.
Primephonic website now tells visitors, “We’re working on an amazing new classical music experience from Apple for early next year.” It’s unclear to what extent the Primephonic branding will persist in the new app, if at all, and to what extent it will merge with Apple Music.
(Thanks Chris!)
