Apple has recently launched a standalone Apple Music Classical app for classical music enthusiasts. The launch of this new app comes as a response to the growing popularity of classical music, which has been highlighted not only by the success of recent movies and new hires for major classical music institutions, but also by the arrival of this new app. The app is designed to offer a high-quality streaming service, making it easier than ever before to access classical music.
What is the Apple Music Classical App?
The Apple Music Classical app is a new stand-alone app that is exclusively focused on classical music. It offers a selection of hundreds of essential playlists, deep-dive guides, complete and accurate metadata and information on thousands of composer biographies and key works, and intuitive browsing features. With the Apple Music Classical app, users can enjoy access to over 5 million tracks with Lossless Audio and Spatial Audio quality, making it easy to enjoy classical music in the highest possible quality.
How does it work?
To access the Apple Music Classical app, users must have an Apple Music subscription. The app is available worldwide except for China, Japan, Korea, Russia, Taiwan, and Turkey. Contents may vary by country or region. The app requires an active subscription to Apple Music but cannot be used with the Apple Music Voice Plan.
What does it offer?
The Apple Music Classical app has many features that make it an appealing choice for classical music lovers. The app provides access to hundreds of essential playlists curated by expert programmers, musicians, critics, and industry professionals. The playlists are designed to appeal to both hardcore fans and casual listeners and include everything from beginner’s guides to more esoteric collections focused on particular eras or genres.
In addition to playlists, the Apple Music Classical app also offers browsing features that aim to make it easy for users to explore the genre. The app’s homepage reflects current energy, featuring diverse artists, and exclusive new artwork with hundreds of playlist covers and unique high-resolution digital portraits commissioned from diverse artists. The app also includes a nine-part introductory podcast that serves as an excellent starting point for those new to classical music.
Solving the Technical Challenges of Classical Music Streaming
The success of the Apple Music Classical app hinges on solving a technical challenge related to metadata, which is more complex in classical music than in pop music. This challenge comes from the fact that classical music has many more specific variables than pop music. For example, in classical music, it is essential to know not just the name of the piece but also its title, movement number, composer, conductor, performers, record label, year of recording and release, among others.
Apple Music solves this problem by using metadata profiling techniques for encoding and matching audio signals with detailed track information. This guarantees accurate results even for rare or lesser-known recordings. It also ensures the user experience remains seamless by making sure playlists are appropriately curated.
The Importance of Human Connection in Programming Classical Music
Despite technological advances like AI and machine learning algorithms, human connection remains essential in programming classical music. Programming popular works alongside deeper cuts is intelligent programming because it allows for emotional highs and lows. AI may limit what a new listener might discover in the classical repertoire by offering giant databases that can lead to confusion rather than inspiration.
While algorithms may be capable of curating large collections of music following complex rules based on genre and mood. Still, they cannot replace human curation and presentation where broadcasters, hosts, and presenters play an important role in guiding listeners and helping them discover new pieces.
Conclusion
Apple’s launch of its standalone Apple Music Classical app offers new possibilities for classical music enthusiasts worldwide. With its impressive collection built on Primephonic technology and expertly curated playlists designed to appeal to both die-hard fans and new listeners, the Apple Music Classical app is a welcome addition to the classical music world. Even as technology advances, the importance of human curation and presentation remains vital in programming classical music.
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
