Gone are the days where music is stored inside physical devices and should be brought everywhere the music is intended to be played on.
With the internet, more reliable connectivity and more capable devices, music and a whole list of songs can be stored inside the clouds, and streamed to people who want to listen to them, anywhere they are. With the number of music streaming services out there, music consumption has never been easier.
Apple is one of the players.
With Apple Music, Apple users can listen to music to stream them to their device on-demand. They can also listen to existing playlists, listen to internet radio stations Apple Music 1, Apple Music Hits, and Apple Music Country, which broadcast live to over 200 countries 24 hours a day, and more.
Apple Music was first announced on June 8, 2015, and launched on June 30, 2015.
And this time, the service is expanding its database, by acquiring a three-year-old company Primephonic.
The acquisition of Primephonic adds Apple Music's growing library of more than 75 million songs, by building on Primephonic's existing classical music content.
Apple said it plans to launch a classical music-focused app after harnessing Primephonic's user interface and detailed information about classical tracks to improve browsing and search capabilities that are optimized for classical, premium-quality audio, handpicked expert recommendations, and extensive contextual details on repertoire and recordings.
Following the acquisition, Primephonic is closing its doors to new users, and is planning to shut down its operations on September 7th.
And by joining Apple, Apple promises that Apple Music subscribers can experience a "significantly improved classical music experience."
“We love and have a deep respect for classical music, and Primephonic has become a fan favorite for classical enthusiasts,” Oliver Schusser, vice president of Apple Music and Beats, said.
“Together, we’re bringing great new classical features to Apple Music, and in the near future, we’ll deliver a dedicated classical experience that will truly be the best in the world.”
“Bringing the best of Primephonic to Apple Music subscribers is a tremendous development for the classical music industry,” said Thomas Steffens, Primephonic’s co-founder and CEO.
“Artists love the Primephonic service and what we’ve done in classical, and now we have the ability to join with Apple to deliver the absolute best experience to millions of listeners. We get to bring classical music to the mainstream and connect a new generation of musicians with the next generation of audience.”
“Primephonic was founded to ensure that classical music will stay relevant for future generations,” said Gordon P. Getty, a major shareholder of Primephonic.
“Primephonic and Apple together can realize that mission and take classical to a worldwide audience.”
"As a classical-only startup, we can not reach the majority of global classical listeners, especially those that listen to many other music genres as well," the company said. "We therefore concluded that in order to achieve our mission, we need to partner with a leading streaming service that encompasses all music genres and also shares our love for classical music."
Apple buys dozens of companies every year, often to acquire patents, and also their engineers with expertise in particular areas, or to add key technology to its ongoing initiative. Most of the time, the company remains quiet. But this time, it proudly announced the acquisition through a newsroom post.
Apple does this when it sees the terms fit, and when it's very certain that the acquisition will benefit the company handsomely.
Previously, Apple bought Beats for $3 billion in 2014, and acquired Shazam for a price reportedly around $400 million in 2017.
