Apple Music Classical is here. This morning when the alarm clock went off (that is, the alarm that I have set on my mobile), when I opened my eyes enough to be able to see the notifications, I was happy to see that the app, Now available in the iOS App Store, it had been downloaded and, therefore, the largest catalog of classical music on a streaming service (or at least that’s what Apple claims) was already at my fingertips, and above all from my ears, through an application designed specifically for said musical universe.
So, while I dedicated one hand first to put the coffee in the microwave and then to dip the muffins in it, the other has been dedicated to starting a first exploration of Apple Music Classical, both of the app and of the contents (lists reproduction, search engine, catalog density, variety of genres, etc.), and I’ve been working on it all day, in an experience that is turning out to be tremendously satisfying. Today is going to be the first day, in many years, in which I only listen to classical music… and I don’t rule out repeating the plan tomorrow, because the proposal is simply exceptional.
What is Apple Music Classical?
But let’s start by remembering the basics: Apple Music Classical is a new Apple app that provides access to the entire classical catalog (I will go into this point later) of Apple Music, made up of more than five million tracks, according to the company. At least for now, the app is only available for Cupertino devices and is free (both the app and access to the catalog, of course) for all subscribers of the various Apple Music plans, with the sole exception of the Voice plan, something that we already anticipated when Apple opened the pre-purchase of the app in the App Store. Thus, the only requirements to access the service are to have a device with iOS 15.4 or higher (good news for those users who could not make the leap to iOS 16) and the aforementioned subscription to Apple’s streaming music service. .
The first impression, after opening the app, is one of familiarity. Its interface is clearly reminiscent of the Apple Music app, with practically the same elements. The main difference is that Classical does not have, at least for the moment, the section-function of personalized radios, but from the first moment you are clearly aware that it is not the same, of course, since the great hits of the moment that populate the Cupertino’s streaming service is being replaced by an attractive and highly varied editorial selection that covers the universe of classical music in all its breadth.
At this point I must stop to clarify something important, and it is What do Apple and I mean when we talk about classical music?. The academic definition circumscribes this term to works composed between 1750 and 1820, a period of time known as musical classicism. However, for the vast majority a much broader definition fits better, which refers to music produced by or based on the traditions of liturgical and secular music of the West, primarily Western Europe. This definition accommodates, therefore, many musical genres and a temporal range that ranges from ancient or medieval music to compositions of our days, and those that are yet to come in the future.
Apple Music Classical undoubtedly embraces the broadest interpretation of the concept of classical music, so we find a great variety of genres ranging from Bach’s baroque classicism to Astor Piazzolla’s mastery of tango, Samuel Barber’s exceptional use of musical rhetoric and the emotionality and warmth of the work of Yann Tiersen, or the hypnotic pieces of Ludovico Einaudi. I imagine that some purist will think that the app does not deserve the name Classical, but for ordinary mortals, a broader offer is much more attractive.
Apple Music Classical is, therefore, an app for anyone who likes classical music, regardless of their level of knowledge of it. What’s more, precisely thinking of those less knowledgeable in the matter, we can find an abundant number of playlists that will help us explore artists, styles, and genres. This is, without a doubt, one of the points in which the hard work of the editorial team that has been working on the organization and documentation of the contents of the service can be seen.
Special mention, at this point, to the expected search engine optimized for the app. Imagine, for example, that you want to listen to a particularly well-known piece and that, therefore, is sure to be searched hundreds or thousands of times a day on Apple’s music streaming service. For this example I have chosen Tomaso Albinoni’s Adagio, perhaps the best known and most reproduced work of classical music (although I imagine that in this respect it rubs shoulders with Johann Pachelbel’s Canon). In the image below you can see the difference between the search results of the Apple Music app and the Apple Music Classical app:
As you can see, the difference is more than evident, and that we are only seeing a part. Be careful, this is not a criticism of the Apple Music app search engine, but rather a praise for how they have known how to rethink searches to adapt them to this very particular context. This reminds me of Apple’s best days in terms of user interface design, something in which (although with ups and downs over time) they have always focused on Cupertino.
Why did I say before that we were only seeing a part? Well, let’s go now with Pachelbel’s Canon, pay attention to the following sequence of images:
In the image on the left you can see the result of searching for “Canon Pachelbel”. As you can see, it is shown grouped into blocks, first works, then albums and, although it is not visible in the image, later tracks. Since the result we are interested in is the first one shown, the one with a 1.108 to its right, is the one I have chosen.
The second image from the left shows what we see when we access the result. As you can see, the first result is the one chosen by the editorial team of Apple Music Classical and, therefore, a recommended option. Below (third image) we find some of the most popular recordings of what we have searched for. After it we find the text “See all” and, under it, a selection (also editorial) of related works (the third image). And what happens if we click on “See all”? Well, we will have access to all the recordings of that piece, in this case 1,108, available in the service’s catalogue, as you can see in the last of the images.
Only for this function, for this search engine adapted to the genre (allows searches even by catalog number) supported by the editing work carried out by Apple, this new app would already be more than justified, because it puts an end to the nightmare that browsing through vast catalogs of classical music can entail with tools that have not been specifically designed for that purpose. Probably the most knowledgeable will already have their favorite interpretations, but for those of us who are more profane, the editorial selection and the organization of the contents provide us with a tremendously effective compass.
But there is still more. I hadn’t mentioned it yet, but something that surprised me as soon as I opened the app for the first time was finding, among the featured items (that is, those that are displayed at the top of “Listen”) a playlist put together by virtuoso Yo-Yo Ma, one of the best cellists in history. Beyond my admiration for Ma and how recommendable her selection seems to me (especially if you don’t know too many cello pieces and want to expand boundaries), because it appears under the heading “Guest Playlist”, which leads us to think that more lists of this type, with signatures of especially relevant artists, will be added in the future.
Which leads me to talk, of course, about Apple Music Classical playlists. The usual thing in music streaming services is to find a classical playlist with the most relevant composers, some related to moods and, of course, the usual ones to concentrate, relax, sleep, etc. I have nothing against this type of lists, on the contrary, they seem to me a good format for many people to approach the classical, but they do not offer an organization in which music is an end in itself, not a means to be more productive or to sleep like a freshly fed baby.
And how does Apple Music Classical approach exploring its content? In the “Explore” section we will find three ways to do it: by basic descriptors (composer, period, genre, conductor, orchestra, etc.), by the aforementioned thematic playlists and by instruments. Within each of these categories we will find either subcategories (in the case of descriptors) or selected content (in playlists and browsing by type of instrument).
Regarding the sound quality, another fundamental aspect, here there is no difference between the two apps. In both we will have access to the recordings in Hi-Fi quality (up to 192 kHz/24-bit lossless), spatial sound (Dolby Atmos), etc. I’ve tried playing the same tracks in both apps with multiple headphones and found no difference (and didn’t really expect them to).
Yes there are some differences in the playback interface. As you already know, Apple Music has the lyrics function, which we can access by clicking on the icon that is displayed in the lower left part of the app. This makes perfect sense in an app that gives access to all types of music, but it loses much of its meaning if we talk about classical music, since a large part of the catalog lacks lyrics (although I admit that they would be very useful when listening to opera, for example). ). As a result of this difference, in the Apple Music Classical app the lyrics function is replaced by the information about what we are listening to.
It’s been about a year and a half since Apple bought Primephonic, a music streaming service specializing in classical music. At that time, those from Cupertino affirmed that they would launch a specific app for the service, although associated with Apple Music, throughout 2022. When last year was about to end, we wondered what had happened, and if the plans were going ahead (even if it was late). Fortunately, earlier this month we first learned of Apple’s plans in this regard, and as the date approached, we wondered what to expect from Apple Music Classical.
Well, after a whole day testing this new Apple app, I know that the wait has been worth it, and I accept the delay in its publication if it was due to wanting to debut with the app and the service in its current state. Apple Music Classical is a gift for Apple Music users and no, I’m not saying it because it’s free, but because they have managed to create an application that will satisfy the desires of many of the most music lovers, and that at the same time is also an excellent gateway entrance to a musical universe, that of classical music, which many people have on their to-do list.
The only pity is that At the moment, there is only an app for iOS. Users of other Apple devices, as well as those of Android and those who want to access the service from a web interface, will have to wait and cross their fingers that such expansion is among Apple’s plans. In the meantime, we’ll just have to make do with the iPhone version, though I honestly think Cupertino have done so well on this one that they should push Apple Music Classic as far as they can go.
