The companies said Apple Music will weave Primephonic technology into a dedicated classical music app

Apple announced it is buying classical music streaming service Primephonic and will launch an app dedicated to the genre.

We felt compelled to develop a streaming service that truly gets classical right, so that’s what we did over the last three years, the Primephonic team said in the post.

But to fully achieve the next phase of our mission, we need to bring our classical streaming expertise to millions of listeners worldwide, it said.

According to the companies, Primephonic will go offline on 7 September, with subscribers being offered six months of free use of Apple Music.

We love and have a deep respect for classical music, and Primephonic has become a fan favourite for classical enthusiasts, said Apple Music vice president Oliver Schusser. He added: 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.

The companies said Apple Music will weave Primephonic technology into a dedicated classical music app it plans to launch next year.

Bringing the best of Primephonic to Apple Music subscribers is a tremendous development for the classical music industry, Primephonic co-founder and chief executive Thomas Steffens said in a joint release.

We get to bring classical music to the mainstream and connect a new generation of musicians with the next generation of audience, he said.

The acquisition comes as the Silicon Valley based technology giant defends its control of the App Store that acts as the sole gateway for digital content onto its iPhones and other devices.