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Apple buys Primephonic to boost classical music options

Apple Music is getting an upgrade.

Eli Blumenthal Senior Editor
Eli Blumenthal is a senior editor at CNET with a particular focus on covering the latest in the ever-changing worlds of telecom, streaming and sports. He previously worked as a technology reporter at USA Today.
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Fans of classical music will soon see an improved experience on Apple Music. On Monday the iPhone-maker announced that it has purchased streaming-music service Primephonic. 

No terms of the deal were disclosed. The existing Primephonic service will shut down on Sept. 7, with the streaming company posting on its website that existing users will be getting a prorated refund as well as a code for six months of Apple Music for free (the latter needs to be redeemed before Nov. 30, 2021).

The company's press release says that in "the coming months, Apple Music Classical fans will get a dedicated experience with the best features of Primephonic, including better browsing and search capabilities by composer and by repertoire, detailed displays of classical music metadata, plus new features and benefits."

Apple says it "plans to launch a dedicated classical music app next year, combining Primephonic's classical user interface that fans have grown to love with more added features." Primephonic's post is a little more specific, adding that a "new classical music experience from Apple" will arrive "early next year."