Apple Music Classical Launch Could Be Approaching Based on Code in iOS 16.4 Beta 2

The Apple Music Classical app that Apple first announced when it acquired classical music service Primephonic could potentially be launching in the near future according to additional mentions of "‌Apple Music‌ Classical" found in the iOS 16.4 beta.

apple music
Code in the beta suggests that listening to ‌Apple Music‌ Classical will require users to have the standard ‌Apple Music‌ app installed. "To listen in ‌Apple Music‌ Classical, you'll need to install ‌Apple Music‌," reads a line in the MusicKit framework.

As of right now, there is no sign of an ‌Apple Music‌ Classical app in iOS 16.4, but that doesn't mean that it won't come in a later beta or with the iOS 16.4 launch.

Apple initially said in 2021 that ‌Apple Music‌ Classical would be introduced "next year," aka, 2022, but that did not happen. There was no 2022 launch of the new classical music experience, and Apple has provided no updates on when we might expect to see the new app.

Apple promised that ‌Apple Music‌ Classical would be a dedicated classical music app that is separate from ‌Apple Music‌, but this makes it clear that the ‌Apple Music‌ Classical app will also require ‌Apple Music‌ to be installed.

This is not the first time that we've seen references to ‌Apple Music‌ Classical in an iOS 16 update. iOS 16.3, for example, added "Open in ‌Apple Music‌ Classical" wording to the code, and there have also been mentions of the feature in backend code on Apple's site.

It is unclear why Apple has taken so long to introduce an ‌Apple Music‌ Classical app, and though we continue to see signs of it, it still remains a mystery as to whether it will come in iOS 16.4, a later iOS 16 update, or iOS 17.

Related Forum: iOS 16

Popular Stories

New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18

20 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.2

Monday December 16, 2024 8:55 am PST by
Apple released iOS 18.2 in the second week of December, bringing the second round of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. This update brings several major advancements to Apple's AI integration, including completely new image generation tools and a range of Visual Intelligence-based enhancements. Apple has added a handful of new non-AI related feature controls as...
iphone 16 apple intelligence

Apple Drops Plans for iPhone Hardware Subscription Service

Wednesday December 18, 2024 11:39 am PST by
Apple is no longer planning to launch a hardware subscription service that would let customers "subscribe" to get a new iPhone each year, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman first shared rumors about Apple's work on a hardware subscription service back in 2022, and at the time, he said that Apple wanted to develop a simple system that would allow customers to pay a monthly fee to gain...
iPhone 17 Pro Dual Tone Feature 1

iPhone 17 Pro Rumored to Stick With 'Triangular' Camera Design

Wednesday December 18, 2024 2:36 am PST by
Contrary to recent reports, the iPhone 17 Pro will not feature a horizontal camera layout, according to the leaker known as "Instant Digital." In a new post on Weibo, the leaker said that a source has confirmed that while the appearance of the back of the iPhone 17 Pro has indeed changed, the layout of the three cameras is "still triangular," rather than the "horizontal bar spread on the...
elevation lab airtag battery

Your AirTag's Battery Will Last for Up to 10 Years With Elevation Lab's New TimeCapsule Enclosure

Wednesday December 18, 2024 10:05 am PST by
Elevation Lab today announced the launch of TimeCapsule, an innovative and simple solution for increasing the battery life of Apple's AirTag. Priced at $20, TimeCapsule is an AirTag enclosure that houses two AA batteries that offer 14x more battery capacity than the CR2032 battery that the AirTag runs on. It works by attaching the AirTag's upper housing to the built-in custom contact in the...
apple tv 4k yellow bg feature

New Apple TV Rumored to Launch Next Year With These Features

Tuesday December 17, 2024 9:02 am PST by
The current Apple TV 4K was released more than two years ago, so the streaming device is becoming due for a hardware upgrade soon. Fortunately, it was recently rumored that a new Apple TV will launch at some point next year. Below, we recap rumors about the next-generation Apple TV. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman last week reported that Apple has been working on its own combined Wi-Fi and...
blackmagic vision pro

Blackmagic Debuts $30K 3D Camera for Capturing Video for Vision Pro

Monday December 16, 2024 4:17 pm PST by
Blackmagic today announced that its URSA Cine Immersive camera is now available for pre-order, with deliveries set to start late in the first quarter of 2025. Blackmagic says that this is the world's first commercial camera system designed to capture 3D content for the Vision Pro. The URSA Cine Immersive camera was first introduced in June, but it has not been available for purchase until...
mac pro creativity

Apple Launched the Controversial 'Trashcan' Mac Pro 11 Years Ago Today

Thursday December 19, 2024 7:00 pm PST by
Apple launched the controversial "trashcan" Mac Pro eleven years ago today, introducing one of its most criticized designs that persisted through a period of widespread discontentment with the Mac lineup. The redesign took the Mac Pro in an entirely new direction, spearheaded by a polished aluminum cylindrical design that became unofficially dubbed the "trashcan" in the Mac community. All of ...
iPhone 17 Slim Feature

'iPhone 17 Air' With 'Major' Design Changes and 19-Inch MacBook Detailed in New Report

Sunday December 15, 2024 9:47 am PST by
Apple is planning a series of "major design" and "format changes" for iPhones over the next few years, according to The Wall Street Journal's Aaron Tilley and Yang Jie. The paywalled report published today corroborated the widely-rumored "iPhone 17 Air" with an "ultrathin" design that is thinner than current iPhone models. The report did not mention a specific measurement, but previous...

Top Rated Comments

Realityck Avatar
24 months ago

The same reason why it's taken them so long to release a Country Music App. Or a Reggae App. Or a Beyonce Music App. Or a Kenya West App. Or a Barry Manilow Greatest Hits App. There is zero reason for each music category to have its own app.
[HEADING=2]List of classical music genres[/HEADING]
[HEADING=1]Medieval[/HEADING]

* Ballade ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballade_(forme_fixe)')
* Ballata ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballata')
* Canso ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canso_(song)')
* Conductus ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conductus')
* Estampie ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estampie')
* Geisslerlied ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geisslerlied')
* Gregorian Chant ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregorian_Chant')
* Lai (poetic form) ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lai_(poetic_form)')
* Lauda (song) ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lauda_(song)')
* Madrigal (Trecento) ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madrigal_(Trecento)')
* Motet ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motet')
* Organum ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organum')
* Planctus ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planctus')
* Saltarello ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saltarello')

[HEADING=1]Renaissance[/HEADING]

* Ballade ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballade_(forme_fixe)')
* Canzona ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canzona')
* Carol ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carol_(music)')
* Chanson ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chanson')
* Fantasia ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fantasia_(music)')

* Chromatic fantasia ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromatic_fantasia')

* Galliard ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galliard')
* Intermedio ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intermedio')
* Lauda ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lauda_(song)')
* Litany ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetrachord#Compositional_forms')
* Madrigal ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madrigal_(music)')
* Madrigal comedy ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madrigal_comedy')
* Madrigale spirituale ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madrigale_spirituale')
* Mass ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_(music)')

* Cyclic mass ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclic_mass')
* Parody mass ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parody_mass')
* Paraphrase mass ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paraphrase_mass')
* Cantus firmus mass ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cantus_firmus_mass')

* Motet ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motet')
* Motet-chanson ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motet-chanson')
* Opera ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opera')
* Pavane ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pavane')
* Ricercar ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricercar')
* Sequence ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sequence_(musical_form)#The_sequence_as_a_musical_genre')
* Tiento ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiento')
* Toccata ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toccata')

[HEADING=1]Baroque[/HEADING]

* Allemande ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allemande')
* Bourrée ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bourr%C3%A9e')
* Canary ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canary_dance')
* Canon ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canon_(music)')
* Cantata ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cantata')
* Chaconne ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaconne')
* Concerto ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concerto')

* Concerto grosso ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concerto_grosso')
* Solo concerto ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solo_concerto')

* Courante ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Courante')
* Fugue ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fugue')
* Galliard ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galliard')
* Gavotte ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gavotte')
* Gigue ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gigue')
* Loure ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loure')
* Mass ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_(music)')
* Minuet ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minuet')
* Opera ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opera')

* Opera buffa ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opera_buffa')
* Opera seria ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opera_seria')

* Oratorio ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oratorio')
* Partita ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Partita')
* Passacaglia ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passacaglia')
* Passepied ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passepied')
* Pastorale ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pastorale')
* Prelude ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prelude_(music)')
* Rigaudon ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rigaudon')
* Sarabande ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarabande')
* Sinfonia ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinfonia')
* Sonata ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonata_(music)')

* Flute sonata ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flute_sonata')
* Trio sonata ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trio_sonata')

* Suite ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suite_(music)')
* Sonatina ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonatina')

[HEADING=1]Classical + Romantic[/HEADING]

* Arabesque ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabesque_(classical_music)')
* Bagatelle ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bagatelle_(music)')
* Ballade ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballade_(classical_music)')
* Ballet ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballet_(music)')

* Classical ballet ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_ballet')

* Caprice ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capriccio_(music)')
* Carol ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carol_(music)')
* Concerto ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concerto')

* Cello concerto ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cello_concerto')
* Clarinet concerto ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarinet_concerto')
* Double bass concerto ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_bass_concerto')
* Flute concerto ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flute_concerto')
* Oboe concerto ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oboe_concerto')
* Piano concerto ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piano_concerto')
* Trumpet concerto ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trumpet_concerto')
* Viola concerto ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viola_concerto')
* Violin concerto ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violin_concerto')

* Dance ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dance_(music)')
* Divertimento ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divertimento')
* Étude ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etude')
* Fantasy ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fantasia_(music)')
* Impromptu ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impromptu')
* Intermezzo ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intermezzo')
* Lied ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lied')
* Mass ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_(music)')
* March ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_(music)')
* Mazurka ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazurka')
* Music hall ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_hall')
* Nocturne ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nocturne')
* Octet ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octet_(music)')
* Opera ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opera')

* Ballad opera ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballad_opera')
* Opera buffa ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opera_buffa')
* Opéra comique ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Op%C3%A9ra_comique')
* Opera seria ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opera_seria')
* Operetta ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operetta')
* Overture ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overture')

* Concert overture ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concert_overture')
* Symphonic poem ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphonic_poem')

* Singspiel ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singspiel')
* Zarzuela ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zarzuela')
* Concert Aria ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concert_Aria')

* Oratorio ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oratorio')
* Polonaise ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polonaise_(dance)')
* Prelude ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prelude_(music)')
* Quartet ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quartet')

* Piano quartet ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piano_quartet')
* String quartet ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/String_quartet')
* Oboe quartet ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oboe_quartet')

* Quintet ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quintet')

* Piano quintet ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piano_quintet')
* String quintet ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/String_quintet')
* Wind Quintet ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_Quintet')

* Requiem ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Requiem')
* Rhapsody ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhapsody_(music)')
* Rondo ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rondo')
* Scherzo ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scherzo')
* Serenade ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serenade')
* Sinfonia concertante ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinfonia_concertante')
* Sonata ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonata_(music)')

* Bassoon sonata ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bassoon_sonata')
* Cello sonata ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cello_sonata')
* Clarinet sonata ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarinet_sonata')
* Flute sonata ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flute_sonata')
* Piano sonata ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piano_sonata')
* Violin sonata ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violin_sonata')
* Viola sonata ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viola_sonata')

* Song cycle ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Song_cycle')
* Symphony ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony')

* Program symphony ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Program_symphony')
* Choral symphony ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choral_symphony')

* Suite ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suite_(music)')
* Waltz ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waltz_(music)')

[HEADING=1]20th and 21st Century[/HEADING]

* Ballet ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballet')

* Neoclassical ballet ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neoclassical_ballet')
* Contemporary ballet ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contemporary_ballet')

* Burlesque ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burlesque')
* Cabaret ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabaret')
* Concerto for Orchestra ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concerto_for_Orchestra')
* Electronic music ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_music')
* Experimental music theatre ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_theatre')
* Film score ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_score')
* Moment form ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moment_form')
* Minimal music ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minimal_music')
* Musical theatre ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musical_theatre')
* Opera ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opera')
* Soundtrack ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soundtrack')
* Trio ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trio_(music)')
* Vaudeville ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaudeville')
Score: 38 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Realityck Avatar
24 months ago

Why does it need a separate app just for one type of music genre isn’t it better to all be in one app?
Because people search for classical music in different ways than the current Apple Music does with track based selections. So there is more emphasis on similar content from many artists for classical users.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
eicca Avatar
24 months ago
Here's why classical music needs its own app or categorization system:

You want to listen to Dvorak's cello concerto? How many different orchestras have played it? How many of those orchestras have played it multiple times, each with a different conductor that will drastically change the style of the performance? Now each of those will have a different soloist. Sometimes you can have the same orchestra, conductor, and soloist but in a different venue on a different occasion, and that recording will have desirable traits over the others.

There are exponentially more variables in tracking down a classical recording than pretty much anything else. And every single one of those variables is critical in the presentation of the performance. It's orders of magnitude more subdivided than all other genres. There needs to be a better way to search through all of those variables to narrow down a recording, instead of just the typical "artist-album" format.

It gets even worse when you want one specific piece that's buried in an album that has a different title.

I want "Photograph" by Def Leppard? Easy to find, even with live versions and covers.

So if you don't understand it, just ignore it. A well-constructed classical-specific app could be a godsend for those of us that enjoy the art.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
steve09090 Avatar
24 months ago

The same reason why it's taken them so long to release a Country Music App. Or a Reggae App. Or a Beyonce Music App. Or a Kenya West App. Or a Barry Manilow Greatest Hits App.


There is zero reason for each music category to have its own app.

We have enough apps in our iPhones. I don't even know how this Burger King App got inside my iPhone.... o_O
Whilst every genre needn’t have its own app, classical music is in a different category.

As explained above, searching for Chopin is far harder than you searching for Barry Manilow in the current app. Not every Chopin or Rachmaninov Recording or performance is the same.

You can keep Copacabana and Mandy to yourself ?
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mannyvel Avatar
24 months ago
Metadata is the most difficult part of any music service.

Classical metadata is even more important, because classical needs to be searchable by pretty much every field: musicians, vocalist(s), composer, piece name, performing artist(s), label, conductor, orchestra, concert hall(!), date published, date performed, instrument(s), the list goes on.

And at least from my observations of the classic metadata in Apple Music, there isn't a canonical form for a lot of this data.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
citysnaps Avatar
24 months ago

There is zero reason for each music category to have its own app.

We have enough apps in our iPhones. I don't even know how this Burger King App got inside my iPhone.... o_O
Each category? Really?

I don't understand all the aggrieved pushback such as the above.

Don't like or care for classical music? Don't install/use the app.

Simple. Life goes on.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)