primephonic.com
The vast majority of classical music is notated in a very different way than popular music, and as such, it is usually not heard on mainstream radio stations. For example, you are unlikely to hear Beethoven's 5th symphony played on pop radio stations. Similarly, you're unlikely to see Justin Bieber performing as a classical musician.
These two worlds seldom coincide. And if they do, it is usually only if an orchestra puts on a special classical arrangement of popular songs. Even so, these performances don't really tend to draw out fans of the top 40 radio as much as they do music theory students and instructors, fellow musicians, and curious composers.
Which is why it makes sense to have a streaming service specifically designed for classical music. Most audio streaming services are not ideal when it comes to finding new classical pieces or finding a comprehensive library of the best performances of the works that we know and love. They are just not designed to accommodate the unique archiving structures that classical music demands.
There are many different recordings of one song, for example, a particular movement from a sonata or symphony. A Chopin nocturne, for instance, has been interpreted by many different pianists and each interpretation offers its own subtle differences.
Every musician and conductor has their own interpretation of the music, dynamics, expressions, as well as their own personal style of playing. Therefore, true fans and students of classical music need a streaming service that makes perusing all these interpretations as simple and as easy as possible.
If you're a fan of classical music, you might have experienced firsthand the frustrations that come with trying to find a specific recording of a given piece. Streaming services that focus more on pop music - like Spotify, Tidal, Apple Music, etc. - unfortunately, don't tend to make browsing for specific performers, conductors, or symphonic performances of a piece very easy. They're not designed for that sort of archiving, as they're more centered around searching for a particular artist or new song release.
However, today I will introduce you to a streaming service made for and by classical music fans. Meet Primephonic. It is perfect for those who love and understand classical music.
History
In 2014, Primephonic was developed as a way to easily find and strictly download classical music files on the most popular music streaming apps. There were, at first anyway, no streaming capabilities built into the service.
As of May 2016, Sony Classical acquired Primephonic and in June 2017, the streaming platform reintroduced itself as a full platform in the US and UK. Today, as of the time of this review, Primephonic offers streaming and downloading of over 10,000 titles with a 16-bit FLAC quality.
Six musicologists came up with the idea for the site and apps, and a legion of classical music students does all of the archiving, categorizing, and cataloging.
The main purpose of Primephonic, according to Wikipedia, is to master the richness of the metadata of classical music pieces. This is not the case on generalist sites like Spotify or Deezer where the experience of searching for classical music is tenuous or even incoherent. On Primephonic, all pages dedicated to works or artists provide complete information and suggestions based on the similarities between metadata.
Finally, there's finally an authority on streaming and downloading classical music the right way- Primephonic!
Design
Each site - primephonic.com, the app, and the web player - is expertly designed. All formats of Primephonic are easy to see, with an elegant (dare I say classy?) aesthetic. Opting for a minimalistic look, Primephonic can easily compete with the big players in the streaming music space - in fact, some might even prefer the sleek look and feel of Primephonic over the somewhat comparatively clunky designs of, say, Apple Music or Spotify.
The search function is great and it's specifically designed for classical music archiving. There is also an app that allows you to easily and conveniently find a specific piece, composer, conductor, performer, or performance. Primephonic makes it easy to explore the world of classical music from your smartphone, tablet, or computer.
As a music lover, I absolutely adore Primephonic. The Discover section of the app is fantastic; it learns what I like based on my past listening patterns, and highlights classical works, composers, and performances that I am sure to enjoy. This is easily one of the most user-friendly music streaming services available on the market.
Content
As I mentioned before, Primephonic offers nearly three million individual pieces. And with the app's ever-expanding staff of classical musicians working on new additions, the catalog of classical music offered by Primephonic has constantly been growing, evolving and becoming more efficient.
With Primephonic, you get the best possible audio quality, making it the perfect choice for classical music lovers. Plus, their extensive collection of compositions is sure to have something for everyone. Why spend time sorting through mediocre classical music recordings on other platforms when you can have a curated selection at your fingertips with Primephonic?
Desktop and Mobile Experience
After a redesign that was optimized for visual appeal and usability, Primephonic's streaming service is now both web and app-based. The catalog of recordings is highly informative and efficiently organized, making it a prime choice for anyone looking for the best classical music experiences.
Pricing and Plans
There are two subscription levels available with Primephonic. There is the Primephonic Premium level, which costs $9.99 per month, and the Primephonic Platinum level, which costs $19.99 per month. In terms of pricing, this setup is reminiscent of Tidal's pricing model.
Premium streaming music will cost you $9.99 per month or if you prepay for a whole year, it will cost $99.99. This is the standard price point for music streaming services and with ten dollars a month you are able to access Primephonic's library of 2.8 million recordings (and counting), smart search, new releases weekly, exclusive classical music podcasts and interviews with top artists, and daily recommendations hand-selected by classical music experts.
But, if you're just looking for a high-quality streaming experience with all of your favorite artists, the Platinum option is definitely worth considering at $9.99 per month.
Then there is the Platinum option, which offers you all of that ? and then some. Actually, the major difference between Premium and Platinum here is - again, much like Tidal - in the sound quality. Primephonic Platinum offers streaming and downloading qualities of lossless 24-bit FLAC; whereas Premium only streams 320 kbps MP3 files. If you are a true classical music buff (and maybe even bordering on picky audiophile), Premium will run you $19.99 per month (or $149.99 for a full year commitment). But, if you're just looking for a high-quality streaming experience with all of your favorite artists, the Platinum option is definitely worth considering at $9.99 per month.
Suggestions that I Have for Primephonic
Honestly, I don't have any suggestions for Primephonic. This is one of those rare services that set out to do something and has managed to do so, as far as I can see. I suppose the only gripe that I have with it is the price point of the Platinum plan.
I would never want to spend $20 per month on any streaming service that only offers one genre of music, let alone one that also doesn't have video streaming. Oh, and the introduction of video streaming would be such a great addition if it also allowed you to watch exclusive recordings of world-class musicians performing classical pieces.
Conclusion
All in all, I think Primephonic is one of the best audio streaming services on the market. It's hand-crafted by Classical music students and professionals, which makes it a truly unique service - one that is extremely effective and worth looking into. If you love Classical music, this is the streaming service you deserve.
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