Apple Music Classical Adds New Features

The new features include listening guides, personalized recommendations, and editorial stations

Apple Music Classical has announced the release of a package of new features that it describes as its biggest upgrade since the service was first launched in 2023. The three main features are the Listening Guide, Personalized Recommendations, and Editorial Stations.

The Listening Guide provides the user with helpful context about the work they are hearing, including historical commentary and technical discussions of how the music is crafted. These insights are delivered through text that appears on the user's screen as they listen. More than 100 works are currently available in languages including English, French, German, Japanese, Korean, and Simplified Chinese.

The Personalized Recommendations feature makes it easier for users to discover new works. The algorithm comes up with a picture of each user's tastes based on what they have been listening to previously, and also notifies the user when a new recording of a work they have listened to in the past becomes available.

Finally, the service has introduced Editorial Stations, which play a curated set of works arranged by instrument, composer, period, and genre.

Apple Music Classical's major highlight is its search engine, which has been designed especially for classical music. Users can search by composer, work, conductor, orchestra, instrument, or opus number.

"The features in this update are the most significant additions to Apple Music Classical since launch," said Anjali Malhotra, Global Director of Apple Music Classical. "They each turn a normal listening experience into a wonderful journey that enhances the listener's experience, catering to curiosity and creating new interactive ways to learn about favorite pieces of music."

"Music is a universal language that speaks to our souls and the deeper our understanding of it, the more powerful the impact," said conductor Gustavo Dudamel. "Throughout my life I have seen over and over again the fundamental nature of education and how learning to listen with greater awareness can transform not only our appreciation of music, but of life and how we connect with the world around us. This Listening Guide from Apple Music Classical invites everyone, from newcomers to lifelong listeners, to truly immerse themselves in the music."