Apple today announced that Apple Music Classical, its long-awaited classical music streaming service, will officially launch on March 28 with over five million tracks.

The new service features “the world’s largest classical music catalog” and offers high fidelity audio up to 192 kHz/24-bit Hi-Res Lossless, according to Apple. With integrated support for spatial audio and Dolby Atmos, Apple says users will be able to “hear classical favorites like never before”.

Apple announced that it had acquired the classical music streaming service Primephonic, in a press release back in 2021 along with the following statement:

Apple Music 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

Apple

Apple’s first foray into a dedicated experience for classical music is finally here and sure to be approachable for seasoned enthusiasts, and those exploring the genre for the first time. Rich search features with accurate metadata will make it intuitive to search by composer, work, conductor, or catalog number, and find specific recordings.

Curated “Essential” playlists, composer bios, and deep-dive guides on key works will help listeners become acquainted with some of the most iconic pieces from Brahms to Beethoven.

The new music streaming service will remain free for all Apple Music subscribers holding Individual, Student, Family, or Apple One subscription plans. Apple Music Classical notably omits support for users subscribed to Apple Music via the entry-level Voice Plan.

iPhone users can pre-order the new app leading up to its debut later this month. Apple Music Classical will require an iPhone running iOS 15.4 or later.