Apple Music Classical is expanding to more countries worldwide starting from January 24. Posting to X (formerly Twitter), Apple revealed that the classical music application will arrive in China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macao later this month.
Since launching in early 2023, Apple Music Classical has given classical music listeners a hub for all their symphonies, separate from the main Apple Music app. Apple Music Classical features improved search, listening recommendations, and exclusive artwork that can’t be found on the original Apple Music platform.
With the impending launch in these Asian countries, Apple Music Classical is now available in most countries that have access to Apple Music. However, those in Russia and Turkey are still waiting for the platform’s release.
Available on iPhone, iPad, and Android, the classical music haven still hasn’t reached Mac. That said, there are even bigger omissions that are more important than the platforms released on Apple’s computers.
Apple Music Classical is available as part of your Apple Music subscription at no extra cost. Apple Music is available in the U.S. for $10.99/month.
Where are the downloads?
Since Apple Music Classical launched in March 2023, users have been clamoring for more features in the application. Most notably, the lack of offline listening means users can’t use Apple Music Classical when their device is offline, like on an airplane. iMore’s Feature Editor, Daryl Baxter, says, “For the many things that Apple Classical gets right, such as its user interface and Spatial Audio tracks, there are a few fatal flaws that stop me from recommending it wholeheartedly.” One of these is the lack of ability to download tracks alongside the lack of a shuffle option, meaning you need to listen to songs in order, no questions asked.
While the launch of Apple Music Classical in more countries is a good thing, we’re hoping to see Apple improve the application so that it can become a genuinely useful app for classical musical lovers everywhere. As it stands, no one would argue with you if you opted to use the standard Apple Music app instead to listen to Beethoven’s 5th.
