- Apple has bought the classical music-focused record label and will fold it into its Apple Music Classical and Platoon music services, BIS Records founder Robert von Baar said on Tuesday.
- The acquisition is another example of Apple trying to differentiate itself from streaming music rivals like Spotify by focusing on classical music.
- The tech giant debuted its streaming app Apple Music Classical last spring, pitching it as a way for subscribers to access more than 5 million classical music tracks that could be searched via data such as composer, conductor or catalog number.
Karina Kanellakis conducts the Juilliard Orchestra at Alice Tully Hall on Thursday night, May 22, 2014.
Hiroyuki Ito | Getty Images
Apple has acquired BIS Records, a 50-year-old Swedish record label focused on classical music, as part of its ongoing efforts to attract classical music fans.
BIS Records founder Robert von Bahr He said On Tuesday, Apple recently purchased his record label and will include it in its Apple Music Classical and Platoon music services.
Von Baar, who recently turned 80, said that both BIS Records and Apple shared a “fundamental belief in the importance of maintaining sound quality,” citing the iPhone maker’s spatial sound technology for surround sound as “something I have followed with interest.”
“BIS’s specialty, while paying our dues for the core repertoire, is to nurture young classical artists and interesting living composers and to preserve the musical treasure that we all represent long into the future,” von Baar said in a statement. “Apple, with its history of innovation and love of music, is the perfect place to usher in the next era of classical music, and has demonstrated a true commitment to building a future where classical music and technology work in harmony.”
Apple did not respond to a request for comment from CNBC about the price of the deal.
The acquisition is another example of Apple trying to differentiate itself from music streaming rival Spotify by focusing on classical music.
In 2021, it bought classical music streaming service Primephonic for an undisclosed sum. Besides allowing users to stream classical music, Primephonic has also built an extensive database containing information such as composers, orchestras and conductors that has helped provide a more compelling experience for fans of the genre.
After all, the tech giant launched its Apple Music Classical streaming app last spring, pitching it as a way for existing Apple Music subscribers to access more than five million classical music tracks that can be searched via data such as composer, conductor or catalog number. .
In 2018, Apple bought the small music distribution and technology company Platoon for an undisclosed sum. Apple eventually released an app called Platoon for Artists, intended to help musicians promote their songs and view streaming analytics.
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