Primephonic launched its classical-only streaming service yesterday. Initially available only in the UK and US, subscriptions cost £14.99/$14.99 per month, though there is a one-month free trial for new customers. 

The company already offers downloading, and according to CEO Simon Eder: ‘Primephonic has been improving the listening experience of classical music fans for years now through our download store, and a streaming service feels like the best next step.

‘We firmly believe that there is a need for a service offering an extensive classical music catalogue, high-quality audio, and industry-leading search technology,’ he added.

In launching into the streaming market, Primephonic will be hoping to compete for the classical-specific audience currently served by such multi-genre companies as Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal and Qobuz. 

At launch, Primephonic is offering a catalogue of 100,000 tracks drawn from a wide range of independent labels, though yesterday it also announced that it had signed deals with major labels Warner Classics and Sony Classical, to be added throughout the summer. Streaming will be delivered in CD-quality sound (16-bit FLAC files), and there’s also a significant amount of editorial on the site, including artist and composer biographies and interviews. The Netherlands-based company also places great emphasis on the way its catalogued recordings, which it says is specifically designed with classical music in mind. 

Primephonic also offers a model of returning revenue to labels which it argues is better suited, and fairer, for classical music, paying them per second of streaming, rather than per track.  

For more information, and to sign up for the free trail, visit www.primephonic.com