I missed this news, but while looking at new releases today, I noticed this book icon at the top of the UI. When I tapped on it, a full booklet of liner notes appeared! This is great!
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The ready availability of downloadable liner notes was one of the features that induced me to switch to Qobuz. It’s a genuinely useful addition, so it’s good to see that Apple’s added it to the mix.
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I’ve never tried Qobuz, do they have other features that Apple Classical doesn’t have?
Since I’m not an Apple Music subscriber, I haven’t really spent much time with Apple Classical. I started using Qobuz after I digitized my entire CD collection to FLAC, bought Naim streamer so we could play the digital files through our Hi-Fi system (my spouse is an audiophile), and opted to manage it all via a Roon server. Qobuz is “Roon Ready”—i.e., you can integrate it into your Roon set-up with the flick of a switch—but Apple Music is not. Therefore, the choice between them was pretty straightforward for my purposes. My complementary subscription to Apple Music went away when I changed wireless providers, and since Qobuz gives me everything I need, I saw no reason to start paying for Apple Music.
I think it depends on how you do your listening and how deeply integrated into the Apple ecosystem you are. I mostly listen to classical music through our Hi-Fi system or on my Mac when I’m working at my desk. To the best of my knowledge, there isn’t an Apple Classical Mac app, but there is a Qobuz Mac app. (That being said, I mostly use Roon at my desk.)
My spouse really, really likes using Qobuz’ curated suggestions for deep dives into a particular genre, style, or quirky musical by-way. I don’t know if Apple offers the same kind of curation or if its suggestions are algorithm-driven.
Qobuz does offer a free trial, so you can definitely check it out for yourself if you’re interested.
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From the Apple Classical website
Apple Music Classical is curated by classical music experts who are passionate about helping both beginner and seasoned music lovers discover great works. Users can view definitive recordings through Editor’s Choice selections and enjoy exclusive playlists covering key composers, instruments, or periods.
I enjoy when you look up a work that has hundreds of available recordings, they will pick one as Editor’s Choice and also so the top three recordings. They do a good job and I find a lot of useful information.
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That’s important because unlike most genres, there are many recordings of individual pieces, and it’s difficult for anyone but experts to know which ones are considered definitive and/or contain the kinds of subtleties that bring out a work’s potential and reward repeated listening.
It’s a barrier for people who want to get into classical music but don’t know where to start, and it’s one of the things that holds it back.
Even if you end up liking someone else’s version of a Taylor Swift or Rolling Stones song, it’s easy to figure out which one to listen to first.
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