Streaming services: classical Music, any Primephonic/Apple updates, other?

[Tom C]

First blush.
The UI seems Apple cartoonish to me and a little less, hmm, serious appearance
I was able to install the app on iPad, but it was the iPhone app, running on iPad, so small, portrait orientation.
‘Will try a deep dive soon. Hopefully, they weren’t so intent on putting the corporate stamp on it that they sterilized the best of the Primephonic features.

 

[RosalieTheDog]

Tried apple music classical on android. Seems unfinished. There is no chromecast button or implementation, which there is in the apple music app for android ...

 

[MRC01]

What I liked best about Idagio and Primephonic was their metadata. It's customized for classical music, high quality and comprehensive. I recently discovered that Idagio makes their metadata available even for free accounts. So I can use that to find performances & recordings, and listen to them on Qobuz.

 

[Keith_W]

What I don't like about any of the streaming services (except Spotify) is that you can not cast to a PC using their own app. You can cast Tidal and Qobuz using third party software like Roon and BubbleUPNP, but you can't cast Idagio using anything. I don't know about Apple Music because I won't use Apple. I really want to use Idagio, but the number of streamers that support it is very limited. There is also Presto Music, but I can't find out anything about it short of paying for a subscription and then potentially finding out that it can't do what I want it to do.

It's so stupid. Idagio have an app for Windows. How do they expect people to use it? Sit in front of their computers and listen to music?

 

[MRC01]

Qobuz and Idagio are the only services I've found that stream lossless to a browser without requiring their proprietary app. Other services play in a browser but only at lower quality. Qobuz takes it further and also streams lossless high-def to a browser, while Idagio resamples to CD quality.

 

[mkt]

It’s a mess. I have noticed that you can get the booklet pdf links out of the Presto app without subscribing.

 

[RosalieTheDog]

Tried apple music classical on android. Seems unfinished. There is no chromecast button or implementation, which there is in the apple music app for android ...

The search function is cool. I had been looking a long time for some baroque rendition of 'panis angelicus', but I didn't remember the composers or ensemble. Of course the other streaming services just inundate you with Cesar Franck, here I could easily find Clérambault. Hope they add a way to use the app to a streamer, for us android plebeians.

 

[SteveL]

If you're OK with 256 kbps AAC (which my 67 year old ears certainly can't distinguish from CD quality) then YouTube Music Premium is hard to beat for its classical catalog. Its secret sauce is that searches return YouTube videos as well as as commercial audio recordings (and its catalog of the latter is already comprehensive). And if you have a YouTube Premium account, Music Premium comes with.

 

[Yuhasz01]

Streaming services give you an all you can eat buffet experience. But when you have identified your music genre and artists/recordings you want for long term enjoyment buy the cd or vinyl album version. High fidelity, you own it, no one can eliminate your playlist.

 

[SteveL]

Streaming services give you an all you can eat buffet experience. But when you have identified your music genre and artists/recordings you want for long term enjoyment buy the cd or vinyl album version. High fidelity, you own it, no one can eliminate your playlist.

But as an avid classical music lover and serious amateur musician I'm not satisfied with listening to my "favorites". I love to discover composers of both the past and present who were previously unfamiliar to me. Streaming enables that to an extent far beyond what was possible before it came along.

 

[Keith_W]

If you're OK with 256 kbps AAC (which my 67 year old ears certainly can't distinguish from CD quality) then YouTube Music Premium is hard to beat for its classical catalog. Its secret sauce is that searches return YouTube videos as well as as commercial audio recordings (and its catalog of the latter is already comprehensive). And if you have a YouTube Premium account, Music Premium comes with.

It's not just the 256kbps AAC which is the problem with Youtube Music Premium. There is something else going on, the music sounds noticeably more muddy than the exact same track I ripped from my CD. Now, I am not one who believes that the difference between FLAC and high bitrate AAC is going to be that audible, but there is definitely something going on.

 

[SteveL]

It's not just the 256kbps AAC which is the problem with Youtube Music Premium. There is something else going on, the music sounds noticeably more muddy than the exact same track I ripped from my CD. Now, I am not one who believes that the difference between FLAC and high bitrate AAC is going to be that audible, but there is definitely something going on.

Well, I don't hear anything like that. Guess I'm lucky.

 

[Timcognito]

Anybody using this? Any good? Just found this and have a friend who just getting into streaming classical music.

 

[mSpot]

Anybody using this? Any good? Just found this and have a friend who just getting into streaming classical music.

Thanks, it looks very interesting! Naxos Music Library has unique features not available in other music streaming services. It was originally developed for institutions (schools, universities, public libraries). It looks appealing to me as a classical music enthusiast but has some drawbacks.

Streaming is only in AAC at 128 kbps Standard Quality or 320 kbps Premium Quality. The service is on Android and iOS apps, but on a computer only through a web browser. An individual subscription is high: $21/month for Standard Quality or $31.50/month for Premium Quality (with a small discount for an annual plan).

But wait — you might be able to access Naxos Music Library for free through your public library or school. Search for a public library here:
https://www.naxosforeducation.com/fr-library.htm
In the SF Bay Area, it is available at the City of Menlo Park Library and requires applying for a library card. However, any resident of California is eligible and you don't have to be a resident of Menlo Park. Once you have a card number, you can access Naxos Music Library online.
https://menlopark.naxosmusiclibrary.com/login/library/card
I will try it out soon.

@Timcognito, if your friend can get free access to Naxos Music Library, it should be ideal for exploring classical music. Besides classical, Naxos Music Library also offers libraries of jazz and world music.

 

[Timcognito]

Thanks, it looks very interesting! Naxos Music Library has unique features not available in other music streaming services. It was originally developed for institutions (schools, universities, public libraries). It looks appealing to me as a classical music enthusiast but has some drawbacks.

Streaming is only in AAC at 128 kbps Standard Quality or 320 kbps Premium Quality. The service is on Android and iOS apps, but on a computer only through a web browser. An individual subscription is high: $21/month for Standard Quality or $31.50/month for Premium Quality (with a small discount for an annual plan).

But wait — you might be able to access Naxos Music Library for free through your public library or school. Search for a public library here:
https://www.naxosforeducation.com/fr-library.htm
In the SF Bay Area, it is available at the City of Menlo Park Library and requires applying for a library card. However, any resident of California is eligible and you don't have to be a resident of Menlo Park. Once you have a card number, you can access Naxos Music Library online.
https://menlopark.naxosmusiclibrary.com/login/library/card
I will try it out soon.

@Timcognito, if your friend can get free access to Naxos Music Library, it should be ideal for exploring classical music. Besides classical, Naxos Music Library also offers libraries of jazz and world music.

Thanks for the very detailed post. His wife teaches music at the College of San Mateo so that has got to be a way to get it. Too bad it's not Redbook but 320kbps ain't bad.

 

[mSpot]

Thanks for the very detailed post. His wife teaches music at the College of San Mateo so that has got to be a way to get it. Too bad it's not Redbook but 320kbps ain't bad.

I was able to access the Naxos Music Library through the Alameda County Library.

1. Apply online for a library card (California residents are eligible)
   https://alam1.aclibrary.org/selfreg
2. You will receive an eCard number by email. Login and set a PIN number for the account
   https://alam1.aclibrary.org/patroninfo
3. Login to the Naxos Music Library using your eCard number and PIN
   https://aclibrary-naxosmusiclibrary-com.ezproxy.aclibrary.org/
4. (optional but recommended) Register for a Naxos Music Library account to save favorites and playlists
   https://aclibrary-naxosmusiclibrary-com.ezproxy.aclibrary.org/student/signup
   After activating the account, you will be able to login directly to Naxos using your email/password
   https://www.naxosmusiclibrary.com

I'm impressed. This is for the classical music service and the catalog is very extensive, comparable to the major streaming services. The sound quality is very good, on par with Spotify Premium. The website has many educational resources to explore and learn about music. It would be excellent even as a paid streaming service, and incredible for free (I suppose your tax dollars at work). Naxos also have mobile Android and iOS players apps with capability to download for offline playback.

Separately, the Naxos jazz library is also available but the jazz catalog is not as complete. It looks like some of the major jazz labels are not onboard with Naxos (lots of smaller labels though). Use these links for Naxos Music Library Jazz:

• Login with eCard number and PIN
  https://aclibrary-naxosmusiclibrary-com.ezproxy.aclibrary.org/jazz/
• Register for Naxos Music Library Jazz account
  https://aclibrary-naxosmusiclibrary-com.ezproxy.aclibrary.org/jazz/student/signup
• Direct login to Naxos Music Library Jazz with email/password
  https://www.naxosmusiclibrary.com/jazz/

Naxos also have a service for world music, but the Alameda County Library doesn't offer it.

 

[mkt]

Libraries are underrated.

 

[Timcognito]

I was able to access the Naxos Music Library through the Alameda County Library.

1. Apply online for a library card (California residents are eligible)
   https://alam1.aclibrary.org/selfreg
2. You will receive an eCard number by email. Login and set a PIN number for the account
   https://alam1.aclibrary.org/patroninfo
3. Login to the Naxos Music Library using your eCard number and PIN
   https://aclibrary-naxosmusiclibrary-com.ezproxy.aclibrary.org/
4. (optional but recommended) Register for a Naxos Music Library account to save favorites and playlists
   https://aclibrary-naxosmusiclibrary-com.ezproxy.aclibrary.org/student/signup
   After activating the account, you will be able to login directly to Naxos using your email/password
   https://www.naxosmusiclibrary.com

I'm impressed. This is for the classical music service and the catalog is very extensive, comparable to the major streaming services. The sound quality is very good, on par with Spotify Premium. The website has many educational resources to explore and learn about music. It would be excellent even as a paid streaming service, and incredible for free (I suppose your tax dollars at work). Naxos also have mobile Android and iOS players apps with capability to download for offline playback.

Separately, the Naxos jazz library is also available but the jazz catalog is not as complete. It looks like some of the major jazz labels are not onboard with Naxos (lots of smaller labels though). Use these links for Naxos Music Library Jazz:

• Login with eCard number and PIN
  https://aclibrary-naxosmusiclibrary-com.ezproxy.aclibrary.org/jazz/
• Register for Naxos Music Library Jazz account
  https://aclibrary-naxosmusiclibrary-com.ezproxy.aclibrary.org/jazz/student/signup
• Direct login to Naxos Music Library Jazz with email/password
  https://www.naxosmusiclibrary.com/jazz/

Naxos also have a service for world music, but the Alameda County Library doesn't offer it.

Thanks again @mSpot, not only are you helping my friend Dave with classical but me too, a real Jazz and World music lover. My classical collection and knowledge are small compared to those.

 

[JanesJr1]

What I don't like about any of the streaming services (except Spotify) is that you can not cast to a PC using their own app. You can cast Tidal and Qobuz using third party software like Roon and BubbleUPNP, but you can't cast Idagio using anything. I don't know about Apple Music because I won't use Apple. I really want to use Idagio, but the number of streamers that support it is very limited. There is also Presto Music, but I can't find out anything about it short of paying for a subscription and then potentially finding out that it can't do what I want it to do.

It's so stupid. Idagio have an app for Windows. How do they expect people to use it? Sit in front of their computers and listen to music?

Just FYI, that's the only way I listen to music (via my PC's), and it's not a far-fetched use case. I like it much better than using a phone, and I get top fidelity on my Surface Pro with a good dongle and headphones or IEM's. (I also use desktop dac/amps on my stationary PC's.) I'm not even sure why I'd need to "cast" anything, and I enjoy Idagio. (I haven't tried Qobuz or Tidal, so I may be naive about this aspect. By "casting", do you mean porting their phone app interface to Windows? Windows does that now with Android...)

[PS I now have found the thread on "casting streaming from Tablet PC". ]

 

[Keith_W]

Just FYI, that's the only way I listen to music (via my PC's), and it's not a far-fetched use case. I like it much better than using a phone, and I get top fidelity on my Surface Pro with a good dongle and headphones or IEM's. (I also use desktop dac/amps on my stationary PC's.) I'm not even sure why I'd need to "cast" anything, and I enjoy Idagio. (I haven't tried Qobuz or Tidal, so I may be naive about this aspect. By "casting", do you mean porting their phone app interface to Windows? Windows does that now with Android...)

[PS I now have found the thread on "casting streaming from Tablet PC". ]

In my system, the PC is hidden away and I sit in front of the speakers. "Casting" means selecting the track on your tablet, which then tells the PC to grab the stream from the source and play it.