Following the launch of Apple Music Classical earlier this year, Apple is once again expanding its footprint in the classical music industry. This time, the company has acquired BIS Records, a record label founded in 1973 and focused on early and contemporary classical music.
BIS Records is located in Åkersberga, Sweden, and describes itself as the “leading record label for classical music in Scandinavia.” The company announced its Apple acquisition in a post on Twitter and through an update to its website (via MacRumors).
BIS Records founder Robert von Bahr writes:
A few days ago BIS Records turned 50 years old and I am immensely proud of what our small team of people has accomplished during this half-century. BIS’s specialty, while paying our dues to the core repertoire, has been to nurture young classical artists and interesting living composers and to safeguard the musical treasure that we all represent long into the future. It is to that end that, after much careful consideration, and having just turned 80, I am excited to announce the rather momentous news that we have made the decision to become part of the Apple family.
We thought long and hard on how to maintain and build upon our prestigious history and looked for a partner who would further our mission, as well as an increased global platform to bring classical music to new audiences all over the world. Apple, with its own storied history of innovation and love of music, is the ideal home to usher in the next era of classical and has shown true commitment towards building a future in which classical music and technology work in harmony. It is my vision and my sincerest dream that we are all a part of this future.
BIS Records will “become part of Apple Music Classical and Platoon” when it joins Apple. Platoon, for those unfamiliar, is a startup acquired by Apple back in 2018 that focuses on early-stage artists who are unsigned. Apple launched a dedicated “Platoon for Artists” app last year.
In the announcement on the acquisition, Bahr praised Apple’s recent efforts to “support creativity within in the classical space,” such as with this year’s launch of Apple Music Classical. Apple’s focus on audio quality also played a role in the decision, Bahr said.
“Apple and BIS also share a fundamental belief in the importance of preserving audio quality,” he writes. “As you are all aware, BIS has always been about exceptional sound quality, and Apple’s dedication to sound, as well as to Spatial Audio, is something I have followed with interest.”
Apple Music Classical launched to the public back in March, offering a catalog of over 5 million tracks, thousands of exclusive albums, and more. Apple acquired the Primephonic music streaming service in 2021 to serve as the basis of Apple Music Classical.
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