DG Discovery 1.1.5

A curated app for classic music listeners, from Bach to Rachmaninov

Classical music lovers don’t get a lot of choice when it comes to streaming apps. That’s probably because most classical music listeners don’t bother with apps, and instead use a simple player and they buy their music on CD or from iTunes. There are probably still a lot of types listening to vinyl as well.

There’s an app for that

If you really must enjoy your classical music in a contained environment with constant updates, vast descriptions and imagery, DG Discovery has you covered. As long as you’re willing to cough up the subscription money, that is.

Deutsche Grammophon Premium is not cheap. You need to fork out $35.99 / €31.99 annually, or $3.99 / €3.99 per month for permission to stream more than 30 seconds of each track. That’s right. DG Discovery is iTunes for classical music. It also offers individual track purchases through (not surprisingly) iTunes. Don’t get the wrong idea. It’s okay to pay for your music. But you should know this is a business model that’s slowly dying.

Confusing UI

Browsing DG Discovery is not hard. You get a tile-based home-screen which for some reason is called “Features,” and each tile represents an artist, a genre, an era, or even a guide. Things aren’t exactly grouped well, but like I said, it’s not hard to figure it out. It’s just not very pretty, that’s all.

Every artist comes with a brief description and a list of tracks that you can stream or buy. The tracks are 30-second previews in the free version, so nothing is really available to enjoy until you pull out your wallet. Which is certainly not the way to go if you want people to feel the value in your app, but that’s just us.

Sharing

Sharing includes Mail, Twitter and Facebook. Don’t think you’re sharing the song. You’re sharing what is essentially an ad so that your friends will also download DG Discovery and cough up some money.

Also, wvery time you request information on a track, the check-box for signing you up to receive emails is always ticked. Not cool.

Add to watchlist:

Streaming Podcast Player Downloader

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dg-discovery/id789949494?mt=8

In a hurry? Add it to your Download Basket!

softpedia rating

3.0/5

user rating

UNRATED

0.0/5

0/5

13 Original Screenshots

Hits & Misses

hits

access to over 450 classical music albums
featured albums rotate weekly, with new music being added as well
playlist creation
browse by artist and composer, genre or epoch
community discussions

misses

almost nothing is offered for free
interface is confusing
full service is too expensive

Bottom Line

Design / UI6 Confusing interface, too much text and a dull color palette.	Function5 Works well if you pay the subscription. Doesn’t do much if you don’t.	Security6 If you’re the type who prefers their privacy not to be invaded, it will be hard to avoid accidentally subscribing to the mailing list. Consider yourself warned.
Battery8 Normal consumption levels.	Price5 Not much value in this one unless you pay full price. And it’s not cheap either: $35.99 / €31.99 annually, or $3.99 / €3.99 per month.	Compatibility9 Asks only for iOS 6 and works natively on all device models.

Editor's Review

GOOD

There are many easier ways to get your classical music fix

Reviewed by Filip Truta, last updated on November 21st, 21:24 GMT.

Specifications

price:: Free with IAP
current version:: 1.1.5
reviewed version:: 1.1.3
developer:: U-Apps
category:: AUDIO
os version req.:: 6.0
age rating:: 4+
in-app purchases:: Yes. Deutsche Grammophon Premium $3.99
hits:: 482

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