Comparison

Classical California vs Met Opera on Demand

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Classical California

Experience world-class classical music streamed live, 24/7. Discover curated playlists and enjoy a hand-picked music mix with friendly hosts, bringing the concert hall to you wherever you go.

Highlights
  • Live classical music streaming
  • Curated playlists
  • Hand-picked music mix
  • Friendly hosts
  • 24/7 availability
Features
Read full description

The beauty of the concert hall anywhere you are. Enjoy world-class classical music at the touch of a button. Whether you’re soaking in the final glow of sunset or rushing on a deadline, we’re here to give you the inspiration, comfort, and delight you’re craving right this very moment. Try a brand new variety of curated playlists with a hand-picked music mix and friendly hosts. All free, all streaming 24/7. Discover your new favorites with Classical California.

About

Met Opera on Demand

Access an extensive library of over 950 full-length Metropolitan Opera performances, including "Live in HD" broadcasts and classic telecasts. Enjoy instant streaming on your devices with multi-language subtitles and audio descriptions available.

Highlights
  • Stream 900+ full-length Met performances
  • Includes "Live in HD" series
  • Access classic telecasts and radio broadcasts
  • Multi-language subtitles and audio descriptions
  • Continue watching and listening feature
  • Bookmark favorite performances
Features
Currently charting
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Start your 7-day Free Trial or subscribe now in the app, through your iTunes account! Met Opera on Demand delivers instant and unlimited streaming of more than 950 full-length Metropolitan Opera performances on your iPad & iPhone—and on your HDTV or connected sound system as well via Apple TV with AirPlay. The Met Opera on Demand iPad/iPhone app is free to download. Explore the app and the catalog, and enjoy a sampling of free preview content. Now you can sign-up for the 7-day Free Trial or purchase a subscription right inside the app for complete and unlimited access to everything available. Highlights of this unparalleled collection of opera performances include: • More than 180 presentations from every season of the Met’s award-winning "Live in HD" series of global movie-theater transmissions, featuring opera superstars Angel Blue, Joyce DiDonato, Renée Fleming, Roberto Alagna, Elīna Garanča, Jonas Kaufmann, Deborah Voigt, and many more • Classic Met telecasts dating from 1977, including "Aida" starring Leontyne Price, "La Bohème" starring Luciano Pavarotti and Renata Scotto, and more • More than 600 radio broadcast performances dating back to 1935, representing nearly all of the most popular operas ever composed and many of the greatest singers in Met history including Björling, Callas, Corelli, Horne, Nilsson, Sutherland, Tebaldi, Te Kanawa, and Tucker • Met Opera on Demand: Now Playing, a new 24-hour audio stream of extraordinary Met performances • Select live radio broadcasts All Met Opera on Demand videos include English subtitles, and many recent HD performances also include subtitles in French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Swedish, as well as English Closed Captions (CC.) Videos released 2022 and later will also include Audio Description (AD). Subscribers can use AirPlay to watch all videos with the full offering of multi-language subtitles on their TV via Apple TV. New operas are added every month. The app also offers a “Continue Watching and Listening” feature that allows you to stop at any time and resume right where you left off whenever you’re ready. You can bookmark your favorite performances for easy access at any time as well. If you subscribe in the app: Met Opera on Demand offers two auto-renewing subscription types available for purchase through your iTunes Account: Monthly (with a free 7-day trial for first time purchasers) and Annual. Payment will be charged (after any free trial period, if applicable) to your iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase, at the price listed under "Choose Your Offer" (currently $14.99 US Dollars for a Monthly subscription and $149.99 US Dollars for an Annual subscription.) Depending on your App Store country or region, prices might be listed and payments charged in your local currency, US Dollars, or Euros. Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your iTunes Account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal. Subscriptions may be managed by the user and the auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user’s Account Settings after purchase. Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription. The Metropolitan Opera’s Terms & Conditions (http://www.metopera.org/user-information/terms-and-conditions/) and Privacy Policy (http://www.metopera.org/user-information/privacy-policy/) also apply.

Screenshots

Classical California4 screens
Met Opera on Demand4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Classical California at 89% against Met Opera on Demand's 27%. Classical California also leads on rating (4.9 vs 2.4) and in-app purchases (none vs 2). Met Opera on Demand's advantage is chart position (#130 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Met Opera on Demand sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month. Classical California asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Classical California holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 2.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Classical California has 12K ratings behind it against 38, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 89% of Classical California's written reviews are positive against 27% of Met Opera on Demand's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Classical California ships an update every 6 weeks, Met Opera on Demand every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Classical California versus Met Opera on Demand: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterClassical CaliforniaMet Opera on Demand
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (12K ratings) — better2.4 (38 ratings)
Positive reviews89.1% of reviews — better27.0% of reviews
Number of ratings12K — better38
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#130 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TViPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV
Requires iOS15.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size75 MB74 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperKUSCMetropolitan Opera Association, Inc.

Customer experience

Classical California

All ratings12,290 ratings
Positive97.6%
Neutral1.1%
Negative1.3%
Written reviews184 reviews
Positive89.1%
Neutral4.3%
Negative6.5%

Met Opera on Demand

All ratings37 ratings
Positive32.4%
Neutral2.7%
Negative64.9%
Written reviews159 reviews
Positive27.0%
Neutral11.9%
Negative61.0%

User reviews

Classical California

From 12K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎶 Excellent music selection
  • 🎧 High-quality audio
  • 🕰️ Variety of programming
  • 💻 Convenient app experience
  • 🌟 Knowledgeable and engaging hosts

Room to improve

  • 🔁 Repetitive song rotation
  • 🗣️ Too much self-promotion
  • 🔊 Streaming issues and disconnects
  • 🕰️ Incomplete track information

Met Opera on Demand

From 38 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎨 Excellent content and performance quality
  • 🎥 Immersive opera viewing experience
  • 🎶 Vast catalog of operas and recordings

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and technical issues
  • 💾 Inability to save progress or favorites
  • 🔊 Subpar audio quality
  • 📱 Lack of support for mobile devices and TVs
  • 🔍 Poor search and navigation features

Bugs and requests

Classical California

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • App crashes and freezes
  • Inconsistent metadata display

Requested features

4 requests
  • More contemporary classical music
  • Ability to listen to archived programs
  • Improved app stability and reliability
  • Expanded music discovery features

Met Opera on Demand

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App crashes on launch
  • Playback issues and freezing
  • Subscription and login problems
  • Inconsistent performance across devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • Offline viewing and download options
  • Improved Airplay and TV integration
  • Bookmark and resume playback functionality
  • Enhanced search and browsing capabilities
  • Smoother login and subscription experience

In-app purchases

None

Classical California

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Met Opera on Demand

Subscriptions2
  • Met Opera on Demand7 Days trial$14.991 Month
  • Met Opera on Demand$149.991 Year

Questions

Is Classical California free?
Classical California is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Met Opera on Demand free?
Met Opera on Demand is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Classical California or Met Opera on Demand?
Classical California is rated higher. Classical California averages 4.9 out of 5 from 12K ratings, while Met Opera on Demand averages 2.4 from 38 ratings.
Do Classical California or Met Opera on Demand have ads?
Neither Classical California nor Met Opera on Demand shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Classical California or Met Opera on Demand?
Classical California ships an update every 6 weeks, and Met Opera on Demand every 2 months. Most recently, Classical California was updated on November 6, 2026 and Met Opera on Demand on November 10, 2026.

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