Apple Music has opened its own concert venue in London. Apple Music Hall is a 600-capacity space located in Battersea Power Station, which is also the site of Apple’s UK headquarters.
Performances will be recorded in Spatial Audio and filmed, ready to be streamed on Apple Music. The idea is for artists to record a podcast, radio show and live concert, all at the same venue.
But Apple claims the venue won’t further harm the capital’s ailing nightlife scene.
“We’re not trying to be in the live business. We’re not trying to compete with anyone,” Apple Music’s vice president, Oliver Schusser, told BBC News.
“We’re going to run the venue like a venue, with tickets and everything, but the sole purpose for us is to do great work with artists, to connect artists with fans, and to broadcast the content on Apple Music.
“We have really no interest in trying to be in the way of anyone else, and that’s one of the main reasons it’s a smaller space.”
It might be smaller, but it looks pretty plush. Designed to be in keeping with the historic building in which it’s housed, it has heritage brickwork, fluted arches and bronze balconies. There’s a giant glass wall overlooking the concourse and river beyond.
Despite these heritage touches, this is a state-of-the-art facility. The 38-foot-wide stage can be reconfigured for traditional front-facing sets or in-the-round experiences. There are 48 spatial speakers positioned around the audience, and behind the stage lies a full production suite of studios ready to mix in Spatial Audio on-the-fly. It’s also hardwired for 16 or more cameras to feed a purpose built broadcast control room.
Apple previously held the annual iTunes Festival in London venues such as The Roundhouse and Koko, with performances from Elton John, Lady Gaga and Adele, among others. Apple renamed the event the Apple Music Festival in 2015 before canning it in 2017.
Schusser hopes the venue will help musicians foster a deeper connection with their fans than is possible with standard music streaming.
“We want our music services not just to be an anonymous place on the internet where you press a button and music starts playing,” he said.
“For most artists, it’s kind of sad in streaming. There’s nothing for them to do. The music gets delivered by the labels, and then it’s a bunch of playlists.
“But [fans] want to have a chance to meet the artists, know more about the artists, understand why they made an album the way they made it.”
Apple Music Hall opens on 28th September, with acts yet to be announced.
Find out more here.
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