Music television is experiencing a renaissance in the form of documentaries and live concerts to stream at home, and your audio system is the perfect vessel. While many focus on building elaborate surround-sound set-ups for films, music requires a different approach entirely.
As highlighted in our recent guide to building a home cinema system fit for live music, stereo hi-fi systems often deliver a more authentic and engaging experience for musical content than complex Dolby Atmos configurations. But what to watch?
From intimate artist portraits to legendary concert films, today's streaming services offer an unprecedented library of musical content.
Whether you're drawn to the raw energy of live performances or fascinated by the stories behind iconic albums, these carefully curated documentaries and concerts will put you front row, and your home audio system through its paces, whilst delivering compelling viewing.
Here are 11 essential music documentaries and live concerts available to stream at home now – and leave you feeling smug that there’s no queue for the loo.
Iron Maiden: Flight 666
Bruce Dickinson's cockpit takes centre stage as the Iron Maiden frontman pilots the band’s customised Boeing 757 on their 2008 world tour. What sets Flight 666 apart from typical rock documentaries is its unique perspective on the logistics and passion required to bring metal to the masses across six continents.
The film captures thunderous live performances and genuine camaraderie between band members, but most notably the sheer hysteria showcased by Maiden’s fanatical fanbase, known affectionately as the Troopers.
With exceptional concert footage that shines on a proper stereo hi-fi set-up, Steve Harris’s galloping basslines and the guitar harmonies of Dave Murray, Adrian Smith, and Janick Gers – who ignored the film crew until the final week – cut through with crystalline clarity.
From the roar of jet engines to the crowd's deafening approval, every sonic detail contributes to an immersive experience that puts you right in the pilot's seat alongside one of metal's most enduring acts.
Watch it on: BBC iPlayer
Becoming Led Zeppelin
Bernard MacMahon's long-awaited Led Zeppelin documentary offers an unprecedented look at the formation and early years of rock's most influential band. Through a treasure trove of previously unreleased audio recordings, rare photographs, and intimate interviews, Becoming Led Zeppelin traces the journey from session musicians to global superstars.
The film's 'sonic archaeology' approach includes mesmerising audio quality throughout, with rare studio outtakes and alternate mixes that will send you into a psychedelic frenzy.
What makes this essential viewing is how it contextualises Led Zeppelin's revolutionary approach to recording and production. Jimmy Page's studio techniques are explored in detail, while John Paul Jones's bass work and John Bonham's earth-shaking drums are presented with remarkable detail. It's also rich with anecdotes and trivia to aid you on quiz night.
Robert Plant's voice, captured in its prime, soars through speakers with all the power and nuance that made him legendary. The documentary's supreme production values ensure every whispered conversation and thunderous riff receives equal attention, immersing you in the world of Led Zep from start to finish.
Watch it on: Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video, Sky Store, Now TV, Rakuten
Tina
An unflinching portrait of Tina Turner tracing her extraordinary journey from abusive years in Nutbush, Tennessee to global icon status, culminates in her triumphant 2022 receiving of Swiss citizenship and farewell tour.
Drawing on rare personal archives, onstage footage from her electrifying '80s comeback, and candid interviews with Turner herself – alongside the likes of Mick Jagger and Oprah Winfrey – the film reveals the unyielding spirit behind her voice.
What elevates Tina is the meticulous levels of restoration: Turner's raspy timbre and the thunderous gospel-infused arrangements of hits like Proud Mary and What's Love Got to Do With It seem to just explode with visceral energy.
The live segments, including her 1988 Wembley Stadium triumph, showcase layered harmonies soaring over sparse production remnants, making it a masterclass in how analogue warmth can translate to digital streams.
Amidst the triumphs, quieter moments of reflection highlight her operatic range, proving why Turner's delivery remains a benchmark for emotional depth.
Watch it on: Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Sky Store, Now TV, Rakuten, BFI Player
Cypress Hill & London Symphony Orchestra: Black Sunday Live
What began as a throwaway gag on The Simpsons becomes a stunning reality in this unprecedented collaboration between hip-hop legends Cypress Hill and the prestigious London Symphony Orchestra.
Transforming the rap group's seminal 1993 album Black Sunday into an extraordinary live experience at the Royal Albert Hall, the performance bridges seemingly incompatible worlds with Sen Dog and B-Real's West Coast verses flowing seamlessly over lush orchestral arrangements.
Watching one of the world's finest classical ensembles back tracks like Insane In The Brain creates moments of genuine musical alchemy that seem impossible on paper.
The audio engineering captures both the LSO's full dynamic range and Cypress Hill's distinctive sound, with notable production from DJ Muggs and Latin-influenced percussion courtesy of Eric “Bobo” Correa.
On a quality hi-fi system, you'll hear everything from thunderous timpani to delicate brass flourishes that transform familiar golden era hip-hop classics into something entirely new.
Watch it on: Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video, On Air Events
Blur: To The End
Documenting Blur’s poignant return with The Ballad Of Darren – their first studio album in eight years – To The End captures Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon, Alex James, and Dave Rowntree navigating what might be their final creative chapter.
The film's technical presentation immediately rewards quality systems. Coxon's intricate guitar work benefits from clear mixing, while the interplay between all four members emerges with remarkable definition during studio sessions.
To The End's honest fly-on-the-wall approach reveals genuine emotional complexity as Britpop's intellectuals, now in their fifties, confront mortality and friendship. The film succeeds as both a technical showcase and a poignant farewell, with the source material receiving appropriately careful treatment.
Wembley Stadium provides a fitting sonic crescendo as 150,000-strong crowds demonstrate the power of well-captured live audio. These potentially final performances carry genuine weight as the band deliver career-spanning material with renewed intensity.
Watch it on: Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video, Sky Store, Now TV, Rakuten
The Go-Go's
This energetic doc chronicles the rise of The Go-Go's, the first all-female band to top the Billboard album chart with Beauty And The Beat in 1981, blending punk rebellion with pop hooks.
Through archival clips, live performances from LA's underground scene, and frank interviews with band members Belinda Carlisle, Jane Wiedlin, and Charlotte Caffey, it explores their DIY ethos, internal clashes, and battles against industry sexism, proving how women from the fringes would reshape new wave.
Audio highlights make this a hi-fi gem: the remixed concert footage from their 1982 peak captures Wiedlin's jangly guitars slicing through with razor-sharp effect, while Carlisle's soaring leads on We Got The Beat and Vacation will fill any room.
Caffey's rhythm section drives with propulsive low-end, and the overall feel of this punk-to-pop documentary is rendered in vivid dynamics – raw mics from dive-bar gigs evolving into polished arena concerts. A sonic rallying cry for underrepresented voices.
Watch it on: Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video
The Stone Roses: Made Of Stone
Shane Meadows' passionate documentary chronicles Manchester legends The Stone Roses' remarkable resurrection after fifteen years apart.
Made Of Stone captures the anticipation surrounding their 2012 comeback, from rehearsals to the triumphant Heaton Park homecoming shows that proved their enduring cultural impact.
Meadows' unprecedented access reveals intimate moments between Ian Brown, John Squire, Gary 'Mani' Mounfield, and Alan 'Reni' Wren as they navigate their unlikely reunion. The film skilfully weaves archive footage with behind-the-scenes material, creating a definitive portrait of one of Britain's most influential alternative rock bands.
Audio excels throughout, especially during concert sequences where Squire’s distinctive guitar work is given the treatment it deserves. Brown’s swagger-laden vocals cut through with trademark attitude, while the rhythm section highlights a system’s detail and dynamics.
Though the quieter, more intimate moments carry real poignancy, it’s the ‘wish I was there’ live segments that will have you shaking your shoulders to the rhythm.
Watch it on: Channel 4
Music Box: Yacht Rock – A Dockumentary
This delightful exploration of the smooth sounds that dominated American radio in the late 1970s and early 1980s celebrates the sophisticated pop craftsmanship often dismissed as mere background music.
Yacht Rock examines the West Coast scene centred around artists like Steely Dan, Toto and Christopher Cross, revealing the exceptional musicianship behind these polished artists.
The documentary's infectious enthusiasm for its subject matter is matched by an authentic audio presentation that highlights the genre's emphasis on sonic perfection.
For hi-fi enthusiasts, it’s a goldmine of exceptionally well-recorded music that showcases every aspect of a quality stereo system, thanks to intricate harmonies, pristine guitar tones and immaculate production values.
Interviews with surviving musicians provide fascinating insights into the session culture that created a back catalogue of enduring songs, whilst rare studio footage demonstrates the meticulous attention to detail that characterised the era.
Watch it on: Sky Documentaries, Now TV
Homecoming: A Film By Beyoncé
While we await Renaissance, Beyoncé’s hybrid concert film/visual album from 2023, to reach streaming services, this self-directed docu-concert dissecting her 2018 Coachella set still rides high in the Netflix charts.
Dubbed "Beychella" as a reclamation of Black cultural heritage, it blends high-octane performance reels with rehearsal vignettes, spotlighting her command of 100-plus dancers, a brass band, and intricate vocal runs, all while unpacking themes of motherhood, legacy, and female empowerment. Phew.
The film's Dolby Atmos mix (streamable in stereo on hi-fi set-ups) is revelatory: the thumping bass of Formation and layered harmonies in Lift Every Voice and Sing deliver stadium-scale immersion, with Beyoncé's nuanced ad-libs cutting through like a scalpel.
Drumline rhythms pulse with hyper-detailed transients, while quieter interludes reveal the subtlety of her breath control. This is a blueprint for live concert production, where every horn blast and crowd roar represents unfiltered power and precision.
Watch it on: Netflix
Beastie Boys Story
Spike Jonze’s adaptation of the exquisite Beastie Boys Book memoir is a kinetic, nostalgic ride through the career of the hip-hop pioneers told through a live stage performance by surviving members Mike D and Ad-Rock at Brooklyn’s Kings Theatre.
This is a love letter to the New Yorkers' urban roots, from punk upstarts to golden era rap veterans, with a focus on their genre-defying legacy. And, well, it gets emotional.
The film captures the infectious energy of their 1990s performances with booming 808s and turntable scratches, while archival concert footage, remixed for modern streaming purposes, delivers vocal interplay and punchy bass to rattle your subwoofers.
Intimate storytelling moments – narrated live – add emotional weight, especially when reflecting on the sad loss of founding member Adam Yauch, aka MCA.
For any music fan, this is a journey through Beastie Boys’ shapeshifting evolution, with Jonze’s direction ensuring every beat and anecdote hits hard.
Watch it on: Apple TV+
Amazing Grace
Amazing Grace resurrects Aretha Franklin’s 1972 gospel recording sessions at Los Angeles’ New Temple Missionary Baptist Church, a soul-stirring blend of classical vocal mastery and urban gospel fervour.
Filmed by Sydney Pollack but shelved for decades, this restored gem captures the Queen of Soul at her peak, backed by the Southern California Community Choir.
Audio quality is pretty spectacular considering, with Franklin’s operatic range and emotive phrasing soaring through spirituals like What A Friend We Have In Jesus.
The analogue warmth of the live recording, paired with the choir’s rich harmonies and James Cleveland’s piano, creates a transcendent soundscape that benefits from a high-fidelity set-up. Every breath, organ swell and congregation clap has clout.
A spiritual experience that bridges classical techniques with gospel’s energy, Amazing Grace will envelop you in soul and symphony.
Watch it on: Amazon Prime Video
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