Apple Music might be the other other audio streaming service, but none of those others has their own dedicated music hall, do they? The Apple Music Hall, “a brand-new state-of-the-art live music venue,” was just opened in London.
Which might be a sign that Apple has too much money lying around. Or perhaps it’s good business sense. The 600-seat facility is set up for artists to record directly in the company’s Spatial Audio format. That means more content on the platform that works with Apple’s audio hardware.
Apple Music Hall-in
According to Apple, the facility was designed “to close the gap between intimacy and production value and allow for an unprecedented level of creative control.” Performers on the 11.5-metre stage will perform in Spatial Audio for the audience. A total of 48 speakers around the venue help to facilitate this. The recording facility on-site captures the performance in the same format.
And since it needs to be on video for it to exist, Apple has outfitted the Battersea Power Station venue with space for at least sixteen cameras. These can include “iPhone video capture running in parallel alongside traditional broadcast cameras.” Because if you’re doing anything, you might as well punt the hell out of your own products.
Apple Music’s global creative director, Zane Lowe, said, “We’re always looking for new opportunities to connect the artists and the fans because we are fans. What better way to celebrate this relationship than a new music venue where we get to experience amazing music in an amazing space and share it with the world.”
What wasn’t mentioned was who the first artist to take advantage of the new facility would be. The company envisions one-time shows at the venue. These won’t simply be reserved for the 600 attendees. It’s also fully set up for live-streaming, meaning the London shows will also be aired… wherever Apple wants. That’ll most likely be on its own streaming platforms, whether that’s Apple Music or Apple TV.
