Max SteventonApple has opened a new 600-capacity live music venue at Battersea Power Station in London.
The tech giant said its Apple Music Hall has been designed to host intimate live performances while providing production infrastructure for recording, broadcast and live-streaming.
The performance space features a 38ft-wide stage which can be configured for front-facing performances or in-the-round shows. A 48-speaker spatial audio system is installed around the audience, allowing performances to be captured and presented in Spatial Audio.
Behind the stage, the venue includes two recording and mixing studios, with performances able to be recorded as multitrack sessions and mixed in Spatial Audio either during or after a show.
The venue is also equipped for video production, with infrastructure for 16 or more cameras feeding into a dedicated broadcast control room. This includes support for iPhone video capture alongside conventional broadcast cameras. Apple said performances can subsequently be live-streamed globally, allowing audiences outside London to watch shows taking place at the venue.
The design of Apple Music Hall draws on elements of Battersea Power Station, including heritage brickwork, fluted arches and bronze balconies. A glass wall provides views across the building’s concourse and towards the River Thames.
Apple has also opened new Apple Music Radio studios at Battersea Power Station. The company’s London-based radio hosts and shows will now broadcast from the new facilities.
“Apple’s deep love for music dates all the way back to the very beginning, from the launch of the iPod to the long-running iTunes Music Festival to the debut of Apple Music,” said Apple VP of Apple Music and international content Oliver Schusser. “Today, with the opening of Apple Music Hall, we are once again taking an unprecedented step further in our commitment to artists and fans by supporting live music in ways only Apple can do.”
Apple global creative director and lead anchor for Apple Music Zane Lowe said, “At Apple Music, we care deeply about music, the artists who make it, and their life stories. We’re always looking for new opportunities to connect the artists and the fans because we are fans.”