Apple Music Hall has opened inside London’s Battersea Power Station.
Apple Music Hall has opened inside London’s Battersea Power Station.
Artists can record performances in Spatial Audio and capture multi-camera video on site.
The new 600-capacity venue combines intimate live performances with Spatial Audio recording, broadcast studios and multi-camera production.
Apple is turning up the volume in London. The technology giant has opened Apple Music Hall, a new 600-capacity live music venue inside Battersea Power Station, designed to bring artists and fans closer while offering production capabilities usually associated with much larger concert spaces.
Located beside the River Thames, Apple Music Hall has been conceived as both a performance venue and a fully equipped recording facility. Its design takes cues from Battersea Power Station itself, incorporating heritage brickwork, fluted arches and bronze balconies alongside a large glass wall overlooking the building and surrounding riverside district.
“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 Oliver Schusser, Apple’s vice president of Apple Music and International Content. “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.”
The venue has been created to combine the atmosphere of a smaller gig with the technical capabilities of an arena production. Its 38-foot-wide stage can be configured for traditional performances or more immersive, in-the-round setups, while a 48-speaker spatial sound system surrounds the audience.
Behind the scenes, Apple Music Hall features two dedicated recording and mixing studios, allowing performances to be captured as multitrack recordings and mixed in Spatial Audio. The venue is also equipped for at least 16 cameras, feeding into a dedicated broadcast control room. iPhone video capture can be incorporated alongside traditional broadcast cameras.
The result is a venue where an artist can perform a one-off show and leave with a finished Spatial Audio recording, a broadcast-ready mix and multicamera video from the same performance. Selected shows will also be livestreamed internationally, extending the experience beyond London.
“At Apple Music, we care deeply about music, the artists who make it, and their life stories,” said Zane Lowe, Apple Music’s global creative director and lead anchor for Apple Music 1. “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. Great music and memories will be made at Apple Music Hall.”
The opening also marks a new chapter for Apple Music Radio in the UK. Apple Music Radio’s London-based presenters and programmes will now broadcast from new studios inside Battersea Power Station, placing live performances, interviews and radio programming under one roof.
With its combination of intimate concerts, immersive audio and in-house broadcasting, Apple Music Hall gives London another notable live music destination while strengthening Battersea Power Station’s growing role as an entertainment and cultural hub.
Where: Apple Music Hall London, Battersea Power Station, Nine Elms, London, SW11 8DD
Contact: www.applemusichall.com