A look inside the new 600-capacity 'Apple Music Hall' in London
Apple's new live music venue - Apple Music Hall - is just 11 minutes away from Embankment, along the noisy Northern line on the London Underground.
Situated in an upper floor of the iconic Battersea Power Station, the lobby of the new facility looks out to the River Thames. The building also houses Apple's UK headquarters and Apple Music 1 radio studios, which explains a heavy security presence.
Last night I went to a show at the exclusive venue, where just 600 people can attend concerts that are filmed and broadcast live to Apple Music. Tickets were £40 on the Dice app. The shows are available in video-form to subscribers or live via Apple Music 1 radio for anyone.
Shows are recorded with Spatial Audio and filmed with studio cameras. The venue almost felt like a mix between a Tonight Show-style studio and a concert hall, when you consider the noticeable level of production that takes place in front of attendees. It had a slightly American-NBC vibe to it, with rounded colourful lights that stretch along the roof of the facility.
It wasn't obvious where the line to enter began from the front of the Power Station, but on the opposite end venue security brings you up to the studio floor via an elevator. There's a huge glowing Apple logo near the concert hall doors.
And Apple Music signage around the lobby area.
For a company known for its design pedigree, the bar menu was in a particularly small font.
Beer is served in plain Apple-y aluminium cups, with some drinks, such as 0% sparkling wine, referencing musicians in its naming. The 0% 'Elton John'.
As the show was about to begin, studio cameras began to swing into action.
Skye Newman came on stage around 5-10 minutes after the scheduled start time of 8pm, talking to the crowd like any normal show. You can see it for yourself on Apple Music now, with a recording also available to subscribers.
As some people have noted at equally broadcast-friendly music performances, like Coachella, Skye played to the crowd and to the crane camera near the stage. Some of her friends attended, with more exclusive armbands that allowed them to sit on the Hall balconies.
In the crowd, iPhone's on DJI Ronin helped to supplement the broadcast, with panning shots from the crowd.
I've followed Apple Music's transformation into a full Netflix-style content producer since Beats 1 first started its broadcasts in 2015. So it's pretty wild to watch Apple move into a dedicated live performance hall operator, open to the public. I had a great time seeing it all happen.
