Apple Music, the global music streaming service, is marking its 10th anniversary with a significant expansion of its infrastructure dedicated to artists, creators, and the evolution of sound. The company has announced the impending opening of Apple Music Studios, a sprawling new creative complex situated in the vibrant Los Angeles area.
Set to officially open its doors in mid-August, the state-of-the-art facility is a three-story structure encompassing a substantial 15,000 square feet. Its location in Culver City places it within a prominent hub for entertainment industry heavyweights, including nearby entities such as Sony Music and Amazon MGM.
A Hub for Creativity and Collaboration
Designed by acclaimed architect Eric Owen Moss, Apple Music Studios is envisioned as a dynamic environment fostering collaboration and innovation across various facets of music production and content creation. The studio complex is equipped with specialized spaces tailored for different needs within the creative process.
Central to the facility are two dedicated radio studios. These spaces are specifically outfitted to handle high-fidelity audio experiences, including capabilities for spatial audio – Apple’s immersive sound technology. They are designed to accommodate live interviews, showcasing performances, and producing radio content for Apple Music’s global audience.
Adding further versatility, the studios feature a large 4,000-square-foot soundstage. This substantial area is built to host a range of events, from elaborate live musical sets and performances to fan gatherings and even professional film shoots, demonstrating the multi-purpose nature of the new facility.
Connecting Artists and Audiences
Beyond performance and broadcast, Apple Music Studios aims to deepen the connections between artists, creators, and their fans. To facilitate this, the complex includes auxiliary spaces crucial for modern content production.
A dedicated photo and social media lab is integrated into the design, allowing artists and teams to capture visual content and manage their digital presence directly on-site. An edit suite provides professional capabilities for post-production, whether for audio, video, or podcast content. Furthermore, private isolation booths are available, offering secluded environments ideal for focused songwriting sessions, podcast recording, or other creative endeavors requiring privacy and acoustic control.
The Future of Music and Sound
Speaking on the significance of the new facility, Zane Lowe, Apple Music’s Global Creative Director and Lead Anchor for Apple Music 1, emphasized its forward-looking purpose. Lowe described the studio as representing a “bold move towards the future of music, sound, and storytelling.” His comments underscore Apple Music’s commitment not just to streaming existing content, but to actively participating in the creation and evolution of audio experiences.
The Los Angeles location is not intended to be a standalone entity but will serve as the flagship for a broader, interconnected global network of creative hubs. Apple Music has plans underway for future studio locations in major cultural centers like New York and London.
These planned facilities will complement Apple Music’s existing network of production spaces already operational in key cities around the world, including Tokyo, Berlin, Paris, and Nashville. This distributed network suggests a strategy aimed at providing artists and creators with access to high-quality resources and collaboration opportunities in various geographical regions.
A Strategic Investment
The launch of Apple Music Studios represents a significant investment by Apple in the infrastructure supporting music creation and discovery as the service enters its second decade. By providing state-of-the-art facilities ranging from advanced radio studios and soundstages to dedicated spaces for writing and digital content creation, Apple Music appears to be positioning itself not just as a distribution platform, but as a central facilitator within the global music ecosystem.
The move aligns with broader trends in the industry that see technology companies increasingly investing in direct support for creators. The Culver City location, with its proximity to existing entertainment powerhouses, is strategically chosen to be at the heart of where much of this creative work is already happening. As the facility prepares to open its doors, it signals Apple Music’s ambitions to play an even more central role in shaping the sounds and stories of tomorrow.
