Apple has announced it’s releasing an immersive Metallica concert experience for its Vision Pro headset.
Titled Metallica, the performance was filmed during the legendary metal band’s sold-out M72 World Tour finale in Mexico City and features full performances of Whiplash, One, and Enter Sandman. It debuts on Friday (March 14).
The concert was captured using Apple Immersive Video, which combines 180-degree video with Spatial Audio. The format presents multiple viewing angles of band members James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett, and Robert Trujillo, ranging from close-up positions to wide-angle views of their in-the-round performance.
“Seeing our concert like that, along with the energy of the Mexico City fans — it’s very immersive, and it’s super fun. We’ve always been interested in pushing the boundaries, and Metallica on Apple Vision Pro is exactly that,” said drummer Lars Ulrich.
For the production, Apple deployed 14 Immersive Video cameras using a combination of stabilized cameras, cable-suspended systems, and remote-controlled camera dolly systems to capture the performance and audience of 65,000 attendees.
Starting Friday, customers can book demonstrations at Apple Store locations to preview the Metallica performance on Vision Pro. An EP titled M72 World Tour: Mexico City will be released in Spatial Audio on Apple Music on the same day.
“With Metallica on Apple Vision Pro, you feel like you’re right there: front row, backstage, and even on stage with one of the biggest bands of all time.”
Tor Myhren, Apple
“Apple Immersive Video transforms the way people experience storytelling, and we’re thrilled to collaborate with Metallica on a concert unlike any before it,” said Tor Myhren, Apple’s vice president of Marketing Communications.
“With Metallica on Apple Vision Pro, you feel like you’re right there: front row, backstage, and even on stage with one of the biggest bands of all time.”
The partnership with Apple marks Metallica’s latest in the tech space after the band teamed up with Epic Games to make Metallica the “icon” for Fortnite Festival Season 4 last year. It featured playable Jam Tracks and offered outfits and cosmetics inspired by Metallica’s band members.
Metallica has also invested in AudioShake, a startup that uses AI to deconstruct music tracks into stems that can be used for remixes, sampling and other applications, as well as in direct-to-fan platform Medallion.
Meanwhile, Apple is expanding its Immersive Video catalog with new episodes of existing series.
The company also announced that Bono: Stories of Surrender, will debut on Vision Pro and Apple TV+ on May 30, representing the first feature-length film in the Immersive Video format.
Apple Vision Pro is available in 13 markets: Australia, Canada, mainland China, Hong Kong, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, the UAE, the UK, and the US.
Immersive content is released in US English with subtitles in additional languages, with availability varying by region. In mainland China, select titles can be accessed through the Migu Video and Tencent Video apps on the App Store.
Apple Music rolled out Spatial Audio and Lossless Audio with support for Dolby Atmos in 2021. The following year, the company said more than 80% of the platform’s worldwide subscribers had used the feature.
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