Apple has added some new features with Apple Maps and Music to help users discover and explore live broadcasts. New hand-picked guides in Maps feature live venues and let you browse their upcoming shows right in the app. In the Music app, a new Set Lists space lets you browse lists of major shows and artist tours.
Guides are somewhat limited. You can access it at apple.co/MusicVenues, or just browse the guides for any of the selected cities. Although there are over 40 guides in total, that’s enough to cover 10 cities around the world: Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, Nashville, New York, San Francisco, Berlin, London, Paris, Vienna, Tokyo, Melbourne, Sydney and Mexico. .
Guides can be useful if you live in or near one of these cities, but most Maps users won’t be able to answer the question “Are there any good live shows near me? this week-end ?” As with the other guides in the Maps app, these are all curated and maintained by humans, not just algorithmic search results.
Beyond the guides, Maps ties directly into the Shazam concert discovery module (launched last year) to help you find upcoming shows. Simply choose a venue, including those not listed in the guides, and hit the Tickets button, then choose Shazam to see a list of upcoming shows and an easy link to buy tickets.
In the Music app, a new Set Lists section (available at apple.co/setlists or search for “Set Lists” in Apple Music) lets you see set lists from major tours, so you can refresh the band’s repertoire before your big night. It’s pretty spartan right now with only six rosters available, including Ed Sheeran and Blink 182, but Apple says it will grow over time. For each artist’s setlist, you’ll be able to browse upcoming shows without leaving the app, again using Shazam’s gig discovery module.
