Apple has added a number of new features to Apple Maps and Music to help users discover and explore live shows. New hand-curated guides in Maps show music venues and allow you to view their upcoming shows right in the app. In the Music app, you can browse setlists for shows and tours from major artists in the new Set Lists area.
The guides are somewhat limited. You can access them at apple.co/MusicVenues, or browse the guides for any of the selected cities. While there are over 40 guides in total, that’s only enough to span 10 cities around the world: Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, Nashville, New York City, San Francisco, Berlin, London, Paris, Vienna, Tokyo, Melbourne, Sydney and Mexico City.
The guides may come in handy if you happen to live in or near one of those cities, but most Maps users will find the question “Are there any good live shows near me this weekend?” can’t answer? As with other guides in the Maps app, these are all human-generated and maintained, not just algorithmic search results.
In addition to the guides, Maps links directly to the Shazam concert discovery module (launched last year) to help you find upcoming shows. Choose a venue, including those not listed in Guides, tap the Tickets button, then choose Shazam for a list of upcoming shows and an easy link to purchase tickets.
In the Music app, a new Set Lists section (available at apple.co/setlists or search “Set Lists” in Apple Music) lets you view major tour set lists so you can refresh the band’s repertoire for your big tour. night out. It’s rather spartan at the moment with only six lists available, including Ed Sheeran and Blink 182, but Apple says it will grow over time. For each artist’s setlist, you can browse upcoming shows without leaving the app, again using Shazam’s concert discovery module.
