'House of Strombo' concerts coming to Apple Music as 10-part video series

Canadian TV host George Stroumboulopoulos has forged a deal which will see his "House of Strombo" concerts come to Apple Music, broadcast in a 10-part series.

Each episode will be filmed at Stroumboulopoulos's Toronto home, with both the band and the audience crammed into a small space, Billboard said. A press release notes that guests will include "a combination of international legends with young and upcoming artists across a variety of music genres," appearing in "exclusive video features, band interviews and behind-the-scenes access only on Apple Music."

The first Apple Music episode will feature a First Nations DJ ensemble, A Tribe Called Red, but other guests will only be revealed later on.

For Canadians, Stroumboulopoulos is perhaps best known for once being a VJ on MuchMusic, then hosting interviews on CBC TV for nine years. He has also had brief stints on CNN and "Hockey Night in Canada."

Apple promoted "House of Strombo" via Beats 1 this week, bringing Stroumboulopoulos to the radio station's Los Angeles offices for an interview with DJ Zane Lowe.

To distinguish itself from rivals like Spotify, Apple has been ramping up original video content. Later this month the company is expected to finally debut its "Carpool Karaoke" spinoff, and still in the wings is "Planet of the Apps," with Jessica Alba, Gwyneth Paltrow, Gary Vaynerchuk, and will.i.am as celebrity hosts.

Late last month Apple hired Shiva Rajaraman — formerly with YouTube and Spotify — to work on the company's video strategy for Music and possibly other arenas.