We have been following Apple Music since day one.
Back in 2015, we were at WWDC when Apple first announced the service, so we left Governors Ball a day early and flew to San Francisco for the reveal. It ended up being the right call. Drake showed up, The Weeknd showed up, and Canada was well represented as Apple introduced its next major move in music.
Since then, we have stayed close to Apple Music’s journey, from attending Apple Music Festival in London and interviewing the original three hosts to watching how the platform has continued to grow and evolve. So it is exciting to see Apple Music unveil its next chapter, with a little help from Fred again..
Apple Music’s new brand identity is built around one simple idea: made by sound.
Instead of starting with a logo and adding audio afterward, Apple Music approached the process from the opposite direction. The sound came first, and the visuals followed.
Working with Fred again… and his collaborator NEST Acoustics, Apple Music created a new logo mnemonic by breaking down individual notes into a visual experience. The team then used that sound to build the identity itself.
The process was equal parts music, design and experimentation. A transducer converted the audio signal into physical vibration, moving a shallow bath of mineral oil at the frequency of the composition. The resulting waves, ripples and refractions were captured on camera, creating a mark that is literally made from sound.
The final identity is not just a visual interpretation of music. It is a physical record of the music that created it.
The new wordmark pairs the Apple symbol with a custom version of SF Pro, Apple’s typeface. The bold, lowercase lettering gives Apple Music a more expressive personality while keeping the simplicity and consistency that comes with Apple design.
The wider identity also connects with Apple’s Liquid Glass design language, blending the movement of sound waves with the optical qualities of glass. A new musical note icon takes inspiration from the same captured movements, bringing that energy across the brand.
The rollout begins this week across Apple Music original content and event programming. The platform first teased the new wordmark last month as part of the marketing for Apple Music Hall, its new live music venue in London.
Nearly a decade after Apple Music first arrived, the service is once again using music itself as the starting point. This time, the sound is not just what powers the platform. It is what shapes the way it looks.