Apple Music has introduced a new brand identity that turns musical vibrations into moving visuals, bringing sound directly into the way the platform looks, moves and presents itself.
Built around the idea “made by sound,” the refresh includes a new wordmark, an expressive musical note icon and a sonic signature developed in partnership with producer Fred again.. and his collaborator NEST Acoustics.
Turning Music Into a Visual Identity
At the centre of the project is a physical process designed to make sound visible. Rather than simply illustrating a sound wave, Apple Music used the vibrations of a musical composition to generate the shapes and movement behind its new identity.
The music was played through a transducer, a device that converts an audio signal into physical vibration, placed in a shallow bath of mineral oil. As the liquid responded to the notes, it produced waves, ripples and refractions that were captured on camera.
Those filmed movements became the foundation of the final mark, creating a physical record of the music itself.
Fred again.. Helps Shape the Sound
Apple Music partnered with Fred again.. and NEST Acoustics to break down the individual notes and develop the final audio mnemonic — a short, recognisable sound associated with the brand.
That composition then drove the visual process, connecting what audiences hear with what they see. The resulting audio language is intended to give Apple Music a distinctive sound of its own across its content and experiences.
According to Apple Music, the approach reflects its commitment to placing music and artists at the centre of the platform, extending that principle into the identity itself.
A New Wordmark and Musical Note Icon
The refreshed wordmark pairs the familiar Apple symbol with a custom version of SF Pro, Apple’s typeface. Bold, lowercase letterforms give Apple Music a more individual expression while maintaining a connection to the design language used across Apple’s products.
A new musical note icon also draws its shape from the movement and refractions captured during filming, carrying the composition’s energy into the wider visual identity.
The design incorporates elements of Apple’s Liquid Glass aesthetic, combining waves and vibrations with the optical qualities of glass.
Months of Experimentation Behind the Design
Turning the composition into a finished identity took months of experimentation, collaboration and craft.
A companion film documents that process, following the journey from the original music through the physical experiments to the completed design. It offers a closer look at how sound, liquid and light were brought together to create the brand’s new visual language.
Rollout Across Content, Product and Experiences
Apple Music says the new design will begin appearing across its original content and event programming this week, with the wider identity spanning marketing, product and experiences.
The platform previously teased the new wordmark late last month through marketing for Apple Music Hall, its new live music venue in London.
With the refresh, Apple Music is making music the source material for its branding, using the movement of sound to shape how the service is seen and recognised.
