The new, handmade Apple Music logo leans into the science of sound

Apple Music has unveiled a new brand identity that is literally constructed from sound. The new visual language, custom sonic logo, and rippling effects were created through a collaboration between Apple Music, the design agency TBWA\Media Arts Lab, music producer Fred Again, and Nest Acoustics. The goal was to create a brand that is both universally recognizable and distinct enough to represent the diverse content offered by the platform.

The design process was a meticulous, hands-on endeavor that took months to perfect. To achieve the desired effect, the team built a custom rig and software to control a transducer, which converts audio signals into physical vibrations. They then used a liquid bath of mineral oil to visualize the sound. By playing various frequencies into the oil, the musicians and engineers were able to observe how the liquid responded to the vibrations.

This process allowed them to establish specific constraints for the visual and sonic elements of the brand. The team found that too many high-pitched notes created excessive movement, making the image difficult to read. This led to a core framework for arranging the sonic logo. Once the final composition was complete, the team converted the sonic logo into a visual ripple pattern by placing a transducer in the mineral oil bath.

They submerged acrylic versions of Apple Music's updated note logo and wordmark, which featured a custom, chunky version of Apple's typeface SF Pro. When the transducer played the final composition into the bath, the liquid waves refracted light over the logos, creating a visual effect reminiscent of light playing over an oil spill.

The final result captures subtle cues from Apple's broader branding, including Liquid Glass and the Apple TV identity, while still maintaining a unique identity that is distinctly Apple Music.