23 October 2026
Apple Music’s updated identity introduces a new logo inspired by ripples generated through a sound-led design process
Apple Music has unveiled its first major rebrand since launching in 2015, introducing a new logo alongside a visual and sonic identity physically shaped by an original composition from Fred again.. and NEST Acoustics.
Developed with creative agency TBWA\Media Arts Lab around the idea of being “made by sound”, the project reversed the usual process of creating visuals first and adding audio afterwards. Fred again.. and NEST Acoustics created a piece of music before breaking it down into individual notes, which were played through a transducer placed in a shallow bath of mineral oil. The device converted the audio signals into physical vibrations, creating ripples and refractions that were captured on camera and used as the basis for the new identity.
The process took several months of experimentation, with the team adjusting the relationship between sound and image to control how the liquid responded to different frequencies. The resulting movement informed a redesigned musical note icon, intended as a physical record of the music itself rather than an illustration of what sound might look like. The same composition also forms Apple Music’s new sonic signature.
The rebrand also introduces an updated wordmark pairing the Apple symbol with a customised version of the company’s SF Pro typeface, using heavier lowercase lettering. Type design studio Plau provided consultation and worked on the vector reconstruction of the logo, while the wider visual system remains connected to Apple’s Liquid Glass design language.
The new identity is beginning to roll out across Apple Music’s original content and event programming, with its use set to extend across the platform’s marketing, product and wider brand experiences.
