APPLE MUSIC LETS SOUND SHAPE ITS NEW IDENTITY

Apple Music has launched a new brand identity created directly from sound waves, transforming vibrations in liquid into visual forms. Developed with TBWA\Media Arts Lab, producer Fred Again and NEST Acoustics, the “Made by Sound” project blends audio and design, making music itself the foundation of the brand.

Apple Music has unveiled a striking new brand identity that quite literally puts music at the heart of its design process, using sound itself to create the visual language that will shape the platform’s future marketing, content and experiences.

Built around the idea “Made by Sound”, the project represents an unconventional approach to branding. Rather than designing graphics that merely evoke the feeling of music, Apple Music and its creative partners set out to generate visual elements directly from real sound waves, turning audio into physical motion and then into imagery.

The initiative was led by creative agency TBWA\Media Arts Lab and developed in collaboration with acclaimed electronic music producer Fred Again and acoustic innovators NEST Acoustics. Together, the team began by creating a new sonic logo, or mnemonic, intended to embody the essence of the Apple Music experience. That brief sequence of sound became the foundation for the entire visual identity.

Instead of relying solely on digital design tools, the creative team sought a way to make the music itself responsible for the final aesthetic. Their solution involved an experiment that merged sound engineering, physics and visual design.

At the centre of the setup was a transducer, a device capable of converting audio signals into physical vibrations. The transducer was positioned beneath a shallow bath of mineral oil, allowing the liquid to respond directly to the frequencies and rhythms of the sonic logo. As the music played, the surface of the oil shifted and danced, producing intricate ripples, waves and patterns.

Those movements were then filmed in high detail, capturing a series of organic forms generated entirely by sound. The resulting visuals featured complex textures, fluid distortions and refracted light patterns that emerged naturally from the interaction between the music and the liquid.

What makes the identity particularly distinctive is that its core elements were not hand-drawn or digitally simulated. Instead, the shapes and textures originated from real physical phenomena, creating a direct link between the music listeners hear and the visuals they see. In effect, sound became both the inspiration and the creator.

The approach reflects a growing trend among brands seeking more authentic and immersive connections with audiences, particularly in industries where sensory experience plays a central role. For a streaming service built around music, transforming audio into visual expression offers a powerful way to reinforce its identity.

The new design system is expected to appear across Apple Music’s communications and customer experiences, providing a cohesive visual signature rooted in the platform’s defining product: music itself.

By turning vibrations into imagery, Apple Music has found a way to blur the boundaries between hearing and seeing. The result is a brand identity that is not simply inspired by sound but physically shaped by it, giving fresh meaning to the idea that great design can emerge from the music we listen to every day.