Music + Talk by Spotify – revitalising the world of podcasting

Creators are now free to combine tracks from Spotify with their own talk segments using Anchor – a free app for creating and distributing podcasts.

The result is a new genre of audio show, Music + Talk. Studio Dumbar (Part of Dept) was selected to create the visual identity for this pioneering brand.

Spotify’s goal with Music + Talk is to break into the global podcast market, while simultaneously reinvigorating and revolutionising the way content is created and delivered. The new brand had to communicate this aspirational energy, while sitting comfortably alongside the Spotify and Anchor brands. The look and feel had to be flexible, easy to work with, and strong enough to attract the podcasting world’s leading lights – as well as the next generation of talent.

Working closely with Spotify, we created a vibrant brand with motion at its core. The word-mark communicates the product’s purpose with crystal clarity. The shapes containing the words Music + Talk add personality, while providing a foundation for the broader visual identity. In motion, the shapes stretch and contract, expressing the pulsing energy of sound while creating a larger family of shapes, from which patterns are made. Cropped, rotated, and set in different colour combinations, these patterns give the identity its flexibility and character – a foundation that remains instantly recognisable, even when the mark itself isn’t in use. An integral part of the identity is its sound logo: a short, memorable jingle create to clearly identify all video and audio-only content generated for the Music + Talk format.

The identity will continue to roll out as fresh content is made and distributed via Music + Talk. Extensive brand guidelines have been provided, with every design asset easily accessible online. This ensures a consistent and coherent identity whatever the manifestation, and wherever in the world a designer might be.