Spotify is certainly one of the biggest players currently in the world of music streaming. Millions of people go through them to listen to their songs or their favorite artists. Whether you use this service or not, you've probably already seen the green logo of this Swedish-origin platform. Today, we are going to take a closer look at the origin and meaning of Spotify's logo so you can learn from it when creating your own.
About Spotify Before we start analyzing Spotify's branding, let's talk a little bit about the origins of this company. In 2008, after two years of development, Spotify was a music streaming software that was launched in Stockholm, Sweden. You could access playlists and your favorite artists for free with advertising. Or, ad-free by choosing a premium package. Spotify had its first million subscribers in 2011 and by 2019, the company now has more than 100 million subscribers. In short, this Swedish company has certainly taken off!
Meaning of Spotify's Logo
Spotify is certainly one of the biggest players currently in the world of music streaming. Millions of people go through them to listen to their songs or their favorite artists. Whether you use this service or not, you've probably already seen the green logo of this Swedish-origin platform. Today, we are going to take a closer look at the origin and meaning of Spotify's logo so you can learn from it when creating your own.
Spotify's first logo Unlike IKEA, another Swedish company that proudly displays national colours in its logo, Spotify decided not to go with this element. Spotify's first logo is reminiscent of a style used in the late 2000s. The first AirBnB logo is a great example of this. Back then, the Spotify logo was made up of the name of the company in white serif font. The background was avocado green, which is quite unusual for a company logo. There are few large logos that choose green as the main branding colour. It is a colour that is more associated with nature. A slightly darker green was also used for the outline of the letters to increase the contrast with the background. Then, three slightly sloping curved lines in a circle were placed above the letter O. While this might have been a nod to sound waves, it's more of a representation of streaming. This logo was used from 2008 to 2013.
First Major Overhaul in 2013 Five years after its launch, the team behind Spotify felt it was time to modernize their logo. They then opted for a combined logo, a logo that included the company name and a symbol, in a simpler version. Spotify is not the only company that decided to have a more minimalist logo, it is one of the most important trends in logo creation. First, they chose a sans serif font and got rid of the avocado background. The color of the text also went from white to black. What is interesting is that they knew how to use the same curved lines of the first logo in this new one. The white lines became an icon in the green circle left of the text. If you want to do a successful logo redesign, it's important to keep items that connect your different logos together.
Current logo In June 2015, Spotify redesigned their logo that seemed minor – a change of colour. Instead of continuing with the avocado green that had been used since the beginning, the Swedish company chose to go with a modern green. It also simplified their main logo at the same time, using only two colours instead of three. Even the black letters were replaced by this green. Don't forget that Spotify's clientele is young. So, it was normal to want to rejuvenate their brand image by going with a colour closer to the web than nature. It was then decided that the colours of the brand would be this new hue of green, white and black. What should have been a minor change caused an outcry in their community. Initially, this change was hated. There were conversations on social media saying that this colour was awful after noticing that the icon on their phone had changed. Spotify decided to stay the course and not return to their old green avocado colour, but they learned a good lesson from it. People don't like change, so you have to prepare them accordingly. Slack, another digital company, experienced a similar situation when redesigning their logo.
Get inspiration from Spotify when designing a logo Here are three ways to be inspired by Spotify's logo when creating yours. To start, dare to choose a colour that is not associated with your domain. Often this is a way to stand out. Few logos use green when they are not related to health or nature. This doesn't mean it should be excluded. Then, if you have to redesign your logo, feel free to use elements of the first logo for the new one. This will create a common thread between versions. Finally, if you are thinking of changing your logo, it may be appropriate to inform your followers so that they don't get upset when they discover the change. In conclusion, Spotify now has a logo that fits current trends. It would be surprising if they simplified their brand image further. After reading this article, perhaps you'll see the Spotify logo differently or dare to use green when creating your logo?