Apple Music | Notes

Lead Designer, Concept Development, Print Production

Apple Music

TBWA\Media Arts Lab

Create a visually cohesive Apple Music Note rendering inspired by a the artist's album artwork, music video aesthetic, or other visually engaging artwork source. Overall audience takeaway for each "Note" should be "this looks cool as hell!"

Following the launch of Apple Music, the Anthem campaign celebrated the platform's breadth of music by weaving and transforming the iconic note symbol across artists' videos and album artwork. Building on that visual language, the Music Notes series created by my team at Media Arts Lab became an evergreen awareness campaign promoting artists around major releases and tours. Each execution carefully integrated the Apple Music note into artist-supplied imagery, creating moments that felt ownable, seamlessly native to the artwork, and instantly recognizable—echoing the playful visual language MTV introduced in its heyday.
Music Notes artwork was featured directly on the Apple Music platform, and in ads across social media, DOOH, and OOH.

The "Up Next" Note:
Up Next highlighted emerging artists on the Apple Music platform.

Artwork for Up Next artists placed their image into a highly stylized templated chrome note with an identifying color palette. Up Next campaigns ran across digital and social media placements and in two prominent OOH placements: Bryant Park, NYC and Sunset Blvd, LA—which required exacting print production press checks and careful color management.

Creative Director: Ryan Lee
Media: OMD
Producers: Pierce Hannah, Molly Schimpf, Emma Brown, Max Rubins
Lead Designers: Jason Reed, Amanda Tricomi, Jonathan Cunningham

From Meek Mill and AR Rahman to BTS, Disney Hits, and The Country Music Awards—the iconic note transformed the visibility of Apple Music as a major streamer. In 2018, Apple Music added the second highest number of subscribers—9.2 million, with the US being the key growth market.