Deezer: Where music comes alive
Deezer, established in 2007, stands as a globally recognized music streaming service with access to a full-range music library. Available in more than 180 countries, Deezer offers personalised music experiences, including its distinctive feature, Flow. With almost 10 million paid subscribers, Deezer operates in a fiercely competitive industry, focused on delivering a world class music experience.
At the core of the new Deezer and its design system lies a new logo that symbolizes a beating heart. The heart represents the love of music, building a sense of belonging. Its shapes vary to represent beats and rhythms. The logo transitions between two dynamic states: one grounded in humanity, much like a heartbeat, and the other intertwined with music, mirroring music. In capturing both music itself and the human response to it, the logo symbolizes Deezer’s deep commitment to delivering an immersive, emotive musical experience.
Brand System
Building upon the ‘beating heart’ logo, Koto developed Deezer’s comprehensive design system using the beats within it. These adaptable, dynamic beats play various roles, creating patterns and graphic elements that form the visual identity. This flexibility enables these beats to serve as sound expressions, illustrative elements, and even captivating container shapes for imagery. This thematic thread runs through every facet of the system: extending to the new Deezer SANS font and its applications, branded visuals, iconography, art direction, and motion principles.
UI & Iconography
The UI modules are built from the curves of the beats, using both core and expressive styles to enrich the system. Used throughout website and product, the expressive UI modules can also react to music of all genres. The iconography style takes the same cues from the rounded forms of the beats, ensuring that the icons remain distinctive and functional, whilst also instantly recognizable to users and cohesive within the Deezer identity.
Typography
Central to the system is the Deezer SANS typeface, a variable font designed in close collaboration with the NaN type foundry. Using forms directly inspired by the shapes within the logo, Deezer SANS embodies versatility: enabling customised typography across varied content types. From condensed cuts for long-form content to extended cuts for more concise messaging, this flexibility allows the identity to stretch and adapt across a broad range of brand touchpoints.
Editorial System
The editorial system brings together the elements of the identity. Using the beats as the consistent core mechanic, they flex in form and colour to create vibrant, dynamic backgrounds that put artists at the centre of the Deezer universe. The variable typeface Deezer SANS offers greater customisation and added flexibility across all types of naming from short, condensed artist names to long, descriptive playlist titles. Each comes together with the Play icon and Deezer wordmark as consistent signoffs.
Bringing it all together
Deezer has always believed that, as the beating heart of life, music is unlike anything on Earth: and through an unmistakeable logo, a bold lead colour, a unique typeface, and a robust graphic system, that belief rings true through every creative touchpoint. The flexibility yet consistency is what brings this visual identity together. Using a simple, shared device and adapting seamlessly to wherever it shows up, the brand reignites the central purpose that’s always powered Deezer: that the brand is here to help fans everywhere be and belong.
Thank you
Huge thanks to Maria, Arnaud, Alexis, Sarah, Cassia, Fabienne and so many others from the Deezer team—as well as NaN type foundry for the custom typeface.