Spotify traded perfect geometry for a more expressive typography, able to vary like the music it accompanies.
The typefaces
For about ten years, the brand relied on Circular, a geometric sans adapted to its needs. In May 2024, it launched Spotify Mix, designed by the Dinamo foundry after eighteen months of development. Spotify felt Circular was too limited to express the full diversity of the platform.
The system
Spotify Mix is a variable font ranging from condensed to extended. It offers four sets of figures and calmer alternates, to dial expressiveness up or down depending on the context. Some counters, such as those of the p, b and d, evoke the shape of an audio transmitter. It is used in the app, in marketing and in the logotype.
Why it works
The typeface moves away from geometric perfection towards a more human voice, drawing on references to music, dance and audio culture. Varying the width lets it move from restrained to exuberant without changing family, much like playlists.
What a brand can learn from it
A variable font lets a brand adjust its personality to the moment. Alternates provide fine control between neutrality and character. A typeface can tell the story of a brand's craft down to its details.
Read also: Circular, Dinamo, Variable fonts, Alternates, Counter, Width