Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) has unveiled a new brand identity built around songs and songwriters. The new identity, announced on Tuesday, includes a new logo, a visual system, and a purpose statement. The company said the identity centres on the cultural importance of songwriters and the teams behind them. It is brought to life on a redesigned UMPG website.
- +UMPG unveils new identity centred on songwriters
“Everything in music starts with a songwriter.
“Everything in music starts with a songwriter. Great songs transcend generations, geographies, and formats long after trends fade,” said Jody Gerson, Chairman and CEO of UMPG. “Our new brand is about celebrating the enduring power of songwriting and giving it a clear voice, a lasting home, and a stronger future. It’s an open, evolving identity dedicated to songs, songwriters, and the people behind them, taking on new meaning wherever music goes,” Gerson added.
UMPG said the logo represents the four corners of the planet, standing for a worldwide community of songwriters and reflecting how its reach helps songs travel across borders and cultures.
The circular space at the centre of the logo can also serve as a camera frame for songwriters, UMPG said. The identity is designed to unite UMPG’s global teams and help each part of the business articulate its role in protecting and amplifying songwriters, the company said. UMPG said the identity also includes a purpose statement, which reads: “Universal Music Publishing Group exists to advance the collaborative, personal, human act of creating songs. We get songs heard. We get songwriters paid. Wherever songs go, we are a world ahead.”
The new UMPG logo is accompanied by an abridged version of that tagline: “Wherever songs go, We’re a world ahead.” Coinciding with the rollout, UMPG is launching a short-form video series, Publishing 101, beginning on June 16. The videos feature members of UMPG’s global team explaining aspects of the business, from A&R and sync licensing to royalties and administration.
New episodes will be posted each Tuesday at 9 a.m. PT across UMPG’s digital and social platforms, including Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. The brand identity was developed with creative agency GrandArmy, which UMPG said has also worked with brands including A24, NPR, Adidas, and Lonely Planet.
UMPG’s in-house Audio Branding team developed a sonic identity for the animated version of the logo. Accepting the International Executive of the Year award at MBW’s Music Business UK Awards in November, Gerson said her overriding mission was to protect human songwriters amid the rise of AI.
