Spotify has become one of the most popular music streaming services, with over 460 million monthly active users as of 2022. One of the distinguishing features of Spotify is its use of different colors for parts of its interface. In particular, Spotify uses a shade of purple prominently throughout its desktop and mobile apps.
The Meaning Behind Spotify’s Purple Color
The specific purple color that Spotify uses is Pantone 2685C, which is described as a “Vivid Violet.” This shade of purple was not chosen randomly – it is meant to evoke particular emotions and associations that align with Spotify’s brand.
Purple is often considered the color of creativity and imagination. It is associated with artistry, innovation, and thinking outside the box. This connects well with Spotify delivering endless music discovery and playlists tailored individually to each listener.
The color psychology of purple suggests qualities like wisdom, dignity, independence, and magic. Purple is a blend of passionate red and calm blue, bringing together feelings of excitement and tranquility. This reflects the diversity of music and audio that Spotify offers, from energizing work-out playlists to relaxing sleep playlists.
Compared to the colors of competitors like Apple Music (white) and Pandora (blue), Spotify’s vibrant purple gives it a unique, warm, and human personality. Ultimately, purple is central to Spotify’s brand identity – it distinguishes Spotify while aligning with its values of creativity, emotion, and individuality.
Where Spotify’s Purple Color Appears
Spotify utilizes its signature purple shade extensively across its visual branding and user interface. Here are some of the main places you can find Spotify’s purple:
- The main background color on the Spotify website and desktop app is black, while purple is used as an accent color for many icons, buttons, and menus.
- The “Play” button and many other media controls like “Skip” and “Like” are purple.
- The progress bar that fills up as a song plays is purple.
- The outline color for a user’s playlists and podcasts is purple.
- Hovering over a playlist or album gives it a purple overlay.
- Theicon and text for Spotify’s “Create Playlist” feature is purple.
- The lyrics that display in real-time with a song are purple.
- Spotify Wrapped – the annual personalized data summary – uses purple theming.
- Purple lighting is used in Spotify’s offices and at branded live events.
On mobile apps, purple is used more sparingly as an accent color due to smaller screens. But it still appears in key places like the progress bar, heart button, and in the Spotify Wrapped experience.
Psychological Effects of Spotify’s Purple
So what effects might Spotify’s prolific use of purple have on its millions of listeners? Here are some of the psychological impacts the color could bring:
- Sense of Magic & Discovery: The whimsical, exotic vibe of purple connects well to enjoying music’s ability to take listeners into unknown magical worlds of sound.
- Soothing: Lighter shades of purple like Spotify’s can have a calming, meditative effect on the mind.
- Idealistic: Purple is associated with imagination and ideas, inspiring users to think innovatively.
- Non-Traditional: Spotify positions itself as an alternative to mainstream radio. Its purple colors differentiate it from traditional media.
- Youthful: Purple has a fun, energetic, youthful personality – matching Spotify’s target demographic.
Research shows people make subconscious associations between colors and brands. By leveraging the unique traits of purple, Spotify may be able to better connect with users on an emotional level to drive loyalty and engagement over time.
User Reactions to Spotify’s Purple Theme
Spotify users seem to have an overall positive view of the prominence of purple in the interface. Here are some of the common reactions and opinions:
- Many users find the color vibrant, fun, and exciting. It stands out next to competitors.
- Some people believe the purple has a “soothing” effect when using Spotify, finding it calming.
- Other users think the purple gives Spotify a sleek, modern, futuristic type of look and feel.
- Some subscribers say the purple makes the Spotify brand more memorable for them.
- A minority of users wish Spotify had more color customization options to change the heavy purple accents.
- A small number of listeners find purple to be “harsh on the eyes” and fatiguing to look at in large amounts.
Overall Spotify’s purple theme seems to resonate well with most users, becoming strongly associated with the Spotify identity. But a smaller subset wishes for more visual personalization and color choice options within the app interface.
Comparison to Other Brands Using Purple
Spotify isn’t the only major brand to adopt purple as a key brand color. Here are some other prominent logos and brands that leverage different shades of purple:
| Brand | Industry | Use of Purple |
|---|---|---|
| Yahoo! | Technology | Deep purple is the dominant color in Yahoo’s logo. |
| Twitch | Live Streaming | Twitch uses a light purple/lilac color for its wordmark and interface accents. |
| Hallmark | Greeting Cards | Rich royal purple is part of Hallmark’s logo and brand image. |
| Milka | Chocolate | Milka uses purple foil packaging and a purple cow mascot. |
| Cadbury | Chocolate | Some Cadbury chocolate bars feature purple wrapping. |
| Taco Bell | Fast Food | Taco Bell uses purple in its logo and restaurant interiors. |
In many of these cases, purple takes on a fun, lively personality that stands out in the mind. Spotify follows similar principles with its purple, helping the brand cut through the noise in the competitive music streaming market.
Conclusion
Spotify’s use of a vivid purple shade throughout its interface and branding is central to its identity. Purple aligns with Spotify’s values of creativity, emotion, and youthful energy. It helps the brand stand out while appealing to users’ sense of imagination and discovery.
While reactions are mixed, many Spotify subscribers enjoy the visual presence of purple across the app experience. The color is strongly tied to the Spotify brand personality in users’ minds. Overall, purple reinforces Spotify’s positioning as an innovative, artistic, non-traditional platform for experiencing the magic of music.
