Apple just rolled out a new sonic identity for its freshly rebranded streaming service. After dropping "Plus" from Apple TV last month, the company enlisted Grammy-winning producer Finneas to create a new intro sound that'll play before every show and movie. It's a small but strategic move that signals Apple's push to streamline its entertainment brand and compete more directly with Netflix and Disney+.
Apple is making sure you hear its streaming ambitions loud and clear. The company just unveiled a new intro sound and video that'll greet viewers when they fire up content on the newly renamed Apple TV service. After quietly dropping the "Plus" from Apple TV Plus last month, Apple needed fresh branding to match - and they went straight to the top of the music industry for it. The new sonic logo comes courtesy of Finneas, the Grammy-winning producer behind Billie Eilish's biggest hits and a composer for Apple's own shows. "If you're binge-ing the whole season of Ted Lasso or Severance or Disclaimer, you're going to hear the mnemonic 10 times in one day," Finneas told Variety in a detailed interview. "So it's gotta be something that's like the bite of ginger between rolls or something, you know?" It's a perfect analogy for what might be the most-heard piece of music most people never consciously notice. Finneas crafted three distinct versions of the sound to cover Apple's entire entertainment ecosystem. The main five-second version will play before TV episodes, while a quick one-second "sting" will appear in movie trailers when Apple Studios gets credited. The longest 12-second version is reserved for theatrical releases like Killers of the Flower Moon, giving Apple's cinema presence the gravitas it's been building toward. The timing isn't coincidental. Apple's entertainment division has been steadily professionalizing, moving beyond the scrappy startup feel of its early streaming days. The previous intro prominently featured the "Plus" branding, which made sense when Apple was positioning itself as a premium add-on to existing viewing habits. But as the service matures with hits like Ted Lasso and Severance, dropping "Plus" signals Apple wants to be seen as a primary destination, not a supplement. The rebrand comes as streaming competition intensifies heading into 2025. Netflix continues adding subscribers while Disney+ bundles aggressively, leaving Apple to carve out its niche through premium original content and seamless ecosystem integration. The new intro features Apple's updated multi-colored logo animation, which as part of the broader rebrand. It's a return to Apple's rainbow roots, but with modern sophistication that bridges the company's creative legacy with its current entertainment ambitions. Finneas brings serious credibility to the project - he's not just Billie Eilish's collaborator but also the composer for Apple's own series. His involvement shows Apple isn't just buying talent but integrating its music and video strategies in ways that competitors can't match. For viewers, this represents Apple's quiet confidence that they'll be hearing this sound a lot more often. The company is betting that consistent, high-quality branding will help Apple TV feel less like a tech company's side project and more like a legitimate entertainment powerhouse.
