SiriusXM is the flagship subscription audio entertainment service of Sirius XM Holdings Inc., formed in 2008 when Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio merged. The company’s visual identity has undergone two distinct phases: a post-merger wordmark with radio wave imagery that lasted roughly 15 years, and a star-focused refresh unveiled in November 2023 that remains the current mark.
Design and History
Following the 2008 merger of Sirius and XM, the combined company’s logo featured the “SiriusXM” wordmark with sound waves emanating from either side of the brand name.[1] A trademark registration for the wordmark “SIRIUSXM” describes the mark as consisting of the letters with three curved lines on each side.[2]
On November 8, 2023, SiriusXM revealed a refreshed brand platform and identity, including a new logo, master color palette, and mascot, at its Next Generation Industry & Press Preview.[3] The company worked with Uncommon Creative Studio, which served as the founding client of the agency’s newly opened New York office.[3] The refresh accompanied the unveiling of a next-generation streaming app and new pricing aimed at welcoming a new generation of listeners.[3]
The 2023 redesign replaced the old logo, which showed radio waves emanating from the wordmark, with a new wordmark that creates a star in the letter S using negative space.[4] A trademark application for the new mark describes it as consisting of the letters “SIRIUSXM” with a star in the letter S.[5]
According to Nils Leonard, co-founder of Uncommon Creative Studio, the decision to swap sound waves for a star was influenced by the fact that Spotify’s logo also incorporates sound-wave imagery, making the star a differentiating choice.[1] The sky-centric imagery also nods to the company’s roots as a satellite radio provider.[1]
Meaning and Symbolism
The new SiriusXM logo takes inspiration from the night sky, putting a star at the center of its iconic “S” to represent Sirius, the “Dog Star.”[3] The star harkens back to the brand’s origins and nods to the service’s consumer value proposition of bringing subscribers closer to the artists, hosts, celebrities, journalists, newsmakers, and personalities they love.[3] Interwoven into the new logo is the concept of “Closer,” a refreshed brand platform that aligns with the heart and soul of the SiriusXM brand.[3]
The star is specifically Sirius, the brightest star in Earth’s night sky, which is sometimes called the “dog star.”[1] Before the merger, Sirius the company had a dog as its logo, and that dog was brought out of retirement with a modernized rendering to serve as SiriusXM’s mascot.[1] The mascot, a puppy named Stella, is not part of the official logo but appears on merchandise and in the app.[1]
Typography and Design
SiriusXM’s updated logo and branding come with a new color system, born of the company’s name and star, Sirius, the brightest in Earth’s night sky.[3] The blue, black, and white logo colors reflect those that can be seen when observing the Sirius constellation from Earth.[3] The brand’s secondary color palette, called the “firepower colors,” reflects how stars vary in color and heat during their life cycle.[3]
The updated identity showcases a shift toward a refined wordmark, incorporating a new logo, icon, and a rich color palette of vibrant jewel tones.[6] The star-fueled identity builds upon SiriusXM’s history, originally named after the brightest star, and takes the brand’s connection to the stars and its satellites as the core inspiration for its refreshed look and feel.[6] The clean typography embraces a modern approach while preserving legibility, showcasing a thoughtful evolution of the brand’s identity to achieve both familiar and fresh.[6]
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