Circle Studios for Sony Music

Branding Berlin’s new creative hub

Services

Located inside Sony Music’s new (ish) German headquarters in Berlin-Schöneberg, Circle Studios is designed to be both a production powerhouse and a place for creative exchange. Built around various music recording studios and a multimedia production suite, Circle Studios provides music makers of all stripes with a rare space of creative freedom and proficiency – and Sony Music with a difference-making brand touchpoint within a highly competitive industry.

We worked with their leadership teams to create a compelling brand that makes Sony Music’s decades-long legacy tangible for a new generation of artists – both on site and beyond.

A portrait black and white image of the Circle Studios kitchen and lounge area

From the core idea to visuals to storytelling, we approached all aspects of the brand as one holistic process. The concept of the circle is to represent – and facilitate – those magic moments in the studio when, all of a sudden, sounds, words and emotions align in perfect harmony and new memories are born for generations to come. Our role in the project included naming, brand concept, and design of various brand applications, both physical and digital.

A close up image of a male with his back turned slightly towards the camera with a black Circle Studios tote bag slung over his left shoulder
A portrait black and white image of a large ring shaped metal sign resting against a grey sofa in the Circle Studios black room.
A top down photograph of four black Circle Studios business cards aligned horizontally end-on-end

Branding elements are represented all across the space, treading the fine line between making a bold brand statement for Sony Music and providing a comfortable and safe space for artists to create, share and perform music. We also helped bring the brand to life online, including the design of the Circle Studios website; art direction for social media and other brand communication, as well as consulting on content and storytelling.

Still life image of an iPhone 15 on a grey sofa. A section of the Black Room detail page describing the space and equipment available is visible on the screen
An image from inside the Circle Studios black room, two engineers are sitting at the mixing console in the foreground. In the background a Circle Studios sign is mounted to the wall.

Since opening its doors in the summer of 2021, Circle Studios have hosted a myriad of recording allnighters, content production sessions, listening parties and intimate performances – just head over to their Insta to get an idea. With Sony Music furthering their reputation as a home to some of the country’s finest talent, from vetted to up-and-coming, the space continues to foster the creative and commercial growth of the music scene in Germany and beyond.

Five iPhone UI screens position in a row showcasing Instagram stories containing a variety of brand and artist related content