Project Overview
Building the Digital Backbone of Modern Music
Universal Music Group (UMG) represents the most influential artists and labels across every genre, from global icons to rising stars. With hundreds of active campaigns and fast-moving release cycles, UMG needed a digital partner that could ship work quickly without sacrificing quality.
As UMG’s long-standing agency of record, HALO delivers full-stack digital support—from artist websites and storefronts to interactive fan experiences and internal systems. We launch over 1,000 artist sites annually, with a typical end-to-end turnaround of just 10–12 days, powering the digital presence of labels like Interscope, Republic Records, Def Jam and more.
1000+
sites per year
10-12 Days
turnaround time
The Challenges
Sustaining Velocity Without Compromising Vision
With dozens of teams working across multiple time zones and campaign calendars, UMG needed a flexible, reliable framework that could support high-volume launches while giving each artist the attention they deserve. Whether we’re building a site for a major label relaunch or a one-off microsite for a surprise merch drop, every engagement demands speed, consistency, and brand alignment across hundreds of assets and stakeholders.
The Work
Artist Websites
We treat every artist site as a canvas—engineered for content, performance, and expression.
Alessia Cara: An ultra-minimalist, booklet-inspired design that relied on rich visuals and sparse text. Averaging over 50K unique visitors/month, this site continued to perform nearly a year post-launch.
Jon Batiste: a stunning showcase, blending beautiful colors and dynamic layouts that brought his vibrant assets to life. The end result exuded energy and creativity, perfectly complementing the essence of his World Music Radio album.
Republic Records: A redesign that marked a visual shift for the label. Instead of a standard image grid, we created a hover-based artist directory aligned with the brand’s evolving identity.
The Work
Artist Storefronts & E-Commerce
Commerce is core to fan connection. We’ve powered 250+ seamless, secure storefronts on Shopify 2.0 that merge storytelling and conversion.
Full-scale shops with dynamic modules and drag-and-drop content blocks
Single-item upsells and bundle logic
Membership-gated drops and timed releases
Custom Shopify themes deployed across UMG’s multi-tenant structure
The Work
Experiential & Engagement
Some projects call for more than a page. We design and build digital experiences — meme generators, 8-bit games, AR tools, and community-first activations — that turn fans into active participants, resulting in repeat visits, earned press, and a new dimension for the artist’s digital presence.
The Solution
A System that Balances Scale, Speed and Soul
We built a design system, component library, and deployment pipeline that supports UMG’s needs across creative, development, and e-commerce. Every site we launch is grounded in the artist’s world, while being easy to maintain and quick to deploy.
Modular Design Components
Shopify 2.0 + custom modules
Fan-first UX across devices
Secure infra & bot protection
Internal tooling & docs
Faster launches, easier re-skins
Seamless merchandising
Higher engagement & retention
Fair drops, better trust
Label teams stay in control
The Results
Halo maintains ongoing partnerships with major UMG labels such as Interscope, Def Jam, Island Records and others, while HALO-built layouts are repeatedly selected as internal design references.
