In-Store Music Selection

That trending audio on your brand’s Instagram or TikTok might cost you millions. 💸 #PexPartner $24M, $30M, $130M… these are just a few of the amounts brands have faced in lawsuits for using copyrighted music in social posts on their accounts and the accounts of their creator partners without proper licensing. Here’s what’s happening: Music is the backbone of social content. 85% of TikToks and 84% of YouTube videos include at least 10 seconds of music. For regular users, adding a trending song is easy and encouraged. But, for brands? It’s a legal minefield. The moment content promotes a product or service—whether in organic posts, ads, or influencer campaigns—it’s commercial use. That requires separate licensing, even if the song is in the platform’s library. And it gets more complex: 🎵 Platform licensing is inconsistent: A track cleared for TikTok might not be cleared on Instagram. 📱 Rights can expire without notice, turning compliant posts into violations overnight. 🤝 Creator partnerships add risk: Sponsored content using copyrighted music makes brands liable. 👥 Employee advocacy programs create exposure: That company update video with a trending song? Still an infringement risk. 🔄 Reposting is risky: Even resharing creator or user-generated content with unlicensed music can create liability. Rights holders are tracking violations and can enforce them months or years later. That viral post that cracked the algorithm? It can vanish overnight, along with all its reach and engagement. So what can brands do? ✅ Audit regularly: Review all content, including creator posts, for music rights violations. ✅ Establish clear guidelines for music use in campaigns. ✅ Educate teams and partners on the difference between personal and commercial use. ✅ Implement approval workflows: Review every piece of content for cleared music rights before publishing. ✅ Provide pre-cleared options for creators and teams. ✅ Maintain a database of licensed tracks for campaigns. ✅ When in doubt, don’t use it. I did a deep dive into why more brands are coming under fire for misuse of music and how brands can protect themselves, including leveraging tech solutions like Pex, as we increasingly move toward a social- and creator-first marketing world. Get the full breakdown in the newsletter, including how you can get a  free copyright check from Pex. 👇🏾

A study found a well-designed sonic identity delivers 8 times better brand linkage & recall than a visual logo alone. McDonald's five-note "ba da ba ba baaa" has stayed consistent for over 30 years. Apple built an entire vocabulary of interface tones that read as unmistakably Apple without any of them being a standalone jingle. The mechanism is what makes this worth more than a design trivia note: sound bypasses conscious evaluation and lands in the brain's emotional processing before rational thought has a chance to intervene. A visual logo asks to be recognized. A sonic one produces a reaction before recognition even starts. Most brand systems stop at a visual identity and treat sound as an afterthought, usually a stock hold-tune or whatever the video editor picked. The brands that treated sound as seriously as their logo, Netflix's startup chime, Apple's whole tonal system, built an asset that works even when someone isn't looking at a screen.

How Music Shapes Business Success Ever walked into a place and instantly felt at ease—or, conversely, wanted to walk right out? Chances are, the music (or lack of it) played a big role. Some days back during a casual conversation with a colleague she mentioned that she didn’t choose a gym because she didn’t like the type of music that they played. That got me thinking on the importance of music in customer experience. One of the best examples of music shaping a brand is Buddha-Bar. In the 90s, this Parisian lounge created an entire experience through sound—a curated mix of chill-out, lounge, and world music. The ambiance was so immersive that Buddha-Bar turned into a global chain, and its music became a standalone product, selling millions of albums. Customers didn’t just visit Buddha-Bar—they lived the brand. Now, let’s look at how other businesses have used music as a strategy: ✅ Retail: Research in U.S. supermarkets in the early 80s found that playing slow music led to a 38% increase in shopping time and a 32% jump in sales. Luxury brands like Burberry use soft jazz and classical music to subtly reinforce their premium positioning. ✅ Gyms: Gold’s Gym optimized playlists based on BPM (beats per minute), leading to a 15% rise in member retention. Music isn’t just entertainment—it’s fuel for performance. ✅ Salons & Spas: A luxury spa chain switched to customized ambient music (nature sounds, soft instrumentals) and saw a 22% rise in customer satisfaction and 10% more repeat visits. The right sound can make relaxation feel even more premium. ✅ Restaurants: Ever noticed how fast-food chains play upbeat music? It’s intentional—it increases table turnover. In contrast, fine-dining spaces slow things down to encourage longer stays and higher spending. Music isn’t just background noise—it’s a tool that influences how long customers stay, how much they spend, and how they feel about your brand. Whether you’re in retail, hospitality, or fitness, the right soundtrack can be a competitive advantage. What’s a place where the music really stood out to you—good or bad? PS: Buddha-Bar, Gold’s Gym and even McDonald’s have their own playlists on Spotify, if you’d like to sample them. #brandstrategy #branding #sensorybranding

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘰𝘣𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘴 I just finished a session in #Oslo on the #neuroscience of audio advertising — radio, podcasts, sonic branding, product sounds — and the evidence is piling up from studies around the world. The simple truth is this: 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼 𝗽𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝗿 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁! 𝘞𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘧𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭 (𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘯𝘦𝘨𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥) 𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘺, 𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯-𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨. Across international neuromarketing datasets — including the 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗛𝘂𝗯 project with over 7,500 participants — we keep seeing the same patterns emerge. Here are 𝟱 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 that stood out today: 1. 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼 𝗮𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘀 | Across EEG, implicit tests, and memory tasks, audio consistently delivers 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗱 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝘆. It doesn’t compete with the visual overload on screens, which gives it a clean channel straight into long-term memory systems. 2. 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝘀 | Emotional curves in audio tend to swing more strongly — higher highs, lower lows. This is exactly what you want when the creative works, and exactly what you need to diagnose when it doesn’t. 3. 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 “𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲” | Most marketing lives in the visual lane. But the auditory lane is wide open — less crowded, less fatigued, and more neurologically accessible. This makes it one of the most efficient ways to cut through. 4. 𝗡𝗲𝘂𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼 𝗮𝗱𝘀 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 | With moment-by-moment emotional and cognitive tracking, we can identify the spikes, dips, and turning points in an audio ad. This lets teams fix pacing, structure, and sound design with surgical precision. 5. 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 | The strongest brands don’t just 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸 up, they 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨. From simple product sounds (a chips bag, a car door, a signature click) to consistent sonic logos and well-designed audio identities — sound creates immediate recognition shortcuts that visuals often struggle to match. When you step back, the pattern is clear: 𝗜𝗻 𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗺𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱, 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲. Smart brands will use it not as an add-on, but as a core asset. #audioadvertising #advertising #neuromarketing #sensorymarketing

Content is no longer king, emotional data is. And us? We don’t want to be the king. We’d rather be the king’s friend. The one who understands what happens behind the throne: what moves, touches, and activates. Because today, creating impact isn’t about dominating the feed. It’s about tuning into the context, the timing, and the emotion of who’s on the other side. And the data agrees: - The average attention span for videos dropped from 10 to 5 seconds in less than two years. (Omdia, 2025) - Nearly 70% of Gen Z choose videos based on how they want to feel, not on the actual topic. (The Current, 2025) - Platforms like Spotify and YouTube now segment users by emotional state + consumption routine — not just genre or demographics. (Deloitte + Exploding Topics, 2025) - Even the most engaging news and podcast formats have one thing in common: emotionally calibrated soundtracks. (Spotify for News Project, 2024) This changes everything. It’s no longer about what you post, but how it resonates. It’s not about “good content”, but about sensorial storytelling with intention. HOW TO BUILD NARRATIVES THAT TRULY CONNECT: 1) Consumption context - Where is your audience watching? In traffic? In the shower? On a binge scroll? - Adapt rhythm, format, and sound to fit that moment. 2) Primary emotional trigger - What does your content spark? Curiosity? Freedom? Nostalgia? - Pick one — and align every element to it: music, image, copy, voice. 3) Emotional response time - People decide in 3 to 5 seconds if something feels made for them. - Start with a clear signal of belonging (“this is about you”). 4)Sound as identity - Music isn’t just background. - It shapes expectation and memory, use it with narrative purpose, not as decoration. 5) Relevance > trend - Don’t chase what’s viral. - Deliver what only you can: perspective, truth, and real value. Algorithms can measure clicks. But only strategic storytelling sustains connection and brand. If you work with audiovisuals, personal branding, products or experiences, and want help crafting content with emotional logic and real impact, I'm opening a few mentorship and collaboration slots. Let’s talk? #ContentStrategy #SensorialStorytelling #EmotionalMarketing #SonicBranding #BrandExperience #EmotionalData #StreamingCulture #MusicInMedia #SyncLicensing #LinkedInCreators

"We want something like the Netflix 'ta-dum.'", "Okay… But you're a banking app?" This happens more often than you'd think. Brands see sounds they admire and want to replicate that feeling for themselves - Netflix, Intel, McDonald's or Apple's startup chime. These are the reference points that come up in nearly every briefing call. And I understand why - they're memorable, they're effective, they've become cultural touchpoints. But here's what gets missed: those sounds work because of the context they live in, not despite it. Netflix's dramatic sonic logo works because you're settling into entertainment. You're relaxed, ready for something cinematic and that sound sets the stage for the experience ahead. But if you're building a banking app, your users are in a completely different headspace. They're checking their balance at 11 PM, anxious about whether a payment cleared. They need reassurance and clarity, not drama. Users needs to feel trust and security. I see this pattern constantly: brands chasing what sounds impressive instead of what actually serves their users. The impulse is to sound innovative, premium, iconic, to borrow the sonic equity of brands we admire. But sonic branding isn't about aspiration. It's about function wrapped into the right feeling. Create meaningful sounds not noise. Your users don't need you to sound like someone else. They need you to sound like yourself, meaningful in the specific moment of need. When someone confirms a payment, they need confidence. When someone scans their travel card in a crowded station, they need immediate clarity. When someone receives a health notification, they need calmness. The moment determines what the sound should do. The best sonic branding isn't only about creating the coolest sound or the most memorable jingle. It's about creating the right sound for right moment. Start solving for what your user needs to feel and be YOU. #SonicMinds #SonicBranding #BrandStrategy #UXDesign

The Bombay High Court has granted two weeks’ time to Kapil Sharma, his production house, and other associates of The Great Indian Kapil Show to file their response to a copyright infringement plea filed by Phonographic Performance Ltd. The allegation concerns the unauthorised use of copyrighted sound recordings as background music during live recordings of the show. PPL asserts that the sound recordings in which it holds rights were communicated to the public without the requisite licence, and that such use was routine rather than occasional. From a legal standpoint, the issue is well settled. Copyright protection over sound recordings extends to their public communication, irrespective of whether the music is foregrounded or used incidentally. Live recordings, studio audiences, and subsequent OTT dissemination all fall within the scope of public communication under copyright law. Regular and repeated use without authorisation carries legal consequences. In fact, consistency of use can strengthen a rights holder’s claim, particularly where licensing frameworks are well established and readily accessible. At this stage, the Court has not expressed any view on the merits of the dispute. The order merely allows time for the respondents to place their defence on record. However, the proceedings serve as a cautionary example for content creators and production houses operating in high volume formats. Music licensing is not a technicality. It is a statutory requirement. As OTT content continues to scale rapidly, copyright compliance will remain a central pillar of risk management in entertainment production. #India #Media #Entertainment #Copyright #Law

Burberry Acoustic was never intended to directly drive sales, however, it increased average website dwell time from 8 to 18 minutes*, through a carefully delivered format in tune with our creative brand direction and delivering 130 films over a 7-year lifespan. A well-defined music strategy built around a platform can become an entry point that forms deeper, longer-term audience relationships. In my work with houses like Burberry, Tiffany & Co., and BREITLING, the value becomes clearest when music is shaped by taste and a defined strategy. Music selected intuitively. Artists invited to collaborate. With Burberry Acoustic, we extended the format from beautifully captured one-shot performance films into global events, a curator partnership with Apple Music and the soundtrack to our London Fashion Week shows. This moved us into an emotional alignment with new audiences who became fans of our brand. A bespoke music platform offers three key advantages: 🔹 Cohesion – A unified sonic language across campaigns, spaces and narrative 🔹 Retention – Music encourages longer engagement, deeper exploration. 🔹 Equity – A sensory platform that lives beyond any single moment. It’s a long-format language for brand feeling, expressed through sound. We curated outwardly, shaping a sonic identity that expressed Christopher Bailey’s taste, through the artists I championed with my team, and the musical direction we brought to the performances captured on film. A well-curated music platform builds continuity, invites affinity, and expresses a distinct point of view. It opens a new channel for meaningful and lasting engagement. And over time, the audience it attracts move from engaged listeners and advocates to long-term and loyal customers. If you’re exploring how sound could serve your brand’s next chapter—digitally, spatially, emotionally—I’d love to connect and explore what’s possible together. ---- LSTNR: Helping Brands // Sound Better ---- *Source: former Burberry CEO Angela Ahrendts discussing Burberry Acoustic during an interview with The Independent - link in comments.

🎶 If I were a CMO today, here’s how I’d approach music. With 25+ years at the intersection of music and brands, for all the great work I've been lucky enough to be part of, and all the great work that HAS been and IS being done, it's still always painful (even cringeworthy) to see so many brand missteps and frankly, a lot of hot garbage. So... here ya go. Build a holistic music strategy, an execution/activation plan (vs. scattered one-offs), and dedicate a much larger percentage of your overall marketing budget to music - there is way too much money being spent by brands on sports, as it's more structured, formulaic and thus easier to buy into. Music only works for a brand when it’s strategic and intentional, not tactical or treat it as a 'nice to have'. From there: • Institute clear filters around that strategy so every music opportunity can be evaluated quickly, consistently, and with purpose. • don't spend seven figures on a big name • focus on independent and emerging artists, where the brand can help shape their journey and be an organic part of that story-telling, vs. a massive star (who will inevitably overshadow the brand) • stop chasing “cool” and start investing in long-term cultural alignment • work with talent/partners/experiences that truly reflect the brand’s values and core DNA • when curating talent, focus on artists that genuinely love and use your product or service • treat music as a brand asset, commit and build a true sonic identity threaded through everything • make sure every program delivers a win for the brand, the artist, and the fans [Oh, also - music is extremely fragmented, nuanced, complex thus majorly under leveraged by brands - which is why brands work with Shadrach 😉] What else am I missing here? What do you disagree/agree with? #musicstrategy #brandmarketing #musicandbrands

Dear creators and business owners, Just because an app lets you click “Add Audio” does not mean it is legal for your business. A massive blind spot for founders and social media managers is assuming that if a trending song is available on Instagram or TikTok, it is free game for everyone. It is not. The position of copyright law on social media music is clear, yet heavily misunderstood. Social media platforms license mainstream music strictly for personal entertainment, meaning the platform’s umbrella agreement covers an individual sharing a vacation video, but it completely excludes commercial entities. The moment a business uses a copyrighted track to promote a service, run an ad, or showcase a product, it legally crosses the line into commercial synchronization, which requires a separate, explicit license from the copyright owners. Record labels are actively using automated scanning tools to target business pages. Using unlicensed music can result in your content being muted, your account being permanently banned, or your company facing direct copyright infringement penalties. Adding a disclaimer like “no copyright intended” in your caption will not save you in court because copyright infringement is a strict liability offense. To improve your content compliance today, you must audit your page and remove videos using unlicensed mainstream music. Stick strictly to the platform’s designated “Commercial Audio Library,” or use verified third-party royalty-free services to clear your synchronization rights legally. Stop letting a built-in feature trick you into an expensive lawsuit.