Entertainment: The top music trends shaping advertising in 2025
- InsightTrendsWorld
- Mar 27
- 8 min read
Why it is the topic trending:
Emphasis on Sonic Branding: The article highlights the increasing recognition of the critical role that music plays in advertising, moving beyond mere background noise to a key element of brand communication and emotional connection.
Forward-Looking Industry Report: The discussion is based on the "2025 Music in Film Trend Report" from Musicbed, indicating insights into future trends that are relevant for advertisers, content creators, and the film and TV industries.
Shift Away from Generic Music: The article points out a significant shift away from the use of generic stock music and in-platform audio, emphasizing the need for more authentic and intentional sonic choices.
Overview:
The article discusses the emerging music trends that are expected to significantly shape advertising in 2025. It emphasizes the importance of using intentional and authentic music to create emotional connections with audiences, setting the tone, shaping emotions, and drawing viewers deeper into the content. Based on Musicbed's 2025 Music in Film Trend Report, three key musical styles are highlighted as being particularly influential: Y2K nostalgia, classical drama, and a revival of music from the '50s, '60s, and '70s.
Detailed Findings:
Advertising is increasingly recognizing the power of music to connect with audiences on an emotional level. Generic stock music is becoming obsolete in favor of authentic, artist-driven soundtracks.
The Y2K nostalgia trend sees a resurgence of music inspired by the early 2000s punk, indie, and alt-pop genres. Nostalgic music is found to increase audience engagement and build trust with brands.
Classical drama is making a comeback in advertising, valued for its timeless quality and ability to add weight and emotional depth to storytelling. Examples include Nike's use of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 to elevate the intensity of competition and Toyota's use of minor and major keys to evoke different emotions.
The revival of '50s, '60s, and '70s music (and music inspired by these decades) is driven by its raw, unfiltered, and real feel, which contrasts with modern hyper-produced sounds. Using vintage music can give a brand a sense of soul and create a lasting vibe with the audience, as exemplified by a Righteous Brothers-esque ballad in a Tesla ad.
Authentic, artist-driven music is deemed essential for advertisements to leave a lasting impression, requiring intentional choices that align with the overall creative vision.
Key Takeaway:
Advertising in 2025 will be significantly influenced by a strategic return to specific musical genres – Y2K nostalgia, classical music, and vintage sounds from the mid-20th century – chosen for their ability to evoke strong emotions, create authentic connections, and resonate deeply with target audiences, marking a departure from the era of generic stock music.
Main Trend:
Sonic Authenticity Through Nostalgia & Drama: This trend highlights the strategic and intentional use of specific musical genres, particularly those that evoke nostalgia or add dramatic weight, to create authentic and emotionally resonant soundtracks for advertising in 2025.
Description of the trend (please name it):
Intentional Emotional Soundscaping: A significant trend in advertising for 2025 characterized by the deliberate and thoughtful selection of specific musical genres and styles—such as Y2K nostalgia, classical music, and vintage revivals—to craft authentic sonic landscapes that evoke targeted emotions, create lasting impressions, and forge deeper connections with the audience, moving beyond the use of generic or easily overlooked music.
What is consumer motivation:
Expectation of Authenticity: Audiences are increasingly discerning and expect brands to be genuine in their communication, including the music they use.
Emotional Engagement: Consumers want to be moved and feel a connection with the content they watch, and music plays a crucial role in eliciting these emotions.
Nostalgic Resonance: Music from past eras can trigger positive memories and feelings, leading to increased engagement and trust with a brand.
Appreciation for Quality and Intentionality: Consumers can sense when music is thoughtfully chosen and high-quality, which reflects positively on the brand.
What is driving trend:
Need for Advertisements to Stand Out: In a saturated media landscape, brands are looking for impactful ways to capture attention and be memorable.
Understanding of Music's Emotional Power: There's a growing awareness among advertisers and creatives of the profound influence of music on emotions and perception.
Availability of Curated and Authentic Music: Platforms like Musicbed offer a curated selection of artist-driven music that goes beyond generic stock options.
Success of Campaigns Using These Styles: Recent successful advertisements that have effectively used Y2K nostalgia, classical music, or vintage sounds are likely encouraging wider adoption.
What is motivation beyond the trend:
Desire for Meaningful Experiences: Consumers seek deeper and more meaningful experiences with brands, and music can contribute to creating these connections.
Fondness for Specific Music Eras: Individuals often have strong emotional attachments to music from different periods in their lives.
Trust and Familiarity: Nostalgic music can create a sense of trust and familiarity, making a brand feel more relatable.
Description of consumers article is referring to:
Age: The article touches upon Y2K nostalgia (likely resonating with Millennials and Gen Z who were young in the early 2000s), classical music (which can have a broad appeal across ages), and music from the '50s-'70s (likely appealing to older generations but also potentially discovered and appreciated by younger audiences through cultural exposure).
Gender: Not specifically defined, but the trends discussed are likely to resonate with a wide range of consumers across genders.
Income: Not specifically mentioned, but the need for effective advertising transcends income brackets, suggesting these trends are relevant for reaching a diverse economic demographic.
Lifestyle: The consumers are those exposed to advertising through various media, including TV, film, and online platforms. Their lifestyles are likely diverse, but they share an expectation for engaging and authentic content.
Conclusions:
Advertising in 2025 will be characterized by a deliberate and strategic use of specific musical genres aimed at creating authentic emotional connections with audiences. The trends of Y2K nostalgia, classical drama, and a revival of '50s-'70s music reflect a move away from generic background scores towards more intentional and impactful sonic branding.
Implications for Brands:
Strategic Music Selection: Brands need to be more thoughtful and intentional about the music they choose, ensuring it aligns with their message and target audience.
Investment in Quality Music: Moving away from cheap stock music and investing in authentic, artist-driven tracks will be crucial.
Understanding Nostalgic Appeal: Recognizing the power of nostalgia, particularly for the Y2K era, can be a valuable tool for engaging certain demographics.
Exploring Timeless Drama: Classical music offers a potent way to add gravitas and emotional depth to brand storytelling.
Embracing Vintage Authenticity: Utilizing music from the mid-20th century can create a sense of raw, genuine connection with consumers.
Implication for Society:
Elevated Advertising Soundscapes: The overall quality and emotional impact of music in advertising may improve.
Rediscovery of Past Musical Eras: The use of Y2K, classical, and vintage music in ads could lead to a broader appreciation and rediscovery of these genres by new audiences.
Music as a Stronger Cultural Connector: Music in advertising could become a more significant element in shared cultural experiences and conversations.
Implications for Consumers:
More Emotionally Engaging Ads: Consumers may experience advertising that resonates more deeply with their emotions and memories.
Potential for Musical Discovery: Ads could introduce consumers to music they haven't heard before or remind them of forgotten favorites.
Increased Trust in Brands: Authentic and well-chosen music can enhance brand credibility and trustworthiness.
Implication for Future:
Continued Emphasis on Authenticity: The demand for authentic and artist-driven music in advertising is likely to grow.
Evolution of Nostalgic Trends: As time passes, different musical eras will become the focus of nostalgic revivals.
Sophisticated Use of Music for Branding: Music will become an even more integral and strategically employed element of overall brand identity.
Consumer Trend (name, detailed description):
Name: Emotionally Intelligent Sound in Ads
Detailed Description: Consumers are increasingly attuned to and appreciative of advertising that uses music in a way that thoughtfully and effectively evokes specific emotions, enhancing the overall message and creating a more meaningful connection with the brand.
Consumer Sub Trend (name, detailed description):
Name: Y2K Sonic Flashback
Detailed Description: Consumers who were young adults in the early 2000s show a strong positive response to advertisements that feature music from that era, triggering nostalgic feelings and a sense of connection to the brand.
Big Social Trend (name, detailed description):
Name: Authenticity and Realness in Media
Detailed Description: Across various forms of media, there's a growing societal value placed on authenticity, realness, and genuine human expression, which extends to the music used in advertising and content creation.
Worldwide Social Trend (name, detailed description):
Name: The Global Power of Music in Storytelling
Detailed Description: Across cultures and languages, music remains a universally powerful tool for enhancing storytelling, setting moods, and eliciting emotions, making its strategic use in advertising globally relevant.
Social Drive (name, detailed description):
Name: Desire for Authentic Connection and Trust
Detailed Description: Consumers are increasingly seeking genuine connections and building trust with brands, and the intentional use of authentic and emotionally resonant music can be a significant factor in fostering these relationships.
Learnings for brands to use in 2025:
Understand the profound impact of music on emotions and brand perception.
Recognize the strong nostalgic pull of Y2K-era punk, indie, and alt-pop for key demographics.
Appreciate the timeless drama and weight that classical music can bring to storytelling.
Value the raw and authentic feel of music from the '50s, '60s, and '70s for creating genuine connections.
Move away from generic stock music and prioritize artist-driven, emotionally resonant soundtracks.
Strategy Recommendations for brands to follow in 2025:
Invest in high-quality, curated music that aligns with your brand identity and campaign message.
Consider using Y2K-inspired music to connect with Millennials and Gen Z on a nostalgic level.
Explore the use of classical music to add gravitas and emotional depth to your brand storytelling.
Tap into the authenticity of vintage tracks from the mid-20th century to create a relatable and genuine feel.
Partner with music licensing platforms that specialize in authentic, artist-driven music rather than relying on generic stock options.
Final sentence (key concept) describing main trend from article:
In 2025, advertising will be sonically shaped by a strategic return to emotionally evocative musical genres—Y2K nostalgia, classical drama, and vintage authenticity—to forge deeper and more genuine connections with audiences.
What brands & companies should do in 2025 to benefit from trend and how to do it:
Brands should prioritize the strategic selection of music for their advertising, moving away from generic options and embracing artist-driven tracks that evoke specific emotions and resonate with their target audience. To capitalize on the key trends, they should consider incorporating Y2K-inspired music for nostalgic appeal, utilizing classical compositions to add dramatic weight, and exploring the authenticity of '50s-'70s hits to create genuine connections. Partnering with curated music licensing platforms will be essential for accessing high-quality, authentic music that aligns with these trends and enhances the overall impact of their advertising.
Final Note:
Core Trend:
Name: Sonic Authenticity
Detailed Description: Advertising in 2025 will prioritize the use of authentic, artist-driven music over generic stock tracks to create genuine emotional connections with audiences.
Core Strategy:
Name: Emotionally Resonant Music Curation
Detailed Description: Brands should adopt a deliberate and thoughtful approach to selecting music for their advertisements, focusing on curated tracks that evoke specific emotions and align with their brand message and target audience.
Core Industry Trend:
Name: The Strategic Importance of Music in Media
Detailed Description: The advertising, film, and TV industries are increasingly recognizing the pivotal role of music in storytelling, emotional engagement, and overall content effectiveness, leading to a more intentional and sophisticated use of sound.
Core Consumer Motivation:
Name: Expectation of Authentic and Engaging Content
Detailed Description: Consumers are increasingly discerning and expect the content they consume, including advertising, to be authentic, engaging, and capable of eliciting genuine emotional responses.
Final Conclusion:
The top music trends shaping advertising in 2025 underscore a significant shift towards valuing authenticity and emotional connection through sound. By strategically incorporating Y2K nostalgia, classical drama, and vintage revivals into their campaigns, brands can move beyond the superficial and create more meaningful and memorable experiences for their audiences, ultimately fostering stronger brand relationships in an increasingly discerning consumer landscape.
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