Is AI About To Change How Brands Create Music For Advertising?

Artificial intelligence is rapidly moving from being an experimental technology to becoming a practical creative tool for brands. In advertising, where speed, scalability and cost efficiency often determine how quickly an idea moves from concept to campaign, AI-generated music is emerging as a new possibility.

From generating melodies and arrangements to experimenting with different sounds, AI can significantly reduce the time and resources required to create music. But as brands increasingly explore these possibilities, a larger question is emerging: can technology replicate the emotional and cultural connection that makes music memorable?

For the advertising industry, the debate is no longer simply about whether AI can create music. It is about how brands should use it without losing originality, emotion and human creativity.

AI is changing the music creation process

According to Prabhakar Shukla, AD Man, Producer, Director & Musician, the evolution of AI marks a significant shift from the way brands traditionally sourced music.

“AI has evolved from scratch to full bloom, changing day by day and getting better. Earlier, stock music libraries or banks were providing music to brands. But original creativity was there for projects,” he says.

Today, AI has entered the creative process itself, with brands increasingly experimenting with the technology to develop music at speed.

“Now AI has invaded creativity for sure, and brands are depending more on AI. But again, original creativity lasts long,” Shukla adds.

The appeal is clear. Creating original music traditionally involves bringing together composers, musicians, singers, producers and other talent. AI can compress much of that process, allowing brands to experiment with multiple musical directions in a fraction of the time.

“Yes, no doubt AI is making music faster than you think. Even for any scratch, you have to arrange talents to create something. But now you can make ample tunes and music in a blink. It is cheaper also,” he explains.

The efficiency versus emotion debate

For brands, the economics of AI-generated music are difficult to overlook. Faster production, lower costs and the ability to generate multiple versions can make AI particularly attractive for high-volume advertising requirements.

But efficiency does not necessarily translate into emotional resonance.

Shukla believes this is where AI-generated music currently faces a significant limitation.

“But again, it lacks the originality and emotion which is in live music recordings,” he says.

For him, the issue goes beyond the technical quality of the music. It is about the emotional imprint that comes from human performance and traditional recording processes.

“Some 30 to 40 years back, electronic music came and blew over, but we still remember the old songs which were traditional recordings,” he says.

“So the soul is missing and we need to protect the sound of music.”

For B2C brands, the human connect matters

While AI could prove useful for certain advertising applications, Shamir Tandon, Composer & Music Entrepreneur, Creative Architect, believes its effectiveness depends heavily on the objective and audience of the campaign.

“Undoubtedly, the way brands are creating music using AI is gaining traction because it is faster, more cost-efficient and gives them access to an enormous range of musical possibilities. However, what is often missing is the human and cultural-emotional connect,” Tandon says.

He points to B2B communication as one area where AI-generated music could work particularly well. When a brand is communicating with a defined group such as dealers, partners, high-net-worth individuals or employees, and the music is being used as a one-off communication device, the technology can deliver efficiency without necessarily requiring a deep cultural connection.

However, the equation changes when brands communicate directly with consumers.

“But when it comes to B2C, where brands need to communicate with consumers at large and build a deeper emotional and cultural connection, there is still a clear need for human creativity,” Tandon says.

This distinction is particularly relevant as music increasingly becomes more than background sound in advertising. A strong sonic identity can help a brand establish recall, personality and an emotional association with consumers. For such campaigns, simply producing a technically polished track may not be enough.

AI as a collaborator, not a replacement

Rather than viewing AI and human creativity as competing forces, both experts point towards a more collaborative future.

Tandon believes composers, music directors and producers can use AI as a creative and technological support system.

“As we always say, humans using AI as a tool is a collaborative and positive development. Composers, music directors and producers can use AI for technological support, research and development, or as an additional creative tool,” he says.

However, he remains sceptical about AI-generated music functioning independently when the objective is to establish a meaningful consumer connection.

“I don’t think AI-generated music on its own will create work that consistently strikes a chord with consumers or the relevant audience a brand is trying to address,” he adds.

The argument suggests that the future of music advertising may not be about choosing between AI and human creativity, but about finding the right balance between the two.

Could a hybrid model be the future?

Shukla believes that balance could ultimately become the most effective model for brands.

“We can recommend a hybrid model where we can use AI and live singing and music together. That may be a game changer,” he says.

Such a model could allow brands to benefit from AI’s speed and experimentation while retaining the emotional depth and authenticity associated with human performance.

For advertisers, this could mean using AI during ideation, sound exploration, mood creation or early-stage production, before bringing in composers, musicians, singers and producers to shape the final work.

The larger opportunity, therefore, may not lie in replacing the music creator but in expanding what creators can do.

The next chapter of brand music

AI is undoubtedly changing the economics and mechanics of music production. It can generate ideas faster, reduce production barriers and give brands access to an unprecedented range of musical possibilities.

But advertising has never been solely about production efficiency. The most effective brand music often works because it makes people feel something, remember something or associate a sound with a brand.

That is where the human element continues to hold significance.

As AI becomes increasingly embedded in advertising workflows, the brands that stand out may not necessarily be those that use the most AI. They could be the ones that understand where technology adds value and where human creativity remains irreplaceable.

The future of advertising music, therefore, may not be AI versus humans. It could be AI with humans, technology accelerating the process, while composers, musicians and creators continue to provide the soul.