Are Advertisers Underestimating The Long-Term Value Of Original Music?

For advertisers, the choice between a hit song and an original score is ultimately about balancing immediate cultural relevance with long-term brand value.

A popular song can capture attention through an existing emotional connection, helping brands tap into the cultural conversations audiences are already part of. Original music, on the other hand, gives brands the opportunity to build a distinctive identity that consumers can associate with them over time.

Hit songs offer instant cultural relevance, but original music creates the opportunity to build cultural recall of their own. The real power of music in advertising lies not simply in capturing attention, but in creating an emotional connection that stays with consumers long after a campaign ends.

For advertisers, the conversation needs to move beyond popularity and licensing costs to the lasting value music can create. Music should not be viewed merely as a campaign asset, but as intellectual property that can generate audience engagement, cultural relevance and commercial value over time.

At Eros Music Worlds, we see music as intellectual property with the potential to travel across generations, formats and experiences. Our partnership with the Mohammed Rafi family reflects our commitment to enduring music IP, while our work with AI-native artists and recognisable Bollywood-inspired characters explores new possibilities at the intersection of music, culture and technology.

We believe the future of music lies in the ability to build and extend intellectual property in new ways. Bringing established cultural legacies together with emerging creative possibilities can open up new opportunities for brands, artists and audiences.

Ultimately, the future is not just about using music to amplify a campaign. It is about creating music-led experiences that build brand affinity, influence consumer behaviour and deliver lasting commercial value. The question for advertisers, therefore, is not simply whether a hit song or an original score will make a campaign more memorable, but which approach can create value for the brand long after the campaign has ended.