Apple
2026 · Pop
Shot on iPhone 18 Pro: "new trick” by ROSÉ
"new trick" – ROSÉ
Guide · Brand deals
Brand dealsfor musicians,matched to your sound
Musicians land brand deals by showing a brand that their song or their audience fits a campaign. The five common deals are music in ads, sponsored posts, ambassador roles, brand-funded shows and custom songs. You pitch the people who decide — music supervisors, ad agencies and brand partnership teams — with one track and one clear idea.
In this guide
You'll see the five ways brands pay musicians, which brands use songs like yours, and exactly who to pitch.
- The 5 deal types, side by side
- Which of 500+ brands use your genre in their ads
- Real songs in recent commercials, with the ads
- What to send, and who decides
Keep reading, or jump straight to what you need →
The 5 types of brand deals for musicians
Most musicians only think of sponsored posts. The bigger money usually sits in licensing a song you already have.
| Deal type | What you give | What you get | Who decides |
|---|---|---|---|
| Music in ads | A licence to use your song with picture | A one-off fee per campaign, set by usage, term and territory | Music supervisors and ad agencies |
| Sponsored posts | Content on your channels, clearly labeled | A fee per post or per campaign | Brand social and influencer teams |
| Ambassador roles | Your name and face over months | A retainer, product and campaign fees | Brand partnership managers |
| Brand-funded shows | Performances at brand events or tours | Show fees and production support | Event and experiential agencies |
| Custom songs | A new song or jingle written to a brief | A creative fee, sometimes plus licensing | Ad agencies and music houses |
Fees depend on the brand, the media, the term and the territory. Have a music lawyer review any deal before you sign.
Which brands use music like yours?
Start with brands whose ads already sound like you, because a music supervisor is far more likely to say yes to a song that fits the sound a brand already uses.
| Your genre | Brands that used it in ads |
|---|---|
| Pop | Apple, Target, Samsung, Old Navy, Spotify, Google |
| Hip-Hop/Rap | Beats by Dre, Apple, Google, ESPN, Gatorade, Walmart |
| Rock/Alternative | Taco Bell, Apple, T-Mobile, Jeep, Honda, Samsung |
| R&B | Apple, Spotify, Amazon, Google, Target, Verizon |
| Country | Ram Trucks, Applebee's, Apple, Spotify, Amazon, Jeep |
| Electronic/Dance | Apple, Old Navy, Pepsi, Google, Lexus, Volvo |
| Latin | Walmart, Apple, Coca-Cola, JBL, Nissan, T-Mobile |
| Indie/Folk | Jeep, Microsoft, Coca-Cola, Ford, Marshalls, Nike |
| Soul/Funk | Walmart, Amazon, Applebee's, Google, Nike, Corona |
| Classic/Oldies | Apple, Amazon, Google, Airbnb, Toyota, Heineken |
Ranked by how many different songs in that genre each brand has used. Sync Match library, updated October 23, 2026.
500+ brands that license music for their ads
Every brand here has used a licensed song in a commercial. Paste your song into Sync Match to see which ones fit your sound.
500+ brands
Brands that have used licensed songs in their commercials, from the Sync Match library. Logos are trademarks of their owners, shown for identification only; no affiliation or endorsement is implied.
Sync Match · free to try
Your genre is on the list. Is your song?
Paste a Spotify link. Our AI listens, finds real commercials with music that sounds like yours, and shows the people behind those brands.
- SongYour song
- Matching adsAds that sound like it
- Who to pitchWho to pitch
Real songs in recent commercials
These are real placements from the Sync Match library: brand-new singles and decades-old hits, across genres. Tap to watch the ad.
Volkswagen
2026 · Hip-Hop/Rap
The Great Invitation: Drivers Wanted
"Jump Around" – House of Pain
Pepsi
2026 · Rock/Alternative
The Choice
"I Want to Break Free" – Queen
Amazon
2025 · Country
Lillie's of Charleston
"Ring of Fire" – Johnny Cash
McDonald's
2026 · Electronic/Dance
Now We’ve Won
"Von dutch" – Charli xcx
Starbucks
2026 · R&B
Protein Never Tasted So Good: Caramel Protein Lattes
"Level Up" – Ciara
Verizon
2025 · Latin
Ufff: Maluma: iPhone 17 Pro
"Chantaje" – Shakira Featuring Maluma
Microsoft
2025 · Indie/Folk
Meet the Computer You Can Talk To: Portfolio
"A-Punk" – Vampire Weekend
Sync Match · free to try
Could your song be the next ad?
Every song above was picked by a music supervisor. See which brands would pick yours, because the right match is half the pitch.
- SongYour song
- Matching adsAds that sound like it
- Who to pitchWho to pitch
Sync Match data
New songs or old songs: what brands actually license
Brands don't only chase new releases. About 1 in 3 songs in commercials were brand-new, but about 1 in 3 were 20+ years old.
- were brand-new
33%
were brand-new
released the same year as the ad, or the year before
- were 10+ years old
42%
were 10+ years old
about 1 in 3 were 20+ years old
- median song age
5 years
median song age
between release and the ad airing
- were used by 2+ brands
13%
were used by 2+ brands
one song, several campaigns
Share of songs in commercials in the Sync Match library, updated October 23, 2026. Cite as: Virtual Publicist, Sync Match library.
Who decides which music a brand uses
Brands rarely pick songs themselves. The decision sits with a small group of people, and Virtual Publicist shows you who worked with which brands.
100+Music supervisors
choose and clear songs for ads, TV and film
Worked with
150+Sync & licensing pros
at publishers, labels and music houses
Worked with
100+Ad & creative agencies
the teams that make the campaigns
Worked with
400+ people with public brand credits. Names and the brands each person worked with are inside Virtual Publicist.
See who they areSync Match · free to try
Meet the people behind the brands
Match your song first, then see the supervisors and agencies who worked on those campaigns.
- SongYour song
- Matching adsAds that sound like it
- Who to pitchWho to pitch
How do musicians get brand deals?
You get brand deals by making one song easy to say yes to, then pitching the people who choose music for brands. Clear your rights, prepare an instrumental, find the brands whose ads already sound like you, and send a short, specific pitch to the right music supervisor or agency.
Work through this in order, because each step makes the next pitch easier to accept:
- Pick one or two songs that sound like ads you already see in your genre
- Confirm who owns the recording and the song, and get co-writers and features cleared in writing
- Export a clean version, an instrumental and a 30-second edit
- Run the song through Sync Match to see which brands have used music like it
- Pitch the music supervisor or agency behind those campaigns, one person at a time
- Follow up once after a week, then move on to the next brand
Do you need a big following to get a brand deal?
You don't need a big following to get your music into an ad. Brands license songs for how they sound and how fast they clear, not for follower counts. Sponsored posts and ambassador roles are different: there, the brand is paying for your audience, so reach and engagement matter.
What is the difference between a brand deal and sync licensing?
The main difference between a brand deal and sync licensing is scope. Sync licensing gives a brand the right to use your existing song with picture. A brand deal is any paid partnership with a brand, so licensing your song to an ad is one kind of brand deal among several.
How much do brand deals pay musicians?
Brand deal fees vary more than almost anything in music, because they depend on the brand's size, where the ad runs, for how long, in which countries and whether it's exclusive. A national TV campaign pays far more than a regional social cut. Ask for usage, term, territory and exclusivity before you quote.
Are new songs or old songs used more in ads?
Brands use both. In the Sync Match library, 33% of songs in commercials came out the same year as the ad or the year before, and 42% were 10 or more years old. The median song was 5 years old when the ad aired, so a song keeps its brand value for years.
What should a pitch to a brand include?
A good brand pitch fits on a phone screen. Name the campaign or brand you're thinking of, include one private streaming link, say in one line what the song is (genre, mood, tempo), and confirm you control the rights. Offer the instrumental and say whether you're one-stop.
Do I have to label a sponsored post as an ad?
Yes. If a brand pays you, sends free products or you have any other connection to it, US rules say your post must clearly disclose that relationship. Put the disclosure where people will see it, such as "#ad" or "Paid partnership" at the start of the caption.
Key terms
- Brand deal
- Any paid partnership between you and a brand: your song in an ad, sponsored posts, an ambassador role, a show or a custom song.
- Sync licence
- Permission to pair your music with picture — an ad, a show, a film or a game. It covers the song and the recording.
- Master
- The recording itself. Whoever owns the recording, you or your label, licenses the master.
- Composition
- The song — melody and lyrics. The writers or their publisher license it.
- One-stop
- A track where one person can clear the master and the composition in a single yes. Brands love one-stop tracks because they're fast.
- Music supervisor
- The person who finds, pitches internally and clears the music for an ad, show or film.
- Usage, term and territory
- Where the ad runs (TV, online, social), for how long, and in which countries. Together they set the fee.
- Exclusivity
- A promise not to license the same song to a competing brand, or at all, for a period. It should raise the fee.
Sync Match · free to try
Find your next brand deal
Start with one song, because one well-matched pitch beats a hundred random ones. Sync Match shows the brands and the people to pitch.
- SongYour song
- Matching adsAds that sound like it
- Who to pitchWho to pitch
Keep going
Virtual Publicist editorial team
Updated October 23, 2026 · Data from the Sync Match commercials library, refreshed weekly · Editorial standards
Sources
- U.S. Copyright Office: Circular 56A — musical works vs sound recordings, and who usually owns each
- FTC: Disclosures 101 for social media influencers — when and how to label paid brand posts
Brand names and logos belong to their owners and appear only to show which brands have used licensed music; no affiliation or endorsement is implied. This page is general information, not legal advice. Have a music lawyer review any deal before you sign.