The music licensing blind spot in social media marketing
Social media marketer’s willingness to jump onto a musical trend may cost them millions, if they don’t adhere to the laws. Amaury Treguer, co-founder of Bread Agency, explains.
Cookie chain Crumbl just learned the expensive reality of music copyright the hard way. Warner Music Group’s recent lawsuit demanding $24 million over 159 allegedly unlicensed tracks used in social campaigns shows how quickly viral content can turn into legal nightmares.
This case isn’t unique. Major labels have been escalating enforcement across industries, with settlements and lawsuits reaching tens of millions when brands use popular music without proper clearance.
For brands hoping to boost their visibility with the latest TikTok trend, the message couldn’t be clearer — following the crowd is not a legal defence, and the financial consequences are becoming impossible to ignore.
We wrote to Amaury to thank him for shining a light on the often-overlooked complexities of music licensing for brands, a timely and important conversation. We look forward to meeting with him on his return to Australia to continue the discussion.
To protect your brand, we would gently caution brands against relying on Point 5 in the article suggesting AI-generated music as a “copyright-free” option, as it can actually carry significant legal and reputational risks.
A safer, purpose-built and fully licensed alternative is production music – affordable and specifically designed for commercial use.
AMPAL is the peak body for music publishers in Australia and New Zealand. We appreciate that getting the use of music right can appear complex, and are happy to offer guidance to users looking to better understand how best to use music when it’s for commercial purposes: info@ampal.com.au