Music licensing has always been a complex legal landscape, but in 2025, brands are facing tighter restrictions and greater scrutiny than ever before. With copyright lawsuits on the rise and new regulations reshaping the industry, businesses must be more proactive about compliance or risk severe financial and reputational consequences.
In this article, we explore the key factors driving stricter music licensing rules and understand why brands must rethink their content creation approach to avoid legal pitfalls.
The Surge in Copyright Lawsuits
In recent years, major corporations have been hit with high-profile copyright lawsuits, reinforcing the costly risks of non-compliance. From Peloton’s $150 million lawsuit in 2019 to similar cases like Sony Music suing Marriott Hotels and multiple NBA teams facing infringement claims, rights holders are becoming more aggressive in protecting their intellectual property.
This increase in litigation has set a clear precedent: copyright owners are not hesitating to take legal action, and courts are siding with them. As a result, regulators and industry leaders are tightening enforcement measures, making it even more essential for brands to ensure full compliance.
AI-Generated Content & Copyright Challenges
The rise of AI-generated music and synthetic content has introduced further complications to the legal landscape. AI tools, creating music that mimics copyrighted works, pushes rights holders to demand stricter protections to prevent unauthorized use and ensure fair compensation for original creators.
As even more guidelines continue to emerge in 2025, demanding that brands verify the source of their music and confirming that AI-generated tracks do not infringe upon existing copyrights, businesses must be more diligent than ever when selecting music for their content.
Stronger Global Copyright Regulations
In a legislative context, global governments and industry groups are tightening copyright laws to address modern challenges in digital content creation. For exammple, the EU Copyright Directive, which set a precedent for stricter licensing requirements, has inspired similar policies in the US and other regions.
For brands operating on a global scale, this means navigating an increasingly complex web of licensing regulations. What’s legally acceptable in one country may not be in another, requiring businesses to adopt a more strategic approach to ensure compliance across all markets.
Learn more about navigating global copyright regulations here.
Increased Industry Pressure from Music Rights Holders
As a result of the issues mentioned above, major music publishers and record labels are lobbying for stronger enforcement of music licensing laws. Their goal is to maximize royalty revenues and prevent unauthorized use of their catalogs—leading to fewer licensing loopholes and more aggressive action against infringement.
As a result, brands are under greater pressure to prove compliance, with streaming platforms, social media sites, and digital advertisers implementing stricter content ID systems and automated rights detection tools. These systems make it nearly impossible to get away with using unlicensed music, forcing businesses to be more cautious than ever.
How Brands Can Ensure Effective Music Licensing
With music licensing regulations growing tighter, forward-thinking brands must take a proactive approach to compliance. This is where MatchTune's AI-powered solutions like Rights Lookup and Studio Lite can help creators and businesses stay ahead of these changes:
Rights Lookup is an AI-powered solution for managing music compliance in brand video content.
It scans owned platforms, social media, and third-party channels to track where a video appears and detect soon-to-expire or already expired music.
When a problematic track is identified, Rights Lookup analyzes the video and replaces the non-compliant music with a similar, perpetually licensed alternative from MatchTune’s catalog of over 3 million high-quality tracks.
Studio Lite streamlines music selection by automatically sourcing and syncing the perfect licensed song to video content, eliminating the need for manual searching and synchronization.
By leveraging AI-driven tools, brands can avoid legal risks, simplify the licensing process, and focus on creating impactful content without the fear of copyright violations.
Is your brand prepared for stricter music licensing rules in 2025? Contact MatchTune today to future-proof your content strategy.