The Content Shift: How Brands are Adapting in 2026
How AI, human creativity, and compliance are setting content creation trends for brands.
The state of brand content in 2026
Epidemic Sound’s new report, The Content Shift: How Brands are Adapting in 2026, explores what the future of brand content looks like. Based on research on 500 brands in the UK and US, the findings reveal a landscape defined by pressure and uncertainty. Brands are being pushed to produce more, faster, and across more channels than ever before. AI has raised the stakes, but confidence in its output hasn’t kept pace.
The research is clear on what drives success. 72% of brands say human-made content is now a premium, and 83% say human-made sound strengthens emotional connection with audiences. As AI reshapes how content is made and distributed, human creativity is becoming more valuable, not less. This report exposes the gap at the heart of brand content in 2026, and charts the path to closing it.
Key findings: AI adoption and trust don’t add up
Brands are producing more content than ever, across more channels, and at greater speed. AI is central to making that happen. The technology is being adopted, but confidence is lacking; the gap between those two things is where the real risk lies.
90% of brands feel pressure to use AI, but only 56% believe it meets quality expectations. Over half have experienced copyright or takedown issues in the past 24 months, and 83% are concerned their past use of music and sound wouldn’t withstand a formal audit.
Content production is scaling. The foundations are not.
79% of brands say music drives engagement and revenue
In an era defined by AI, human creativity has never mattered more. 83% of brands say music created by human artists strengthens emotional connection, and 72% say human-made content is now a premium.
The call for real music goes beyond just the output: 97% say fair and transparent compensation for human artists is an important consideration when choosing a music or sound provider. This chapter explores why music is a business priority for brands in 2026, and how the demand for human creativity impacts how they source and use sound.
90% of brands feel pressure to use AI. Only 56% trust the output
The pressure to adopt AI is near universal, especially at leadership level. But enthusiasm at the top doesn’t translate to confidence across the organization. Quality concerns, unclear copyright ownership, and reputational risk are all holding brands back. This chapter maps the confidence gap between AI adoption and AI readiness, and details what responsible, effective AI use looks like for brand and marketing teams.
56% of brands have experienced copyright or takedown issues in the past 24 months
Licensing has always been complex. AI is making it more so. Lawsuits targeting unlicensed, AI-generated music are escalating, and brands feel more than just legal pressure. 80% of C-level executives agree that transparent AI use throughout the creative process increases trust; 95% say it is essential, in at least some cases, for audiences to know whether content is human-made or AI-generated.
Yet those expectations sit alongside a significant compliance gap. 56% of brands have experienced copyright or takedown issues in the past 24 months, and 83% are concerned their past use of music and sound wouldn't withstand a formal audit. Only 34% prioritise fully licensed providers, and 44% still rely on informal guidelines or have no clear process at all. This chapter examines the state of licensing readiness among brands today, and why getting it right is no longer optional.
The next phase for brands is solving the AI confidence gap
The Content Shift: How Brands are Adapting in 2026 makes one thing clear: the brands that succeed will be those treating creative ambition and operational confidence as complementary, not competing, priorities.
That means using AI to accelerate workflows without losing quality. Treating rights clarity as a foundation for scale, rather than a final check before launch. Leaning into the human creativity, taste, and uniqueness that make great work even greater. The brands getting this right today won’t just avoid risk. They’ll define what brand content looks like tomorrow.
- The content shift is already happening. Find out what it means for your brand.
Methodology
The Content Shift: How Brands are Adapting in 2026
The survey was conducted among 500 brands across the UK and US. The interviews were conducted online by Sapio Research in March–April 2026 using an email invitation and an online survey.
Sapio Research is a B Corp Certified full-service market research agency. Sapio Research is an MRS Company Partner, and employs members of, and abides by, the MRS Code of Conduct and ESOMAR principles.
About Epidemic Sound
Epidemic Sound is the leading soundtracking platform for content creation, helping brands take their content to the next level with human-made music, Hollywood-grade sound effects, AI-enhanced workflows, and globally cleared licensing.