New Study Proves What Creatives Have Always Felt:
Music Isn’t a “Nice-to-Have” – It’s a Massive ROI Multiplier
A huge new research project from MassiveMusic and the IPA just landed, and honestly?
It should change how agencies think about music forever.
This wasn’t a vibe survey.
It wasn’t “do people like music in ads?” (spoiler: yes).
This was a 7,500-participant, 150-ad, implicit-response, neural-level study measuring how music affects actual business outcomes: ROMI, price sensitivity, brand fame, long-term effects — the stuff CMOs care about but creatives are rarely given credit for driving.
And the results are staggering.
Music isn’t background.
Music isn’t seasoning.
Music is one of the strongest, most reliable drivers of commercial performance in the creative toolkit — and most brands and agencies are using it way too late, way too lightly, or way too safely.
Here’s what the study proves…
1. Music can boost marketing ROI by an average of 32% – sometimes more than 100%.
Highly engaging music delivered a ROMI index of 724 vs. the 100-point baseline.
That’s 8.2× the ROI of the average campaign.
2. When music fits the visuals, consumers become nearly 7× more willing to pay more.
High-fit soundtracks created a 65%+ chance of major price sensitivity reduction, compared to ~10% for poor-fit music.
Fit = value.
Value = margin.
Margin = clients love you.
3. Surprising music makes ads 5× more likely to achieve brand fame.
Creative, unexpected tracks massively outperform traditional choices in upper-funnel metrics.
Surprise drives memorability, attention, and distinctiveness — the ingredients of cultural impact.
4. Highly recallable music makes your brand 4× more effective at staying top-of-mind.
Top-recognition tracks delivered a 4.5× increase in brand salience.
And the most recallable music source?
Re-records — statistically outperforming licensed, bespoke, and library tracks.
So What Does This Mean for Agencies?
It means two things:
1. Music is not post. Music is strategy.
The study makes it painfully clear:
You only unlock these effects if the music is considered early — not as the thing you figure out in week six of the edit.
2. Creative bravery pays off.
Surprise, emotional engagement, and long-term fit all yield commercial returns.
The safe choice is the expensive choice.
The Big Picture
This study finally quantifies what intuitive creatives have known for decades:
Music isn’t just the heart of the ad.
It’s the engine of its effectiveness.
And the brands that treat music as a strategic asset (not a late-stage checkbox) win in both the short and the long term.
If you want the full report or want to talk about how to apply these insights to your next campaign, let’s talk.