Tami Hurwitz

Global vp of marketing and growth

Amazon Music

Amazon’s splashiest 2024 music-­branding moment was a July commercial starring Megan Thee Stallion, who showed her contractual support for Prime Day with an original track titled “It’s Prime Day” (available on Amazon Music, of course). The online retailer also released exclusive merchandise for her arena tour and promoted her MEGAN album. “With Amazon’s reach and diverse businesses, we are unique in our ability to help artists grow their own brand,” Hurwitz says. After Thursday Night Football, for example, the streaming service aired concert series Amazon Music Live, with performances by Jelly Roll, Halsey, Gunna, TWICE and others. The company also produced several festival livestreams, including Vive Latino in Mexico City last March and Primavera Sound in Barcelona in May.

Bess Spaeth

Executive vp of global brand management and experiences

Shiz Suzuki

Vp of global brand sponsorships and experiential marketing

American Express

Suzuki, an Amex and AT&T branding vet who has partnered with AEG, Coachella and artists over the years, spent much of 2024 teaming with Billie Eilish and FINNEAS on merch pop-ups, album-­listening sessions, exclusive video content showing how the duo came up with “Birds of a Feather” and ticket presales for the Hit Me Hard and Soft tour. “Partnering with an artist in multiple ways across their music cycle lets us make fans’ experience that much better when they’re with Amex,” Suzuki says. The company also sponsored international shows and a Keith Urban-Train double bill at a PGA West golf tournament in La Quinta, Calif., in January. Amex is trying to reach “the next generation of music fans,” Spaeth says, “in places where their passion for music intersects, like sports.”

Ronnie Yoked

Head of experiential marketing

Anheuser-Busch

Anheuser-Busch brand Bud Light has worked with Post Malone since 2017, and in 2024, they teamed for “A Night in Nashville” — a live show providing 1,500 fans with an exclusive first listen to his first country album, F-1 Trillion. “To share the experience with millions of fans worldwide, we debuted an exclusive cut of his then-unreleased track ‘Yours,’ offering a glimpse into this landmark moment,” Yoked says. It wasn’t “just a celebration of music,” she explains. “It was a testament” to the artist and brand’s combined “commitment to creating unforgettable moments for fans everywhere.”

Matt Plotnik

Global head of marketing, Apple Music, Apple Podcasts and Shazam

Apple

By sponsoring Super Bowl halftime shows including Usher in 2024 and Kendrick Lamar in 2025, Apple has stamped its brand onto music’s biggest stage. For Lamar’s performance — the most viewed in history — Apple sponsored a preshow press conference and sent key personalities Zane Lowe and Ebro Darden to New Orleans for four days of Lamar-­focused programming. The halftime show is the tech giant’s third straight partnership with the NFL and Jay-Z’s management company, Roc Nation, which, Plotnik says, is focused on being “absolutely bespoke to whoever that headliner is to make sure we’re representing their voice and their vision.” Famous for integrating musicians into commercials and other marketing, from Gorillaz’ “Feel Good Inc.” in a 2005 iPod ad to The Weeknd’s “Dancing in the Flames” for the iPhone 16 Pro last year, Apple is “focused on providing artists with the platform and tools to get their music and message out to the world,” Plotnik says.

Jamie Williams Cooper

Global vp of brand public relations and influence

BacardÍ

Last April, Bacardí Rum signed Camila Cabello to a two-year partnership, including what Cooper calls a “360 campaign” featuring the pop star’s single “I LUV IT” in brand commercials, as well as releasing a limited-edition bioplastic vinyl single derived from sugarcane and Bacardí videos explaining the process of creating it. Bacardí also renewed a multiyear partnership with Becky G, who launched the company’s Patrón Cristalino tequila last September at a Los Angeles event. And during the holidays, Bacardí’s D’Ussé cognac installed a QR code inside gift boxes that unlocked an augmented reality DJ performance with producer Hit-Boy. “It served as the perfect example of how music and cocktails can naturally intersect,” says Cooper, who has worked at Bacardí for about eight years. “Finding authentic collaborations for our brands through the lens of music has allowed us to connect with more new drinkers than ever before.”

Jim Mollica

Chief marketing officer

Bose

Bose distinguished itself in the crowded earbuds/headphones space with a June commercial that featured a Little Simz synch and placements starring Blackpink’s Lisa, singer Tyla and singer-rapper Don Toliver. In 2023, the 60-plus-year-old music-tech company launched a “Turn the Dial” initiative that featured H.E.R., PinkPantheress, Laufey and others to raise awareness that just 2.8% of the world’s music is produced by women (a statistic reported by the University of Southern California’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, which examined producer credits from 2012 to 2022). “Passionate fans blend genres and follow subgenres. Our goal is to reach consumers who love music regardless of what they listen to,” Mollica says. “If they have deep appreciation for high-quality audio and the emotional power music can have, we want to connect with them.”

Marc Mentry

Chief brand officer/executive vp of brand marketing

Capital One

The banking and credit card conglomerate teamed with Taylor Swift and Ticketmaster for the final U.S. leg of The Eras Tour to offer access to ticket presales for certain cardholders and a contest to win free tickets. The company partnered with iHeartRadio for its Jingle Ball tour (Katy Perry, Benson Boone, Teddy Swims) and music festival (Keith Urban, Doja Cat, Shaboozey) and presented JamFest (Mumford & Sons, The Black Keys, Nathaniel Rateliff), which took place during the NCAA’s March Madness tournament. It’s also a sponsor of NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest and subsequent tour. “We look for partners who care deeply about their fans and are willing to collaborate on unique, ‘money can’t buy’ experiences like private concerts, meet-and-greets and consumer activations,” says Mentry, a 26-year Capital One veteran who has worked in marketing, advertising and product development.

Catherine Ferdon

Chief marketing officer

Zack Ashley

Global head of brand partnerships

Mark Novack

Head of music partnerships

Cash App

Kendrick Lamar and SZA partnered with Cash App in December for ticket sales to their spring 2025 tour, which included heavily marketed discounts on merch, food and drink at the shows for holders of the company’s prepaid Visa debit card. (Lamar also worked with Cash App in conjunction with his Juneteenth The Pop Out: Ken & Friends show last year in Los Angeles.) The company collaborated with Sabrina Carpenter to create coffee-shop pop-ups — including branded merch and menu items — in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles and issued a Carpenter-designed debit card. Cash App also promoted its “Invest in yourself” tagline through a commercial starring rapper Doechii, who talked about her investments, budgets and financial goals. “We’re looking to partner with financial role models and artists who take an interest in educating their fans on smart financial choices,” Ferdon says.

Alex Craddock

Chief marketing and content officer

Citi

In September, Citi revived its Citi Sound Vault program, which had been on hiatus since the pandemic, with hip-hop star Jack Harlow at the Brooklyn Paramount. The show “welcomed 2,800 fans including card members, press and invited guests for an unforgettable night of music celebrating the Citi Strata Premier card,” Craddock says. Past Citi Sound Vault concerts featured artists such as Coldplay, Madonna, P!nk, Metallica and Eminem. Craddock’s advice for artists who want to work with brand partners is to focus on their music. “As you build your fan base through clubs, festivals, social channels and other platforms, stay faithful to who you are as a person and as an artist,” he says. “We’re always looking for rising talent, and who knows? Someday we could work together.”

Joshua Burke

Global head of music and culture marketing

The Coca-Cola Co.

Working with Universal Music Group’s brands division and Spotify’s music consultancy, the soft-drink giant spent 2024 expanding its Coke Studio concept, which launched in Brazil more than 18 years ago and became famous in Pakistan.” Today, the company says, the resulting music video-slash-commercials — which feature plenty of red-and-white can imagery — have generated more than 5 billion views on various platforms. Recent productions include Tyla’s “Tears,” Peggy Gou’s “Find the Way” and Karol G’s “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido.” Meanwhile, the company’s Sprite Limelight activation worked with production duo Take a Daytrip to record video content with artists such as Doechii and Fireboy DML and post it on Sprite’s 963,000-subscriber YouTube channel. “By moving away from standard advertising campaigns and instead co-creating meaningful experiences with artists and music partners, we’ve been able to deliver greater value for everyone involved,” Burke says, adding that Coke emphasizes music discovery: “We are particularly passionate about empowering the future music creators.”

Jesse Damashek

Senior vp of whiskey portfolio, North America

Karen Harris

Acting senior vp of tequila and mezcal, North America

Tracy Doyle

Senior vp of brands in culture

diageo

Diageo spent 2024 aggressively linking its familiar liquor brands to artists and splashy music events: Tequila Don Julio worked with Sony Music and Spotify to sponsor private concerts with singer-songwriter Christian Nodal and held a pre-Super Bowl dueling-pianos event on Bourbon Street with an electronic boost from DJs John Summit and Dom Dolla. Smirnoff vodka was a sponsor at last year’s Grammy Awards, and Crown Royal was the official whiskey for Kane Brown’s In the Air country tour. Citing Diageo’s support for regional Mexican artists, Harris says: “We are always looking for ways to highlight authentic, modern Mexican art and storytelling, and music has proven to be an impactful tool for connecting with consumers.” Doyle, a four-year Diageo executive, adds, “We’re embracing nostalgia and partnering with top names in the music industry to create a dynamic fusion of old and new.”

Emily Levy

Director of music, talent and influencer

Epic Games

Fortnite, which conquered the 2020 shelter-in-place phase of the pandemic with an in-game Travis Scott concert that drew more than 12 million players, continued its pop-star partnership program last year. In November, as part of its promotion of the Chapter 2 Remix season of Fortnite Battle Royale, the game livestreamed a Times Square performance by Ice Spice and Snoop Dogg. Later, it premiered the late Juice WRLD’s “Empty Out Your Pockets” video. These efforts helped the Remix: The Finale concert event draw more than 14 million concurrent players. In addition to live events and album and single debuts, artists employ Fortnite “to create social spaces or music-enabled experiences that simply could not exist anywhere else,” Levy says. “In Fortnite, artists are able to interact with existing and new fans in a really authentic way at an unprecedented scale.” Among the participating artists in the game’s music events, including Fortnite Festival, over the past year have been Billie Eilish, Lady Gaga, The Weeknd, Karol G and Metallica.

Calvin Leung

Head of creative, Gap brand

Gap

Janet Jackson’s 1997 hit “Together Again” was the biggest star in Gap’s 2024 holiday campaign, which featured an eight-person a cappella choir of “emerging talents in the community,” Leung says, including PawPaw Rod and Lamont Landers. Other memorable (and more heavily choreographed) spots: Troye Sivan leading a fleet of dancers in white T-shirts and baggy jeans to Thundercat’s 2020 song “Funny Thing” and Tyla doing the same with Jungle’s 2023 track “Back on 74.” “Almost all of our campaign music went viral this year, which helped us reach new audiences and be a part of the cultural conversation,” says Leung, whose company has worked with top music stars such as Madonna, LL COOL J and Childish Gambino for decades. “Music has always been at the heart of our brand, and we challenged ourselves not to just make the obvious choices, but to make the smart ones.”

aaron Simon

Vp of global partnerships

Harman International

Harman, including its audio-component division, JBL, scored more than 100 partnerships in 2024 — among them, a collaboration with singer-songwriter Madison Beer for exclusive content made with the company’s headphones and other technology, and the second edition of the Martin Garrix & JBL Music Academy for emerging musicians. (Garrix is a brand ambassador.) JBL Fest, starring Beer, rapper-athlete Flau’jae Johnson and DJ duo Two Friends, played at New York venues, and Harman provided JBL’s newest-generation VTX A-Series loudspeakers for a complete upgrade of the sound system at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The latter project is part of an “ongoing partnership,” as Simon calls it, with promoter AEG, providing “professional audio experiences” to “align our iconic JBL brand with the world’s largest owner of sports teams and events.” Harman’s target audience, Simon adds, “enjoys a wide range of music genres,” which he can relate to, because “I have finally become a fan of K-pop in 2024.”

Mark Weinstein

Chief marketing officer

Hilton

Since the days of John Lennon scrawling the lyrics to “Imagine” on hotel stationery at the Hilton Midtown and Keith Richards writing the “Satisfaction” riff at Hilton London — not to mention Keith Moon and other rockers trashing their rooms — hotels have been synonymous with music. Which is a concept Hilton leveraged last year through its Stay in the Music program. It offered hospitality and pop-up stages at Hilton properties to rising indie singer-songwriters like RAYE and Becky Hill, who also appeared in ads and social media clips. The hotelier is a major player during Grammy week, hosting record mogul Clive Davis’ annual party at The Beverly Hilton and, in February 2024, an intimate pre-awards show by eventual best traditional pop album winner Laufey. The company also partners with Red Light Management, Universal Music Group and the Wasserman agency on private concerts and unique experiences, such as a Dave Matthews wine-tasting and a Teddy Swims rooftop performance. “Music is such a critical part of our fan-engagement strategy,” Weinstein says.

Megan Amic

Manager/head of media, American Honda

honda

Although Honda isn’t as active in music branding as it was during the years of its star-studded Civic Tour, which promoted such acts as Fall Out Boy and Kelly Clarkson, the automaker’s long-running Honda Stage program continues to draw rising talent to its intimate setting. In December, singer Amirah performed her single “Away From Me” shortly before it came out, with her producer, Mustard, accompanying her on acoustic guitar. Mustard did an interview on Honda Stage’s YouTube channel shortly after that, drawing 931,000 views, “at a point in his career when his star power was undeniable, after he took on a producer role for Kendrick Lamar’s GNX,” says Amic, a former NBCUniversal Media media director who helped launch The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. In addition to Honda Stage, which has recently featured singer Maeta and a duet between singer Lila Iké and Afrobeats producer Davido, the company sponsors Austin City Limits, Head in the Clouds and other festivals.

Peter Taylor

Vp of network partnerships

Hulu

Hulu has doubled down on the festival livestream space, partnering with the promoters of Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits, Bonnaroo and iHeartMedia for its Country Music Festival and iHeartRadio Music Festival. The streaming service, which boasts 50 million subscribers, incorporates on-site interviews and interstitials as well as festival highlights and onstage views that bring fans closer to the action. “Our focus on festivals puts our viewers on location when they’d love to be there but can’t,” Taylor says. “We want to deliver an experience to music fans that puts them in the mix, feeling the live-music vibe in real time.”

Greg Luehrs

Director of sponsorship and events

Loni Gray

Brand director

Michelle Sauer

Brand manager

Jack Daniel’s

Shaboozey’s lyric “Me and Jack Daniel’s got a history,” from his 2024 smash “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” led to a partnership between the artist and his management company, Range Music, and the iconic Tennessee whiskey brand. It played out in different ways: tour sponsorship, a corporate-spokesman role for Shaboozey and the singer’s appearances in videos touring Jack Daniel’s distilleries. “It’s been fun to watch Jack Daniel’s go where Shaboozey goes,” Gray says. In April, the whiskey-maker also launched Jack’s Garage, a pop-up stage at Formula 1 races featuring stars such as Brothers Osborne, T-Pain and, yes, Shaboozey. “We’re always eager to partner with folks who know who their fan is and understand where a partnership can add value,” Sauer says.

Carla Zakhem-Hassan

Global chief marketing officer

JPMorganChase

The financial services giant spent 2024 investing in “a series of remarkable music experiences,” Zakhem-Hassan says. They included Zedd’s private DJ lessons at Lollapalooza, Marc Roberge’s surprise performance at the brand’s Oceans Calling Festival VIP lounge for Chase cardholders and a $1-per-ticket promotion for a J. Cole show at Madison Square Garden in New York. The company also maintained its long-standing MSG partnership, including the Chase Lounge, where Kelsea Ballerini did a meet-and-greet. “We’re looking for collaborations that align with our brand values, bring big ideas to the table and help us push the boundaries of creativity,” Zakhem-­Hassan says. “We strive to understand what matters to an artist and seek authentic ways to grow together.”

Russell Wager

Vp of marketing

Kia america

The automaker, which owns naming rights for Los Angeles’ Kia Forum and Orlando, Fla.’s Kia Center, provides what Wager calls “unforgettable ‘surprise and delight’ moments” for VIPs at the venues’ Kia Clubs. “We elevate the experience for Kia owners with exclusive access to music-themed spaces, hospitality and activations,” he says. Although Kia mostly focused its music-branding efforts on those venues in 2024, the company emphasizes “something for everyone, ensuring a connection with diverse audiences,” Wager adds. “We’re particularly drawn to artists who embody a strong will and determination — values that mirror Kia’s journey as a brand.”

Megan McKenzie

Head of U.S. marketing and marketing communications

Lincoln

Last May, Lincoln soundtracked an ad for its new Nautilus SUV with an electronic track by two producers from the commercial-music team Heavy Duty Projects, and online viewers spontaneously started a grassroots campaign to figure out the song’s title. After a Reddit “sleuthing effort,” as McKenzie calls it, Lincoln revealed it to be “Kaleidoscope Bliss (The Nautilus Song),” complete with a video that has racked up 40,000 YouTube views. (“I am going to continue my search for this Catchy Song, if it takes me to my last day’s,” one redditor posted.) “We were pleasantly surprised that this track would resonate so deeply with diverse audiences,” says McKenzie, a 14-year Lincoln employee who previously worked at Lincoln’s parent company, Ford. Over the years, Lincoln has featured artists such as Harry Connick Jr. and Gary Clark Jr. in its ads, using such collaborations to “highlight our dedication to weaving music into our brand identity,” McKenzie adds.

Mike Cessario

CEO

Liquid Death

Nearly four years after Live Nation and other partners invested $15 million in the canned water company marketed with punk-and-metal imagery and gallows humor advertising, Liquid Death remains the official water brand for most of the top promoter’s venues and festivals. Its Liquid Death Greatest Hates, Vol. 3 album, released in 2024 with collaborations from skateboard hero Tony Hawk and others, created ’80s-style pop music out of online haters’ comments about the brand. “Worst Name for a Water Company” is the opening track. The brand also collaborated with Depend in December on a black, goth-looking “pit diaper” for music fans who don’t want to miss a minute of a concert. “Fans of all genres drink water and iced tea,” Cessario says, adding, “even a nonmetal fan can think the concept of a pit diaper is funny.” It’s not surprising, then, when Cessario says artists will succeed in partnering with Liquid Death if they are “down to not take [themselves] too seriously and make something hilarious.”

Jamie Rath

White Claw brand director

Kevin Brady

Vp of marketing

Mark Anthony Brands

Last July’s White Claw Fest wasn’t so much a festival as a virtual reality performance by Charli xcx — “right as she kicked off Brat Summer,” Rath says. Users who aimed their phones at a White Claw product logo launched the pop star’s performance of “360” as a 3D hologram. “We’re actively engaging with our fans to ensure we’re showing up at the festivals and events they care about,” Brady explains. In 2024, these events included the Boston Calling, When We Were Young and Outside Lands festivals; concerts at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado; brand-sponsored “club sessions” performances by Galantis, Two Friends and others; and White Claw Shore Club sets by Shaboozey and Charli xcx at Coachella. “We think about the opportunity here like a variety pack,” Brady says. “There’s something for everyone.”

Peggy Roe

Executive vp/chief customer officer

Marriott International

The hotel chain’s work on Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour “transcended a traditional sponsorship,” says Roe, a 22-year company veteran. Marriott Bonvoy provided Swifties with deals on travel packages, hotels, meals, spa treatments, on-site bracelet-making stations and what Roe calls a “private glam session to get ready for the show.” As an example, a Marriott contest in October offered the winning fan two tickets to Swift’s final show in Vancouver, plus airfare and lodging — a $4,949 value, according to the brand. The hotelier also offered a one-hour, 20-person Los Angeles dance lesson with *NSYNC’s Lance Bass to its roster of celebrity Marriott Bonvoy Moments. “We are most eager to reach music fans whose passion for music drives them to travel near and far,” Roe says.

Raja Rajamannar

Chief marketing and communications officer

mastercard

As part of its renewed live-music strategy, Mastercard formed a partnership with Live Nation to connect cardholders across Europe and Asia-Pacific with exclusive benefits such as early ticket access, VIP experiences and what Rajamannar calls “behind-the-scenes moments.” Mastercard also expanded its presence in venues and festivals across the United States. Through a deal with Live Nation’s Ones To Watch development platform, the credit card giant launched a second year of its Mastercard Artist Accelerator for new artists. “And, in turn,” Rajamannar says, “we’re connecting with their growing fan bases in new, innovative ways.”

Tariq Hassan

Chief marketing and customer experience officer

McDonald’s USA

Even before its 1970s theme “You deserve a break today,” McDonald’s combined music, marketing and advertising. Last year, the fast-food stalwart’s music campaigns were relatively modest, including a low-key synch of “Ooh Wee,” Mark Ronson’s funky 2003 track with Ghostface Killah and Nate Dogg, in a Super Bowl XIV commercial; a synch of Benny Benassi’s 2003 dance hit “Satisfaction” in a December commercial; and a limited-edition Taylor Swift-themed “meal deal” menu in Canada involving chicken sandwiches and friendship bracelets. Dua Lipa and The Killers performed for McDonald’s employees, operators and other stakeholders in Barcelona at the company’s annual convention. “McDonald’s USA continues to focus at placing the brand at the heart of culture,” says Hassan, a marketing and communications vet who previously worked at HP, Bank of America and Petco. Citing the McDonald’s custom playlists on Spotify and other services, he adds: “Our best partnerships are when we’re able to find synergy and elevate an artist’s true fandom of McDonald’s.”

Melody Lee

Chief marketing officer

Mercedes-Benz USA

Last year, Lee helped create an intimate concert series in partnership with Auberge Resorts Collection that featured performances by LeAnn Rimes, Maren Morris and Kate Hudson at three of the latter’s luxury properties. As part of the packages, guests were able to test-drive several Mercedes-Benz vehicles during their stay. Lee also launched The Table, a culinary series that celebrated culture and innovation — where video screens doubled as tabletops — beginning with an event co-hosted by Mercedes brand ambassador Alicia Keys in Los Angeles. The festivities included a performance by Keys’ protégé, Ayoni, who is part of the “Fallin’ ” singer’s She Is the Music nonprofit. “By blending technology, music and culture,” Lee says, “we create experiences that aim to resonate with our audience and underscore our role as a cultural leader in the luxury space.”

Eshan Ponnadurai

Vp of consumer marketing

Meta

In 2024, Meta partnered with Lil Yachty, who added all of his 11.3 million Instagram followers to his Close Friends list, a feature that lets account holders share exclusive content with those who make the cut. The feature is meant to help artists facilitate more intimate connections with their superfans. Billie Eilish used it ahead of the release of Hit Me Hard and Soft, and Meta leveraged the feature’s popularity to create Instagram’s Close Friends Only original series with Megan Thee Stallion and GloRilla, in which the rappers shared “hilarious and intimate anecdotes about their friendship, careers and personal lives,” Ponnadurai says. Meta also collaborated with Dua Lipa on the Add Yours Music sticker that enables users to share tracks from Instagram’s music library. Sabrina Carpenter debuted another feature that allows users to add a song player to their Instagram profile.

Adam Dettman

Head of partnerships, North America

Molson Coors beverage co.

Dettman’s team launched the Coors Light Chill Amplified music platform last year, forming artist partnerships with country star Lainey Wilson, hip-hop icon LL COOL J and indie rockers Mt. Joy, along with 2024 breakout star Shaboozey and reggaetón pioneer Yandel. “We’re looking for artists that enjoy our brands whether backstage or in their backyard,” he says, adding, “We are excited to collaborate with artists that are actively dropping new music and touring, creating cultural moments for brand amplification. We’re also eager to understand what’s important to our artist partners. Knowing what they enjoy helps us identify how our brands can play a role in making those moments even better.”

Shelly Gillyard

Vp of marketing, U.S. and Canada

Netflix

Gillyard’s assertion that Netflix’s Beyoncé Bowl, a Christmas Day livestream performance in her Houston hometown during halftime of the Baltimore Ravens-Houston Texans game, was “the biggest music moment of the year” is not an exaggeration. In addition to the superstar’s entrance on horseback in a bright-white feathered coat, the show — which drew 50 million international viewers­ — starred Post Malone, Shaboozey, the Texans cheerleaders and the singer’s daughter Blue Ivy Carter. “The world was waiting for that performance,” Gillyard says. The streaming service, which reported 302 million subscribers in fourth-quarter 2024, also released a documentary on Olivia Rodrigo’s GUTS tour, a Sabrina Carpenter holiday special, and spun its TV series Outer Banks into a tour featuring the cast and a fan event called Poguelandia, which included a Los Angeles stop with performances by Jungle, GloRilla and Remi Wolf.

Rachel Keeton

Senior brand director

Kat Mata

Director of culture marketing

Pabst Brewing co.

After a seven-year break, Pabst Blue Ribbon brought its two-day Project Pabst festival back to Portland, Ore., last July, starring Denzel Curry, Billy Idol, Big Thief and T-Pain. It’s “what PBR is all about, from the lineup to the affordable beer prices,” Keeton says. The beer company also worked with death metal band Obituary on a branded cooler that was sold at its tour dates and collaborated with illuminati hotties on black-and-white, minimalist punk-style T-shirts and other merch sold at their gigs last fall. Atlanta indie-rockers Lunar Vacation also did a PBR-promoted merch sale for its summer tour, donating some of the proceeds to the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund. “We try to build a connection to music by working with festivals and artists that are relevant to our drinkers,” says Mk.gee fan Mata, who lists punk, metal, hardcore, indie rock, pop-punk and alt-country as genres that go “hand in hand” with the brand.

Geoff Seeley

Chief marketing officer

PayPal

Will Ferrell helped land Fleetwood Mac a synch for its 1987 hit “Everywhere” by arguing with donkeys, children at lemonade stands and grocery store customers in a PayPal commercial last September. (“I want to pay with you everywhere,” he sang.) “This was unlike anything we’ve done before,” Seeley says, “leaning into pop culture icons like Will and Fleetwood Mac to put the brand back on the main stage.” PayPal, which has a long-term Ticketmaster partnership, also boosted its music-business exposure in 2024 by working with the Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo and BottleRock festivals on cash-back offers for certain ticket-buyers. “Our target fan covers all genres,” says the former Cash App and Afterpay marketing executive, who joined the company in February 2024 and also works with its Venmo brand. “Everyone’s a music fan, right? We support the experience we all have with music, whether that’s buying tickets and merchandise or paying your friend back for the drinks they bought.”

Nadine Zylstra

Global head of programming and originals

Pinterest

Pinterest’s growing audience, more than 40% of which is Gen Z and mostly outside the United States, hit over 500 million global monthly visitors last year, and the company partnered with the Coachella music festival last April. A Pinterest Manifest Station located on the festival grounds offered beauty products and accessories chosen by celebrity stylists and artists including Victoria Monét and Ludmilla. The K-pop girl group TWICE curated a holiday gift guide of vlogging cameras, cozy slippers and other items. And Tierra Whack, who used Pinterest to develop the visual aesthetic for her 2024 album, World Wide Whack, unveiled a board on the platform’s new sharing feature for videos on social media sites like Instagram and TikTok. “Fanships large and small find community on Pinterest,” Zylstra says. “We loved the creative ways in which we partnered with artists to reach their fans.”

Ryan Washatka

Senior vp of sports, entertainment and partnerships

Rakuten

The online marketplace leaned heavily into music with its Concert Week promotion with Live Nation, in which Rakuten members received 24-hour early access to $25 concert tickets. The event resulted in a 93% year-over-year increase in account signups and a 161% surge in first-time purchases through the site, according to Washatka. Live Nation, Ticketmaster, StubHub, Vivid Seats and individual concerts by Adele, Bruno Mars, Billie Eilish and others joined Rakuten’s Cash Back program, where customers who purchased tickets from these platforms through the site received a rebate. “The Concert Week partnership is a perfect example of how Rakuten’s expertise in Cash Back and rewards creates value for both our members and partners while fueling business growth,” he says.

Jonathan Mildenhall

Chief marketing officer

Rocket

For its new Own the Dream campaign, the Detroit-based mortgage company “looked at music that could elevate, uplift and unite the country,” Mildenhall says. It landed on John Denver’s classic “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” which was used in the brand’s Super Bowl LIX spot. (And yes, the singalong Mildenhall’s team orchestrated at Caesars Superdome immediately following the 60-second commercial counted as a synch.) As part of Own the Dream, Mildenhall says, Rocket intends to “partner in collaboration with musicians and vocalists in many different sectors of the home-buying population” and predicts the campaign “should, if we govern it correctly, last a minimum of a decade.”

Jordy Freed

Director/head of brand, business development, partner marketing and strategy

Sony Corporation of america

Freed says Sony’s main music-branding achievement has been the creation of “a culture, ethos and ultimately a brand platform centered around empowering creators,” relying on its extensive history in the high-end audio space. The company has partnered with Peso Pluma for the brand’s ULT Power Sound series speaker and Olivia Rodrigo on new custom EQ tech for her music. “Sony Audio has always been at the intersection of creation and consumption, so empowering all creators is an extension of our brand heritage,” Freed says. “We’re meeting the next generation of creators where they are and providing tools for their development.”

Marc Hazan

Vp of marketing and partnerships

Spotify

In 2024, Spotify continued “the unique ways we used our brand to connect artists and fans,” Hazan says. The company partnered with Coldplay and soccer powerhouse FC Barcelona for custom-logo jerseys worn for a key match in October. It also celebrated 25 of The Weeknd’s songs crossing 1 billion streams with an exclusive-for-fans December concert at Barker Hangar in Los Angeles and a 45-minute film documenting the show. To promote its year-end Wrapped feature, the company also customized its signature green logo to incorporate some of the year’s biggest releases, including Charli xcx’s album brat and Sabrina Carpenter’s hit single “Espresso.” “There isn’t one genre we’re focused on over another,” Hazan says. “We’re always considering our fans’ broader interests and how we can connect most authentically.”

Perris Fiori

Vp of marketing

Ste. Michelle Wine Estates

The 58-year-old wine estate, based in Woodinville, Wash., is the site of concerts big and small — from an annual summer hoedown to a long-running concert series at its amphitheater that has featured Stevie Wonder, Bob Dylan and John Legend. Chateau Ste. Michelle is also Live Nation’s official wine sponsor at 80-plus venues and festivals, including Governors Ball in New York, which exposes the brand to “millions of music fans,” Fiori says. “Introducing Chateau Ste. Michelle wines to younger, 21-plus consumer audiences is key to ensuring the winery’s continued longevity.” The partnership with the top promoter — which also books the estate’s 4,500-­capacity amphitheater — provides this demographic with “product sampling” at venues and broader social media exposure. Chateau Ste. Michelle, Fiori adds, is an “authentic, unpretentious brand” that seeks a “like-minded company ethos” when partnering with artists and music companies.

Mark Malmstead

Head of Dodge/SRT marketing

Stellantis

Two Detroit icons, Dodge and Eminem, appeared together last July for a Complex magazine cover shoot in which a Slim Shady stand-in ties up Marshall Mathers and imprisons him in a red Charger Daytona. “Edgy, relevant and aligned perfectly with Dodge,” Malmstead says. The automaker, which also has partnered on promotions with Billie Eilish and Chris Stapleton, has “often infiltrated the hip-hop/rap scene with organic vehicle placements within music videos,” Malmstead adds. And while RAM trucks are technically no longer part of the Dodge brand — they’re owned by Chrysler, a subsidiary of Stellantis — they were the memorable focus of a 2025 Super Bowl ad starring actor Glen Powell, dragons, kids and a synch of Van Halen’s “Panama.”

Mike Belcher

SVP of Business Development & Partnerships

T-Mobile

According to Belcher, the T-Mobile Tickets program “provides customers with access to hundreds of thousands of specially priced tickets to shows at over 120 venues across the country” — from New York’s Webster Hall to Denver’s Ogden Theatre. The wireless network operator also partnered with the Stagecoach, Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits festivals and touring artists such as Sabrina Carpenter, Luke Combs, Lainey Wilson and Common. At some shows with T-Mobile partnerships, the company’s Club Magenta lounge offers VIP access, a private space and other perks. “Customer benefits have long been part of the ethos of the brand,” Belcher says, “and our entertainment partnerships really brought that to life this year.”

Taylor Montgomery

Chief marketing officer, North America

Taco Bell

Taco Bell has supported more than 2,000 touring musicians since 2006 through its Feed the Beat initiative, which provides free restaurant gift cards worth up to $500. That program has turned into a gateway for larger partnership deals with artists like Omar Apollo, who collaborated with the chain on Disha Hot sauce, which was inspired by the “Evergreen (You Didn’t Deserve Me at All)” singer’s secret family recipe. And in January 2024, Apollo and fellow Feed the Beat alum Armani White performed at Taco Bell’s first Live Más LIVE event. “It was a perfect blend of music, culture and fandom, showcasing how Taco Bell continues to meet fans where they are and celebrate what they love,” Montgomery says. This year’s Live Más LIVE was scheduled for January in Los Angeles but moved to March 4 at the Brooklyn Paramount due to the January wildfires.

Leah Linder

Director of communications

Andina Badri

Global head of music and product marketing

Alix Henick Iger

Global music industry marketing lead

Alessandra Mariani

Music user and product lead, marketing

TikTok

Before TikTok became a political football, the Chinese-run social media giant formed music-business partnerships with artists across several genres. Billie Eilish used new features like Flip Story and Fan Spotlight to promote her album Hit Me Hard and Soft and subsequent tour. The company worked with Rauw Alejandro to produce a livestream concert, a TikTok Shop for exclusive merch and an in-app “experience” for his 2024 album, Cosa Nuestra. And the platform promoted the release of BTS member Jin’s solo EP, Happy, with a live interview, exclusive videos and other content. The branding deals, Badri says, speak to TikTok’s overall music-business mission: “We want to give the best music experience for all music fans, regardless of age, locations and music taste.”

Dedra DeLilli

Vp of marketing communications

Toyota

The carmaker’s long-running Music Den continued to provide free merch like bandannas and camping socks as up-and-coming stars like Blu DeTiger and Tiny Habits performed at top festivals throughout 2024, including Lollapalooza, Stagecoach and One Music Fest. “Toyota is focused on championing music discovery and supporting emerging artists,” DeLilli says. “We love storytellers, culture-shapers and artists who engage beyond the stage.” The company also leaned on music for its advertising and marketing campaigns, using the Ramones’ “Do You Wanna Dance?” for a Camry spot and commissioning Puerto Rican singer Alejo to adapt a song, “Tiene Un No Sé Qué,” for the automaker’s Facebook and Instagram accounts. “We show support for all types of music,” DeLilli adds.

Molly Spychalski

Global head of brand partnership marketing

Uber

Uber worked with Live Nation to sponsor its third straight The One Party during Super Bowl week in New Orleans, where Travis Scott performed his new single, “4×4.” “Music is a powerful differentiator and was core to our approach to cut through a very crowded market and engage our audience,” Spychalski says. Last year, the ride-share app also worked with AEG to score naming rights for Berlin concert venues now known as Uber Arena and Uber Eats Music Hall, stamped its Uber One brand onto a Lollapalooza lounge and made a deal with Beyoncé to offer transportation discounts for fans’ Cowboy Carter listening parties. “Music, and particularly live music, is a key area of passion and excitement for the people who use our platform,” Spychalski adds.

Nate Pence

Vp of creative and editorial

Ulta Beauty

Last year’s Lollapalooza was the “Super Bowl of branded experiences,” according to one Live Nation executive, and among the giant floating Dunkin’ sprinkles and Coca-Cola roller rink at the Chicago festival site was Ulta’s House of Joy, a pop-up offering hair tinseling and coloring and makeup applications. In addition, the 600-brand beauty specialist partnered with Halsey’s af94 line of beauty products, works with Billie Eilish and sponsored iHeartRadio’s Jingle Ball concerts in New York and Los Angeles. Many of the company’s pop-star partners are in its target demographic of “beauty lovers of all generations,” says Pence, who adds that they “showcase their beauty tips and tricks for fans to see firsthand.” He says: “We’re excited to reach both new and existing fans at events. Like music, beauty brings joy to many through creativity.”

Marissa Weseloh

Senior director of partnerships

Verizon

The mobile giant’s most prominent 2024 music move was to showcase Beyoncé in a surprise Super Bowl commercial, in which she attempts to “break” the internet, as well as Verizon’s 5G network, by doing superhuman things like running for “Beyoncé of the United States,” or BOTUS. Concerts by Becky G and Xavi, which launched in the fall as part of the Verizon Access Concert Series, offered presales, app ticket purchases and giveaways at the company’s retail stores. The November shows were part of the broader Verizon Access program, which provides similar ticket services for events at New York’s Beacon Theatre, Radio City Music Hall and other Madison Square Garden properties. Verizon, which has a long-standing partnership with Live Nation and Ticketmaster, also offered presales for Anitta, Rauw Alejandro and others. “It’s important that we connect with our customers in a personalized and authentic way,” Weseloh says. “We want to partner with artists that can help us do that.”

D.J. Vaughn

Director of multicultural media partnerships

Walmart

Once a crucial retailer of physical music product, Walmart has recently focused on smaller music-related endeavors, such as the Black & Unlimited compilation album of indie hip-hop and R&B artists released in partnership with Raedio and Issa Rae’s HOORAE Media production company last March. The big-box chain co-sponsored the Billboard Latin Music Awards, including a Xavi collaboration in which the regional Mexican singer-songwriter and his backup dancers wore outfits from Walmart’s “Nuevolution” clothing line emphasizing Hispanic designers and brands. The brand also presented BET’s lifetime achievement award to Usher in July and commemorated the honor with an exclusive vinyl sale of the artist’s 2024 album, Coming Home. “We hope our cultural engagement work reaches and resonates with the masses, that it’s emotionally appealing and positively affects consumer behavior,” Vaughn says. “Our audience listens to various artists and across genres. They aren’t confined to a singular sound.”

Marcia Osborne

Chief marketing officer for consumer lending

Wells Fargo

To launch its new credit card last year, Wells Fargo sponsored concert series Autograph Card Exclusives for cardholders — Imagine Dragons in Dallas, Brandi Carlile in Atlanta, Maluma in New York and Halsey in San Francisco — all of which sold out. The company also partnered with the Zac Brown Band-­headlining Country Bay Music Festival in Miami, among others. Members of its credit card club could snag tickets that included free food and drink, access to an air-conditioned lounge and other VIP benefits. “We’re eager to reach a mix of our customers who range from [music] superfans to those who just love live music and are eager to be a part of this exclusive experience,” Osborne says of Wells Fargo’s strategy, which will expand to “more genres with additional artists.”

jodi ropert

Vp of YouTube marketing

vivien lewit

Global head of artists

Christeen Kim

Director of YouTube marketing, global music, premium and podcasts

Dilara Cagal

Marketing manager, artist, industry and YouTube Shorts

YouTube

For its nearly 5-year-old Shorts short-form video platform, YouTube partnered with Taylor Swift (for footage from The Eras Tour), Sabrina Carpenter (for promotional and off-the-cuff clips) and Stray Kids (for dance challenges), as well as Billie Eilish, Rosé, Lisa and others. As of January, according to Ropert, artists active on Shorts saw an average of more than 60% of their new channel subscribers coming directly from those posts. This is part of “the beauty of YouTube,” she says of the long-dominant, Google-owned video platform whose users include “billions of music lovers.” “No matter what type of artist you are, you can build a highly engaged fan base on the platform.”

contributors

Dave Brooks, Steve Knopper, Elias Leight, Elizabeth Dilts Marshall, Taylor Mims, Melinda Newman, Kristin Robinson, Dan Rys