- Epidemic Sound predicts that growing AI adoption will put copyright compliance, transparency, and artist control under greater scrutiny in 2027
- Human-made music and distinctive creative identities are expected to become more valuable as brands and creators compete for attention
- New year-end report brings together research among 4,500 brands, creators and artists, with five predictions for the future of music and content creation
Stockholm, Sweden, November 12, 2026: The next phase of AI adoption across the creative economy will be shaped by growing expectations around human creativity, trust and control, according to new predictions from Epidemic Sound.
The predictions build on research published by Epidemic Sound throughout 2026 in its The Sound of Creativity series, drawing on the views of 4,500 brands, creators, and artists across the UK and US, which revealed a gap between enthusiasm for AI and satisfaction with its output. Nearly three-quarters (73%) expect to increase their use of AI over the next year, and 69% believe it is increasing opportunities in their profession. Yet only 66% say AI-generated content currently meets their expectations for creative quality.
At the same time, 83% believe music or sound created by human artists strengthens emotional connection with audiences, while 76% say human-created content is becoming a premium offering. The findings point to a growing challenge for the creative industries: how to harness AI's potential while preserving the qualities that give creative work its value.
The findings feature in Epidemic Sound's year-end report, Creativity in Motion: The Signals, Shifts, and Strategies Taking Us from 2026 into 2027. Bringing together the company's Brand, Creator, and Artist research from 2026, the report examines what the findings mean for the future of creativity and sets out five predictions for the year ahead.
Trust and human creativity will shape AI's next chapter
As AI becomes more embedded in creative work, Epidemic Sound predicts that transparency, rights, and human judgement will become increasingly important to how businesses, creators, and artists use the technology.
Across the research, 76% say disclosure of AI use is essential for trust, while 98% of artists place importance on permission before their music or voice is used in AI systems.
The implications extend beyond artists. Some 79% of brands say getting sound wrong in branded content can materially affect revenue, brand perception or campaign ROI, while 73% of creators believe unclear music licensing could limit future business opportunities.
Erik Wahlberg, CEO of Epidemic Group, said: "AI is becoming part of how music and content are created, produced, and shared at an extraordinary pace. The opportunity for the industry in 2027 is to make sure that growth translates into lasting value for everyone involved.
"Brands need confidence in what they publish. Creators need tools that help them develop their ideas and build stronger audience relationships. And artists need meaningful control over how their work is used and how they benefit from it.
"The next phase of the creative economy will be shaped by businesses that can bring those interests together, making technology more useful while strengthening the human creativity behind it."
Five predictions for AI and creativity in 2027
Building on the combined research, Epidemic Sound's 2027 Playbook identifies five developments expected to shape the creative industries:
- AI will help people, brands and creators do more with their ideas: AI-powered tools will increasingly help adapt music, sound, and other creative assets across formats and channels, allowing people to get more value from their original ideas.
- Copyright compliance will become impossible to ignore: As AI accelerates content production, brands will face growing pressure to demonstrate that the music and creative assets they use are properly licensed and transparently sourced.
- Human-made content and sound will help creators stand out: As content volumes grow, human experience, creative judgement, and distinctive identity will become increasingly important in building emotional connections with audiences.
- Creative control will shift from reactive to proactive: Artists and rights holders will expect clearer permissions, greater control over how AI uses their music and identities, and fairer participation in the value technology creates.
- Creators and artists will build closer, more direct audience relationships: Recognisable identities, loyal communities, and direct fan engagement will become increasingly important to building sustainable careers beyond platform algorithms.
Explore the full findings and 2027 predictions in Epidemic Sound's Creativity in Motion report.
Methodology
The research was conducted among 4,500 respondents across the UK and US, comprising 3,000 professional content creators, 1,000 music artists and 500 brand representatives. Interviews were conducted online by Sapio Research in March–April 2026, using email invitations 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.
