In Sync: Music and Video 2026 --Creators, Musicians, and the Age of AI
A nationwide survey of 1,003 video creators, musicians, marketers, and music supervisors reveals how music is discovered, licensed, created, and used across today’s social media video ecosystem, and why video has become central to many music careers.
The relationship between music and video has fundamentally changed.
Musicians are increasingly expected to create video content, while video creators are making more strategic decisions about music than ever before. At the same time, AI-generated music, licensing challenges, and platform algorithms are reshaping creative workflows, raising serious questions about impact on rights, compensation, consent, creative control.
Published by Berklee Emerging Artistic Technology Lab with support from Adobe*, the In Sync: Music for Video 2026 report explores these shifts through a national survey of 1,003 industry participants, uncovering how creators, musicians, and professionals work with video, what influences their decisions, where they struggle, and how AI is changing the landscape.
The findings point to a new reality: music and video are no longer separate disciplines. It is important for artists to understand creative formats, know how to navigate licensing and rights, and understand the impact that generative AI is having on some workflows.
Whether you're a musician, content creator, educator, marketer, or music industry professional, this report offers a data-driven look at where the creator economy is headed next.
Key Findings
75.3% of musicians have felt pressure to create video content alongside their music
92.2% of respondents integrate their own original music into video projects in some form
83.7% have chosen a trending sound before shaping video content around it
32.7% have used AI-generated music as the final audio track in published content
"From what I've seen, artists who consistently post video content get more visibility and brand deals. Their audience grows faster, which seems to translate into more income streams beyond just music." — Musician
*Third-Party Study Design
This study was conducted by Praxia Insights, a global research organization specializing in large-scale survey projects. Study design, data collection, analysis, and reporting were led by Praxia Insights to ensure an unbiased approach to the topic of discovery. Participants were not informed of the underlying client during data collection, supporting unbiased response. Adobe provided support for this study but did not control respondent recruitment, survey responses, or the independent analysis conducted by Praxia Insights. Berklee BEATL retained editorial responsibility for the report.