Level Two Music shows how music and artists can become part of the idea itself

Music has always been one of the fastest ways into culture. But for brands, the opportunity now goes well beyond finding the right song.

Artists are cultural storytellers. They build communities, shape aesthetics, influence language and create genuine emotional relationships with audiences. They already have many of the things brands spend considerable time and money trying to build.

That makes artists incredibly powerful creative partners, says Level Two Music managing director Jen Taunton: “At Level Two Music, we’ve spent more than 20 years working at the intersection of music, advertising and entertainment. Increasingly, we’re seeing brands looking beyond traditional music licensing and asking a bigger question: how can music and artists become part of the idea itself?”

It’s one of the reasons they’ve expanded their Partnerships offering, bringing together artist partnerships, music strategy, activations, music production, project management and music supervision.

Says Level Two’s Head of Partnerships Emiy Crews: “Because the opportunity isn’t simply to put a musician in an ad. The best partnerships start with genuine alignment between artist, brand and audience. Audiences are very good at recognising when an artist has simply been attached to a campaign for profile. The interesting work happens when the partnership feels credible, and the artist brings their own identity, audience and cultural relevance to the idea.”

Crews saw that with Vodafone’s ‘First Night Only’, an underground live performance by Genesis Owusu created for the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S26: “Genesis wasn’t simply talent appearing at a product launch. His genre-defying music, confidence and live energy helped define the experience and aligned naturally with Vodafone’s return to its challenger roots.”

For Myer’s 2025 Christmas campaign, Level Two was involved from the discovery stage, identifying and recommending Sycco as the right artist for the project.

Says Taunton: “From there, our role extended across artist and talent management, music production and licensing, through to working alongside content production on set. It’s a good example of the breadth of an artist partnership, and the value of having music expertise embedded from the initial talent conversation right through to delivery.”

AFL Dreamtime x Dan Sultan & Jem Cassar Daley

For Lifeblood, the connection went deeper again. The campaign brought together Tina Arena and Ngaiire, two artists with genuine personal connections to blood donation, to record ‘Unstoppable’. Level Two sourced the artists and coordinated the music production, with their own stories bringing an emotional weight and credibility to the campaign that went beyond a traditional talent partnership.

Says Crews: “Three projects, three very different roles for an artist. And that’s precisely the opportunity.”

There isn’t a formula for a great artist partnership, says Crews: “It might begin with talent, a song, a live experience, content or a broader music strategy. Our role at Level Two is to understand the creative ambition, then navigate the music industry to find the opportunity that makes sense.

“That means knowing more than what or who is popular. Our relationships across labels, publishers, artists and management give us insight into artist timelines, opportunities and potential conflicts, while our connection to Australia’s live and emerging music scenes keeps us close to what’s happening culturally. Crucially, as an independent company, we’re not tied to a particular roster or outcome.”

Taunton says for brands, perhaps the question is no longer simply, ‘What music should we use?’: “It’s ‘Who could make this idea more culturally interesting?”

Says Taunton: “Because artists don’t just bring reach. They bring ideas, communities, credibility and cultural context. And when the fit is right, they don’t simply appear in the campaign. They become part of the reason people connect.”

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