Latin music comes with a rich history, but there’s arguably never been a better time for the Spanish and Portuguese-speaking genres. Thanks to the power of streaming, the huge range of musical styles on offer and the proliferation of Latin diasporas around the world, Latin music is being consumed at record-breaking volumes, with Music Business World reporting US Latin music revenues of $500m in H1 2025, equating to six times the growth of the overall US market.
Smart brands are getting in on the action, opting for all kinds of licensed Latin music for ads. Whether you’re after salsa music for commercials, a bolero instrumental or some cumbia background music, here at Audio Network we offer a world of choice.
From reggaeton to rumba, son to tango, our Latin Series has you covered, communicating the diverse musical stories of Latin America, as told by its artists, composers and musicians. In this blog we break down which styles suit which content and offer some musical suggestions for your next campaign.
Latin Music in November 2025
Latin stars continue to dominate cultural conversations across the world. All eyes were on November’s Latin Grammys, which featured performances from Puerto Rico’s Rauw Alejandro, Mexican-American guitar legend Carlos Santana and Colombian singer/actor Maluma. Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny was the big winner on the night, taking home five awards, including Album of the Year, while Colombian singer Karol G won Song of the Year for ‘Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido’ and Spain’s Alejandro Sanz grabbed the gong for Record of the Year for ‘Palmeras En El Jardín’.
Just days before, Puerto Rican rapper Young Miko released her hotly-anticipated sophomore record Do Not Disturb, and Catalan singer Rosalía shared her wildly-acclaimed fourth album LUX, opening at number one on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums, Top Latin Pop Albums, Classical Albums, Classical Crossover and World Albums charts. And with Bad Bunny ruffling all the right feathers with the announcement he’s set to headline next year’s Super Bowl, Latin music’s mainstream dominance seems assured for the foreseeable future.
Latin Music Genres for Sync
Salsa
One of the most popular Latin genres, salsa originates from Cuba and Puerto Rico, and is rooted in son Cubano, an Afro Cuban music genre created by Cuban musicians of Bantu descent. In the 1940s this was combined with African American jazz to create the hybrid sound that’s celebrated all over the world today. Vibrant and energetic, salsa is ideal for upbeat brand ads and celebratory content. Read more about how African artists have helped shape Latin music in our blog, and check out our top salsa choices in our Salsa playlist.
Reggaeton
Classified as música urbana, reggaeton is one of the biggest crossover Latin genres, spawning breakout stars including Daddy Yankee, Karol G and J Balvin. Reggaeton originated in the late 1970s with Panama’s El General (Edgardo A. Franco), before becoming popular among Puerto Rican youth in the 1990s. Typically, it blends reggae and Jamaican dancehall with hip hop and Latin genres like salsa and bomba, dembow rhythms, and rapping and singing, most often in Spanish.
From a production context, the bold, modern and deeply rhythmic thrust of reggaeton makes it ideal for lifestyle, fashion and youth-focused campaigns.
Latin Pop
Infusing contemporary pop with Latin influences, Latin pop can encompass everything from reggaeton to rock en Español, samba to salsa. Whatever its flavour, strong melodies are a non-negotiable, making it a style that’s consistently emotional and infectious – perfect for travel vlogs or inspirational storytelling. For a Latin pop soundtrack, dive into our hand-picked Latin Pop playlist.
Cumbia
A popular style of regional folk music that originated in Colombia, cumbia is characterised by guitars, accordions, bass guitar and percussion. Warm and nostalgic, its wistful style suits lifestyle and family-oriented content, so if you’re seeking Latin music for video, it’s a must-listen. Grab some inspiration in our Latin Series: Colombia playlist.
Bolero
Comprised of slow-paced romantic ballads featuring acoustic guitars and lush orchestration, bolero music originated in Cuba in the late 19th century, before its popularity spread across Mexico and South America. So when it comes to Latin music for film and TV, bolero’s romantic and soulful style make it a great match for cinematic or emotional moments.
Read more about Latin music genres in our blog.
Latin Music Licensing With Audio Network
Unless you’re relying on rights-free music libraries – thereby running the risk of content takedowns and quality and originality issues – you’re going to need a license to use Latin music for commercial purposes. And the same rules apply to licensing a Latin soundtrack as they do to any style of music: you’ll need secure dubbing rights and synchronisation rights and – in some instances – performance rights. You can read more about all of these in our guide to music licensing.
At Audio Network, we take the headache out of music licensing, offering more than 280,000 high quality tracks available, spanning every genre, mood and style imaginable. Every track is recorded to the highest possible standard, and with cut-downs and stems available on selected tracks not only do you have the flexibility to access world-class music that matches your brand’s tone and values – you then have the ability to truly make tracks your own.
Our unrivalled Latin selection is curated to honour the diversity of Latin music heritage. Ranging from traditional rhythms to contemporary fusions, we’ve worked with local composers, musicians and artists to harness the passion and authenticity of Latin music, making our tracks perfect for everything from TV to film soundtracks, advertising to digital and games.
Read More
So now you know all about licensing Latin music for your content, why not dig into some more of our blogs, from our guide to Latin percussion instruments and the best-selling Latin albums of all-time to how to find music for YouTube videos, TikTok or Instagram.
Need Music for Your Project?
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