ethicsculturebranding

How to Leverage Traditional Songs as Brand Assets Without Cultural Appropriation

UUnknown

2026-02-25

9 min read

Practical guidelines to use traditional songs like Arirang ethically—engage communities, credit properly, and share benefits to avoid cultural appropriation.

Hook: Turn traditional songs into meaningful brand assets — without disrespect

Creators, producers, and brand teams are under pressure to stand out globally. You want the emotional resonance of a beloved folk song — the familiarity, the nostalgia, the cultural weight — without triggering accusations of cultural appropriation or alienating the very communities that own those traditions. In 2026 that balance matters more than ever: high-profile uses like BTS naming their 2026 album Arirang show how traditional songs can add depth when used thoughtfully, while rapid advances in AI and global distribution mean missteps spread faster.

The context in 2026: why the rules have changed

Late 2025 and early 2026 saw three trends that reshape how creators should approach traditional songs:

Global visibility: Cross-border tours and streaming mean local songs are part of global marketing. Fans expect authenticity and accountability.
AI and sampling debates: AI training on folk recordings, automated sampling and remixes, and real-time localization tools raise new ethical and legal questions about consent and attribution.
Community rights & scrutiny: Communities and cultural institutions are increasingly organized — demanding credit, control, and fair benefit-sharing when their intangible heritage is used commercially.

Those trends make it necessary to move from “can we use it?” to “how do we use it ethically?”

Core principles to avoid cultural appropriation

Before any use of a traditional song as a brand asset, align on these non-negotiables:

Respect and reciprocity: Seek to benefit the originating community as well as your project.
Transparency: Be explicit about how you found, adapted, and credited the song.
Consultation: Engage community stakeholders early and continuously, not as an afterthought.
Consent & co-creation: Obtain informed consent and, where possible, co-create arrangements that give communities real input and shared benefits.
Context-sensitive crediting: Names, dialects, and cultural meaning matter — credit properly in every medium (stage, merch, metadata).

Checklist: 10 steps to ethically use a traditional song

Research origin and meaning — map variants, regions, and cultural significance. Example: Arirang has dozens of regional versions and deep emotional resonance in Korea; treat it as more than a melody.
Verify rights status — traditional songs are often in the public domain, but communal moral rights and customary protocols may still apply.
Identify community representatives — cultural organisations, elders, performers, or NGOs who can speak for the tradition.
Plan a consultation — set an agenda, explain intended use, listen for red flags.
Negotiate a benefit-sharing model — flat fee, percentage, donations to cultural programs, or co-ownership of new recordings.
Co-create or commission performers — hire tradition bearers, session musicians, or cultural advisors.
Document permissions — written agreements that outline use, crediting, compensation, and dispute resolution.
Design respectful merch & visuals — avoid sacred symbols or caricatures; co-design where possible.
Credit in every channel — album notes, livestream metadata, merch tags, press releases, and social posts.
Report and give back — share reach/earnings data and continue the relationship after launch.

Community engagement models that scale

Here are practical collaboration frameworks you can adapt depending on budget and scope.

Hire community musicians to perform or record the song, then share a defined percentage of net revenues (e.g., 10–30%) or set a recurring contribution to a community fund.

2. Co-creation and co-branding

Develop new arrangements jointly, give co-billing ("X featuring Y Cultural Ensemble"), and include community logos on promotional materials.

3. Capacity-building partnership

Allocate part of your budget to training, equipment, archiving, or cultural education programs in the originating community. This ensures long-term value beyond one-off payments.

4. Nonprofit trust or cultural endowment

For larger campaigns or global tours, set up a dedicated fund or partner with an established cultural NGO to manage benefits and programs transparently.

How to credit traditional songs correctly

Crediting is more than aesthetics — it signals respect. Use layered credits that cover authorship, community origin, performer names, and advisory roles.

Melody name and origin: "Based on the traditional [Arirang] (region: [e.g., Jeongseon] / Korea)" — include regional variant if known.
Performer credit: "Performed by [name or community group]."
Arrangement credit: "Arrangement by [artist name] in collaboration with [community representative]."
Advisory credit: "Cultural consultation: [names/orgs]."

Example credit line for a live show or album liner note:

"Arirang (traditional, Jeongseon variant) — performed by the Jeongseon Arirang Ensemble. Arrangement by [Artist]. Cultural consultation by [Elder/Organization]. Proceeds supporting [community fund]."

Designing merch and visuals — do's and don'ts

Do

Co-design with local artists and share royalties or attribution.
Use accurate language — correct orthography, transliteration and contextual notes on tags.
Be transparent about where proceeds go (X% to Y community fund).

Don't

Commercialize sacred elements — avoid religious or ritual elements without explicit permission.
Rely on stereotypes — don't reduce a culture to clichés for shock or novelty value.
Tokenize contributors — paying once then erasing a community's role from credits or marketing.

Live shows & streaming: operational best practices

Live events and streamed concerts introduce technical and ethical layers. Use these operational rules to make shows inclusive and respectful.

Include community performers on stage and in rehearsals — not just as an opening act but as credited collaborators.
Contextualize for a global audience — provide program notes, short on-stage explainer videos, and captions that explain significance.
Hire cultural moderators for livestream chat to prevent abusive or reductive comments.
Localize responsibly — provide translations and transliterations, but retain original-language audio to preserve authenticity.
Ensure fair pay and travel/visa support for traditional performers participating in tours.

Legal realities: public domain ≠ free pass

Many traditional songs have no single author and may reside in what appears to be the public domain, but that does not remove ethical obligations:

Moral and customary rights — communities may expect certain norms around use, performance context, or adaptation.
Derivative works — new arrangements or recordings can create new copyrights; negotiate ownership and splits explicitly.
Clear documentation — even when legal clearance is minimal, document consultations and agreements to reduce reputational risk.

Work with counsel experienced in cultural heritage and cross-border IP, and consider non-legal agreements with cultural stewards when formal legal remedies aren’t appropriate.

Handling AI, samples and remixes in 2026

AI tools that generate music from datasets or automatically sample recordings are now common — but they complicate consent and attribution.

Don’t train models on community recordings without consent. If you intend to generate music inspired by a traditional song, get explicit permission and agree on attribution/benefits.
Label AI-generated content and clarify any creative role of community contributors versus algorithmic outputs.
Set boundaries on acceptable transformations. Communities may welcome reinterpretation but disallow distortion of sacred elements.

Real-world example: What BTS’ Arirang title signals (and what to learn)

When a global act references a traditional song publicly — as BTS did with their 2026 album title Arirang — it creates an opportunity and a responsibility. Key lessons:

Context matters: BTS framed the title as reflection on roots and identity, signaling respect and intent to connect audience understanding to cultural meaning.
High-visibility use invites scrutiny: Large audiences force transparency — provide context, credits, and pathways for listeners to learn.
Collaboration is preferable: Wherever possible, bring tradition bearers into the creative process rather than borrowing a motif as decoration.

Templates: outreach email + credit line

Sample outreach email (short)

Subject: Collaboration request — using [Song Name] in [Project]
Hi [Name/Organization],
We’re producing [project description] and would like to respectfully include [traditional song/variant]. We’d like to meet or call to share our vision, learn about cultural protocols, discuss compensation, and co-create the adaptation. Can we schedule 30 minutes this week? We commit to transparent credits and a revenue-sharing model to support your community. — [Your name, role, contact]

Sample credit line

"[Song Name] — Traditional [region/variant]. Performed by [Artist/Ensemble]. Cultural consultation: [Name(s)]. Produced by [Brand/Team]. Proceeds supporting [community initiative]."

Measurement & accountability: proving good faith

After release or show, maintain trust by reporting:

Financial distributions or contributions made to community partners.
Engagement metrics that were shared with collaborators (streams, attendance, press reach).
Impact stories — how funds or exposure benefited cultural programs.
A conflict-resolution plan if disputes arise.

Quick risk matrix for brands and creators

Use this simple scoring to decide whether a planned use is safe to proceed.

Low risk: Community is engaged directly, co-creation is active, clear crediting, and a benefit-share is in place.
Moderate risk: Song seems public domain, but community consultation is partial — proceed only after engagement and documentation.
High risk: No consultation, sacred or ritual elements, or use reduces cultural meaning to stereotype — do not proceed.

Final checklist before launch

Research completed and sources documented
Community consultation held and consent recorded
Performance and arrangement agreements signed
Crediting language approved by community
Benefit-sharing or fund mechanism set
Merch designs co-approved
Livestream moderation and localization plan ready
Post-release reporting schedule agreed

Conclusion: make traditional songs an asset for everyone

Traditional songs like Arirang are powerful brand assets — they connect audiences to deeper emotions and histories. But in 2026, using them responsibly means going beyond permission: it demands partnership, ongoing reciprocity, and transparent crediting. When you put community voices at the center, your brand doesn’t just borrow cultural power — it helps sustain the traditions that inspired your work.

Action steps — start today

Pick one immediate action:

Schedule a discovery call with a cultural advisor or local arts organisation in the song's region.
Draft the outreach email template above and send it to one potential partner this week.
Run the risk matrix internally and pause any high-risk uses until consultation is complete.

Ready to move from intent to impact? If you’re planning a live show, album, or merch line that draws on traditional material, start with the checklist in this article. Build a partnership, agree on credits and compensation, and protect your reputation while amplifying community culture. Want a ready-to-use version of the checklist and outreach templates tailored to your project? Contact our team for a workshop or download the toolkit on our creator resources page.

Unknown

Contributor

Senior editor and content strategist. Writing about technology, design, and the future of digital media. Follow along for deep dives into the industry's moving parts.