A poet once said: “Music is the universal language of mankind.” It’s a statement that has academic merit, according to a Harvard study. More importantly, it underscores the global opportunity in music and the MUSQ Global Music Index ETF (MUSQ). Bad Bunny’s appearance at the Super Bowl LX halftime show proved just that, translating to a win for MUSQ.
Despite singing primarily in Spanish, Bad Bunny has emerged as not only a Latin artist, but a musical icon with universal appeal. Given the sporting event’s global audience, the Super Bowl halftime show essentially gave the artist an even bigger world stage.
Even before the Super Bowl, Bad Bunny’s star was already on the rise. As noted by Reuters, one of the primary reasons for the quick ascension to international prominence was music streaming. By sponsoring the event for a fourth consecutive year, Apple Music resides where streaming dominance and global reach converge. This creates a revenue generating machine that benefits Apple as a whole.
A Win for Apple
Apple’s sponsorship isn’t just a platform to spur iPhone sales or other consumer electronics that are tied to the brand. It’s a tangible revenue driver for Apple, namely in the form of music subscriptions.
Since December 2016, the number of Apple Music users has grown year over year, culminating in over 90 million subscribers, according to data from Demand Sage. Data further shows that Apple Music has generated $9.2 billion in revenue, accounting for 6.4% of Apple’s total revenue.
As of February 5, Apple is the sixth largest holding in MUSQ, comprising 5.29% of the fund’s assets.
The “Super Bowl Bump”
For those willing to pay the advertising costs, the Super Bowl always presents an impactful marketing opportunity. Dubbed the “Super Bowl Bump,” musicians who have graced the stage at halftime have experienced a post-Bowl rise in sales and streams.
This phenomenon was well-documented by Billboard Music. Take 2025, for example. Rap music star Kendrick Lamar drew in 133.5 million viewers, making Super Bowl halftime an opportunity for the music star to increase his profile even further.
“In the aftermath, Lamar’s official on-demand U.S. streams soared from 189.6 million the week prior to 361.6 million the week the game aired — a 91% increase,” Billboard noted, mentioning the data came courtesy of analytics firm Luminate.
If that trend persists, it bodes well for Bad Bunny, who is signed to independent label Rimas Entertainment. Rimas utilizes The Orchard for music distribution, which is a subsidiary of Sony and one of the holdings in the MUSQ ETF. Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin made cameo appearances. Those artists have ties to Universal Music Group and Sony Music, respectively — two companies that are MUSQ holdings.
The Super Bowl can also serve as a jump-off point for artists embarking on global tours. Live music attendance is seeing a post-pandemic rise, which translates into more ticket sales. In turn, that trend can translate to more revenue for Live Nation Entertainment, MUSQ’s top holding (10.4% of the fund).
Listen Up
While the Seattle Seahawks raised the Vince Lombardi Trophy at the end of the game, the MUSQ ETF was the true winner. The fund stands to benefit with the aforementioned holdings in Apple, Sony, Live Entertainment, and Universal Music Group.
It offers investors a pure-play approach to a $30+ billion global music industry that continues to grow. Constituents in the fund include a mix of streaming giants, hardware providers, and live event conglomerates. These holdings help MUSQ capitalize on cultural milestones like the Super Bowl by turning live event opportunities into market gains. The fund is ideal for investors looking to add satellite exposure to investment themes that add growth diversification.
All this makes the MUSQ ETF a fund worth listening to.
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VettaFi LLC (“VettaFi”) is the index provider for MUSQ for which it receives an index licensing fee. However, MUSQ are not issued, sponsored, endorsed, or sold by VettaFi, and VettaFi has no obligation or liability in connection with the issuance, administration, marketing, or trading of MUSQ.
