Music brand building has drastically changed the last decade. Today you need to be present indigital and social media all the time, to be able to interact with your audience. But knowinghow to do this in a successful way is not easy, as we are overloaded by media messages andtired of advertising. Research shows that the core of successful communication and brandbuilding is creating relationships, emotions and a "feeling of true"; authenticity (Beverland,2014; Aaker, 2014; Arvidsson, 2006; Greenberg & Kates, 2014).This study is focusing on how strong music brands are built today, and more specifically whatrole authenticity plays and how it is manifested and created. What impact do social mediahave on how strategists and artists think about and work with authenticity? Todaybrands/artist has (at least in theory) the possibility to be communicating directly with theaudiences and fans – but what is needed for this to happen? If authenticity is a cornerstone inmarketing and identity building: is the artist's "own voice" a necessity and is it important tolook at the artist as "true"?This study has a qualitative approach, based on deep interviews with stakeholders in themusic industry: artists, communication strategists, management and record companies, bothindependent and major ones. The theoretical base is interdisciplinary: media andcommunication crossed with marketing perspectives and cultural studies, to be able tounderstand this highly commercial and at the same time creative industry, based on artisticvalues.