Rolling Stone reveals artists/labels practicing payola

[Jordan Miller]

Wonder why radio plays the same songs over and over? It's cause payola is very much a thing.

Rolling Stone published an article including text messages from top label execs communicating with radio. The texts reveal that money was indeed being paid to radio in order to promote artists, a banned practice.

The article focuses on Mitch Mills, a senior vice president of radio promotion at Elektra Records, and Steve Zap, an independent radio promoter who works with a number of stations in the adult contemporary format.

From Rolling Stone:

Quote

Zap’s texts show that the record labels routinely seek to influence the level of radio play to achieve specific chart goals for their artists — which in and of itself would raise no issues. But his messages also explicitly refer to payments in money or goods to radio in connection with airplay.

Zap denies any wrongdoing:

“You say that I requested airplay and awarded [a station] with ‘consideration,’ and that such linkage is established by text messages,” he stated. “The actual texts, though, do not support your characterizations. In the texts, no specific consideration is linked with any specific instance of airplay. Therefore, allegations that I purchased airplay through quid pro quo agreements would be reckless and extremely damaging.”

Here are some of the artists included in the story:

•  Marshmello

• Halsey

• Dua Lipa

• Ellie Goulding

• Ed Sheeran

• Shawn Mendes

• Khalid

• Backstreet Boys

 

You can read the full story here.

Thoughts, Exhale?

[Roxxy]

Payola means something different for me. Still music related and similar, but different. 

[Mexwero]

Am I trash for thinking payola is not all that bad? 
I mean, if you want to pay for promo? Isn’t that what they’re doing? It’s like purchasing an iTunes banner, or an ad on YouTube, you’re exposing the music to the masses to hopefully get a purchase or a view. If I’m wrong please educate me lol 

[Jordan Miller]

2 minutes ago, Mexwero said:

Am I trash for thinking payola is not all that bad? 
I mean, if you want to pay for promo? Isn’t that what they’re doing? It’s like purchasing an iTunes banner, or an ad on YouTube, you’re exposing the music to the masses to hopefully get a purchase or a view. If I’m wrong please educate me lol 

Low-key agree  but basically the problem is smaller artists will never get a fair chance to break because they don't have the means / money. There's a whole social / economic injustice happening at the same time. But I do agree that's basically how advertising / marketing works. You have the money, you can reach more people. 

[Towelney]

3 minutes ago, Mexwero said:

Am I trash for thinking payola is not all that bad? 
I mean, if you want to pay for promo? Isn’t that what they’re doing? It’s like purchasing an iTunes banner, or an ad on YouTube, you’re exposing the music to the masses to hopefully get a purchase or a view. If I’m wrong please educate me lol 

I agree. 

[PokemonSpears]

3 minutes ago, Jordan Miller said:

Low-key agree  but basically the problem is smaller artists will never get a fair chance to break because they don't have the means / money. There's a whole social / economic injustice happening at the same time. But I do agree that's basically how advertising / marketing works. You have the money, you can reach more people. 

and not even just smaller artists, remember how radio stations refused to play Britney's Make Me... because it wasn't what their audience wanted? 

[Spicechinodiva]

Research Mariah Carey and Payola. 

 

It's now coming to light, Mariah and her team paid billboard to give her that Christmas #1. 

 

 

 

This is nothing new, but In order for several singles to hit #1. Sony would alter upc in other singles to match her catalog number in the database, dropped the price to .99 to .49 cents.

 

Also one single came close to becoming her sixth consecutive #1 single, that was Can't let go, an organic number one if it did happen, but Sony pulled the single once it was revealed the Album Emotions was actually under performing.

 

Someone said if Billboard actually admits to the Mariah Carey Payola scandal, which they won't, cos then it would confirm the Truth of what everybody knows outside her fan base, and actually ruin billboard for good, nobody would trust the charts ever again. 

[limezd]

33 minutes ago, Jordan Miller said:

Wonder why radio plays the same songs over and over? It's cause payola is very much a thing.

Rolling Stone published an article including text messages from top label execs communicating with radio. The texts reveal that money was indeed being paid to radio in order to promote artists, a banned practice.

The article focuses on Mitch Mills, a senior vice president of radio promotion at Elektra Records, and Steve Zap, an independent radio promoter who works with a number of stations in the adult contemporary format.

From Rolling Stone:

Zap denies any wrongdoing:

“You say that I requested airplay and awarded [a station] with ‘consideration,’ and that such linkage is established by text messages,” he stated. “The actual texts, though, do not support your characterizations. In the texts, no specific consideration is linked with any specific instance of airplay. Therefore, allegations that I purchased airplay through quid pro quo agreements would be reckless and extremely damaging.”

Here are some of the artists included in the story:

•  Marshmello

• Halsey

• Dua Lipa

• Ellie Goulding

• Ed Sheeran

• Shawn Mendes

• Khalid

• Backstreet Boys

 

You can read the full story here.

Thoughts, Exhale?

Is this a topic about Mariah Carey? ;)

[OnlyBeyonce]

Dua lupus is a scam 

[Blackout2006]

Despite using Payola, Dua still is doing the best promotion any artist is doing this year, so the Queen gets the pass

Whereas, for the other artist such as Ed Sheeran >>>

Also, i dont otherwise see payola as something bad. I mean its just another form of promotion. Its only bad if an artist (Example Cardi B who only has 2 pure hits: Bodak Yellow and WAP ) uses it in excessive amounts

[allthat88]

I agree that it is basically buying an advertisement BUT as mentioned that means mostly rich ppl will continue at the top & smaller artists will have trouble breaking through 

 

so basically rich ppl decide what the popular songs are. Also songs that aren’t worthy will still get played. 
 

like ppl said about Britney not getting played cause she’s not their audience.  Glory was so solid & part of the reason it wasn’t bigger is radio play & exposure.  And she’s a huge artist.  Imagine starting out & having hardly any backing. Geez

[Invitation]

Not shocked at some of the names. The requests for some of the names above are relatively low compared to the plays.

[Leolileinstein]

I- idk

[Stefani]

Pretends to be shocked.

Although in the case of a certain pop star, her latest single is destined to flop even with a planned 6 month residency on Spotify's Today's Top Hits list.

And no you can't compare labels literally paying radio stations to play certain songs, to buying an iTunes banner or another type of ad; radio airplay counts towards the Billboard Hot 100, whereas iTunes banners and ads don't. Apples =/= oranges. 

[MX3]

[Godney'sSweetCheeks]

I knew Britney didn't use payola following recent flops 

 

She and her team hate spending money. 

[JSDSandiego]

Music is a BUSINESS. There's a lot of money transfer and rewards for clout. I would not be surprised it 99% of music artists were involved in some form of "payola" - even if they were unaware since the deals would be between the label and radio/TV channel/etc. I've noticed at award shows, it seems artists who are present seem to win over artists who are not present, and I find that to be another form of payola.

[ObsessedBritFan1]

Eh, they make a ton more money these days with streaming services anyway. 

[CripplerCrossface]

Thanks the universe Radio is nothing nowadays, now independent artists could make it through streaming services' playlists or make a viral Tik Tok with their songs.

[jordeezy river red]

It's ALL payola.  I worked in radio in 2008-2009 and we got CD's from independent artists all the time and the program manager put them straight in the garbage.  It was sad and there is nothing organic about it besides the groupies who sleep with loser DJ's.