Payola in the Music Industry

Payola

• Payola is the practice of offering money or gifts to promote a product, in this case music.
• It involves an exchange of money or gifts for promotion, often within the music industry.
• The term stems from a portmanteau of "pay" and "-ola", a common suffix in music-related company names.

Payola in the Music Industry

• The term "payola" is most commonly used in relation to the music business practices of the 1950s to promote rock and roll music on radio and television.

• Payola practices existed in the Tin Pan Alley era, where "song pluggers" were employed to promote songs.

• Song pluggers' tasks included surreptitiously encouraging musicians to play certain songs, and even inserting themselves into live performances to encourage the playing of their assigned songs.


• The practice of payola emerged alongside the rise of radio and television, increasing the influence of radio stations in creating national hits.

• The rise of a teen demographic interested in R&B and rock 'n' roll, alongside independent record labels specializing in this genre contributed to 1950s payola practices.

• Alan Freed's The Moondog Show was a significant factor in the popularization of rock and roll music, and subsequently, payola practices.

• The post-war economic boom and availability of consumer goods contributed to the rise of rock 'n' roll and the use of payola.

Payola Scandal

• The 1950s saw an increase in the popularity of rock and roll music, leading to increased scrutiny of payola scandals during the 1959 investigation of Alan Freed.

• A federal investigation into payola practices led to the exposure of payola activities.

• This led to new legislation prohibiting these behaviours.

• Notable figures in the investigation included Alan Freed and Dick Clark.

• The payola scandal had an impact in limiting the practice but also led to the exploration of the issue.

Payola in the 1970s

• Despite previous scandals, payola continued in the 1970s in various forms.

• One of the most notable incidents involved allegations against Columbia Records which led to accusations of improper handling of funds intended for promotional purposes and of the distribution of illegal drugs to radio DJs.

• New legislation and investigations during this time attempted to curtail ongoing payola practices.