A compulsory licensing feature included in the revision of the copyright law in 1909 likely increased the prevalence of payola. Despite its changes over the years, payola's underlying principle has remained the same: a greater number of songs are produced than can be heard by the general public. In magazines and on billboards, advertisements cannot compensate for a failed song. When a song doesn't get airplay, it simply isn't heard. Payola in America, 1880-1991, lays out a history of the practice, as well as attempts to curb it.Īlthough it gained popularity in the 1950s and has a long history, payola is now most associated with the swingin' 60s and wild 70s. American popular music history can be divided into two key chapters. As much as $50 per week can be expected from even mid-level DJs in bribes, with prominent DJs commanding even higher prices and offering flashier prizes. Some DJs and critics, like Lester Bangs, came out against the practice, but they were in the minority money talks, and people listen. The majority of them were more than happy to flood the airwaves with the good, the bad, and the awful - until they got caught. In particular, Bangs was troubled by the practices, less because of morality than because of the effect they were having on music culture as a whole. In the past, most rock critics held the record companies in contempt, and they simply wrote what they wanted. Is There Any Difference Between Payola And Playola? Now, it seems the opposite is true, that most of the people writing about the music are pretty much in the pocket of the record companies," he is reported as having said many moons ago.Ĭonclusion, there are many types of payola.As an example, a radio station's program director or disk jockey could be paid to repeatedly play a song by a particular artist.There are also instances where a popular music show broadcast on television from coast to coast will offer you an appearance on their show for a fee or have the band include the name of the host of the show as a co-writer.Neither of these is legal, however, you can't prove it unless you have past experience in the music industry. Here we go again, just when you thought things couldn't get any sleazier in the music business.
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