payola

noun

pay·​o·​la pā-ˈō-lə 

: undercover or indirect payment (as to a disc jockey) for a commercial favor (as for promoting a particular recording)

Examples of payola in a Sentence

These radio disc jockeys accepted payola to play particular songs.

payola in the music industry

Recent Examples on the Web

The 81-page federal complaint charging Universal Music Group with defamation, harassment and payola (deceptive business practices) is a page-turner that seems penned more for press and public consumption (and perhaps label renegotiation) than judicial inspection. —Bill Hochberg, Forbes, 17 Jan. 2025

One method resembles payola — pay-for-play on certain playlists. —Elizabeth Lopatto, The Verge, 16 Jan. 2025

There’s the illicit deal that Ava has struck with the lawyer from the golf course who’s giving Abbott payola, hush money, essentially. —Michael Schneider, Variety, 9 Jan. 2025

But in between innovating new forms of payola and cozying up to authoritarian regimes, the Globes still found time to vote. —Jen Chaney, Vulture, 9 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

pay entry 1 + -ola (as in Pianola, trademark for a player piano)

First Known Use

1938, in the meaning defined above

Legal Definition

payola

noun

pay·​o·​la pā-ˈō-lə 

: a secret or indirect payment (as to a disc jockey) for a commercial favor (as for promoting a particular record)