: 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
These days, payola takes different shapes, but each practice amounts to a form of payment to twist public perception and secure an unfair advantage.
—
Kyle Eustice, VIBE.com, 30 Mar. 2026
The label went into decline by the mid-1960s, following a payola scandal in 1959 in which Nathan was accused of making payments to radio DJs to promote his songs.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 14 Oct. 2025
The Evolution of Payola Practices The music industry’s relationship with promotion has always been fraught, with major labels repeatedly scrutinized for illicit payola practices.
—Jared Brenner, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
That money shifts college sports even further away from purity and closer to payola.
—Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for payola
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Kyle Eustice, VIBE.com, 30 Mar. 2026
The label went into decline by the mid-1960s, following a payola scandal in 1959 in which Nathan was accused of making payments to radio DJs to promote his songs.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 14 Oct. 2025
The Evolution of Payola Practices The music industry’s relationship with promotion has always been fraught, with major labels repeatedly scrutinized for illicit payola practices.
—Jared Brenner, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
That money shifts college sports even further away from purity and closer to payola.
—Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for payola
Cite this Entry
“Payola.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/payola. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLegal 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)
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