payola

American  

[pey-oh-luh] / peɪˈoʊ lə /

noun

Informal.

1. a secret or private payment in return for the promotion of a product, service, etc., through the abuse of one's position, influence, or facilities.

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payola British  

/ peɪˈəʊlə /

noun

1. a bribe given to secure special treatment, esp to a disc jockey to promote a commercial product

2. the practice of paying or receiving such bribes

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Etymology

Origin of payola

An Americanism dating back to 1935–40; pay ¹ + -ola

Example Sentences

The Canadian star took action last November, alleging that the music companies had used bots, payola and other methods to promote Lamar's song, which accused him of paedophilia.

From BBC • Jan. 15, 2025

There remain battles to be fought, whisper campaigns to be hatched, payola scandals to be investigated.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 19, 2024

Mr. Rupe cited payola — bribery of disc jockeys — as a reason that he gradually lost interest in the music business.

From Washington Post • Apr. 15, 2022

“What we saw happening was a modern form of payola, where cable companies and building owners were colluding to keep out competition,” said San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 16, 2021

I hope she further exposes the way payola works in this world, where independent curators with no workplace code of ethics can be highly influential, among other factors.

From Slate • Dec. 25, 2017