Billboard On The Record

Boy bands may be built on fandom, but behind the music is a business that shapes everything from how groups are formed to how they make money. On this week’s episode of Billboard On The Record, Jason Lipshutz, Billboard’s co-chief content officer, joins host Kristin Robinson to discuss his new book, 'A Whole Lot of History: One Direction and the Music That Defined a Generation.' Lipshutz breaks do...

From restructuring at Universal Music Group to legal disputes between Summer Walker and her label and the landmark court ruling about termination rights, October 2026 shaped up to be a busy month in the music industry. On this special bonus episode of Billboard On The Record, host Kristin Robinson sits down with Billboard executive editor of business Dan Rys to break down some of the month’s bigge...

From crafting hit songs to leading one of the music industry’s most storied labels, Epic Records’ newly appointed CEO/chairman is bringing a songwriter’s perspective to the future of artist development. Ezekiel Lewis joins Billboard On The Record host Kristin Robinson this week in his first-ever interview as the leader of Epic to discuss his career, from writing and producing hits like Justin Bieb...

Global music has expanded far beyond its borders, with genres like Latin and Afrobeats reaching audiences around the world at a rate like never before. Live from Billboard Latin Music Week, Billboard On the Record host Kristin Robinson is joined by Ghazi, CEO/founder of EMPIRE, to discuss how he has grown the label from a hip-hop-focused company into a global music powerhouse with signings ranging...

There are more independent artists than ever today — but does that actually mean being independent has gotten easier? Molly Neuman, president of CD Baby, sits down with Billboard On The Record host Kristin Robinson for an episode about the evolution of being an independent artist, from the ’90s, when Neuman started her punk band Bratmobile, to today. They chat through how Napster, digital distribu...

As the music industry faces a new era of AI, the fight over artists’ rights is playing out in Washington D.C.. On this week’s episode of Billboard On The Record, host Kristin Robinson is joined by Mitch Glazier, Chairman/CEO of the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America), to discuss the intersection of music and politics, the importance of keeping the music industry top of mind in a crowd...

From Warner Music executive shakeups to Dolly Parton’s inheritance, streaming fraud and big AI news from Suno Music and Eleven Labs, September 2026 shaped up to be a busy month in the music industry. On this special bonus episode of Billboard On The Record, host Kristin Robinson sits down with Billboard executive editor of business Dan Rys to break down some of the month’s biggest headlines. Love...

Sampling has shaped some of the most influential music of the last 50 years — and Questlove has been there for much of its evolution. The musician and music historian joins Billboard’s Kristin Robinson on Billboard On The Record for a conversation about his Earth, Wind & Fire documentary — Earth, Wind & Fire (To Be Celestial vs. That’s the Weight of the World) — the history of sampling and his wor...

From Taylor Swift to Noah Kahan and Gracie Abrams, Aaron Dessner is one of the industry’s most sought-after collaborators. The musician, producer and record label owner has built a career across many different corners of the music industry, from his work with The National to producing and writing with some of today’s biggest artists to launching a studio, record label and a number of music festiva...

Nostalgia is shaping what listeners stream. On this week’s episode of Billboard On The Record, Luminate CEO Rob Jonas sits down with Billboard’s Kristin Robinson to unpack the data behind the resurgence of catalog music and what it says about the way people discover and engage with their favorite songs today. From the rise of ’90s and 2000s hits to the growing influence of film and television plac...

Behind television’s biggest live moments is a music director meticulously planning every detail from start to finish, and for many of today’s biggest live broadcasts, that man is Ray Chew. As he enters his 17th season as music director of “Dancing with the Stars,” Chew sits down with host Kristin Robinson for a behind-the-scenes look at everything that goes into bringing the show’s weekly live per...

Breaking news in the AI music world: Suno CEO and co-founder Mikey Shulman sits down with Billboard’s Kristin Robinson for the launch of Suno’s new V6 models, which he says were made “in partnership with the industry” for the first time. Though Suno is actively being sued by a number of music companies, like Universal, Sony, SOCAN, Koda and more, for copyright infringement, the AI music company ha...

Is there a bad way for songs to go viral? Fifteen years after the release of “Friday,” singer-songwriter Rebecca Black sits down with Billboard’s Kristin Robinson to explore whether artists can go viral before they’re able to capitalize on it — a question Black knows better than almost anyone after becoming an internet phenomenon at just 13 years old. With today’s TikTok algorithms creating more o...

We’re halfway through 2026, and the music industry has already had its fair share of headline-making moments. From Spotify's AI remix plans and Drake's surprise three-album drop to company mergers and antitrust battles, Billboard's business editorial team breaks down the biggest stories shaping the industry so far this year. They also revisit the predictions they made at the start of 2026 in an ea...

From coaching superstars like Ariana Grande, Shawn Mendes and ROSÉ to training actors like Timothée Chalamet, Angelina Jolie and Austin Butler, Eric Vetro has become one of the most in-demand vocal coaches in the entertainment industry. Vetro sits down on this week’s episode of Billboard On The Record for a look inside his process of keeping today’s biggest stars performance-ready and helping acto...

Finneas is known for producing some of the biggest records of the past decade — and his career also reflects how dramatically the record producer's role has evolved. He sits down on this week’s episode of Billboard On The Record to give listeners a peek inside his production process—from working with artists he knows closely, like his sister Billie Eilish, to collaborators he’s meeting for the fir...

Taylor Swift is among the most powerful artists of her generation — and her fans, the Swifties, are among the most powerful fandoms. On this week's episode of Billboard On the Record, host Kristin Robinson explores the nature and business of superfandom with Olivia Levin, the New York Times best-selling author and founder of social media page @swiftiesforeternity. Levin shares how she turned her p...

Ever wondered how the soundtrack to the world’s biggest sporting events gets made? On this week’s episode of Billboard On The Record, sports DJ and music curator Grayson Repp shares how he found himself at the intersection of sports and music — and what it takes to build the perfect setlist for events like FIFA, the Olympics, the NBA and the NFL. From playing local clubs to stadiums packed with te...

Is dance music coming back to the mainstream? On this week’s episode of Billboard On The Record, John Summit — DJ, producer and founder of Experts Only — discusses what makes the dance music industry unique, how DJs went from underground clubs to arena shows and festival headliner slots and why he decided to launch his own label. With his own discography evolving from singles to full album release...

Is music supervision the most misunderstood job in film and television? Jen Malone, music supervisor and founder of Black and White Music, sits down on Billboard On The Record to break down the art of building musical soundtracks. From her work on shows like Atlanta, Euphoria, Love Story and more, Malone explains how music supervisors shape a project from pre-production through post-production, co...

With over 100,000 songs hitting streaming platforms every day, according to Luminate, is the music industry struggling to keep up? Milana Lewis, co-founder and CEO of Stem, sits down on Billboard On The Record to break down what this fast-growing number of daily uploads means for artists, discoverability and the future of music making itself. Lewis explores whether AI songs and white noise should...

Country music has taken over the charts, and Nashville is no longer just a country town. Seth England, CEO of Big Loud, sits down with Billboard On The Record host Kristin Robinson for a conversation about how his label has helped shape the modern country landscape and how artists like Morgan Wallen, Florida Georgia Line and HARDY have driven the genre’s rise. England breaks down how Nashville has...

Prediction markets have become mainstream and are changing the way fans engage with music and pop culture. Kalshi COO and co-founder Luana Lopes Lara joins Billboard On The Record to discuss how the platform is expanding into new categories and giving music superfans the ability to put money behind their favorite artists and predictions. She breaks down why she believes it was essential for Kalshi...

Music streaming is a crowded market where platforms offer most of the same content, so how does Apple Music differentiate itself? Oliver Schusser, vp of Apple Music and international content, Apple, joins Billboard On The Record to break down how the service has transitioned from its early Beats Music roots into one of the world’s leading streaming platforms. He explains Apple Music’s focus on a c...

Christian and Gospel music are having a major moment. According to Luminate, Christian and Gospel has risen by 25% from 2024 to 2025 — making it the second fastest growing genre in America behind Rock. Lecrae, four-time Grammy-winning Christian artist and founder of Reach Records, joins Billboard On The Record to break down the genre’s rapid growth, how it’s attracting younger fans and the nuances...