Billboard On The Record

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 from Latin America, Southeast Asia and North Africa. They explore why Ghazi invested in certain genres before they were fully monetized, and how visa and immigration issues in the U.S. are affecting Latin artists’ touring schedules.

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Billboard On The Record is a podcast in partnership with SickBird Productions.
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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 distribution and streaming transformed the industry, while diving into how artists have more leverage and options now than ever before. With that leverage, though, come new challenges, from an overwhelming volume of songs to rising marketing costs.

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Keep up with us on IG @billboardontherecord, TikTok @billboardontherecord and @wordsbykristin.

Billboard On The Record is a podcast in partnership with SickBird Productions.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 crowded political climate and the introduction of the NO FAKES Act, which is making its way through Congress. From AI transparency and standardized labeling to whether AI is the next Napster, Glazier and Robinson take a look at the RIAA’s work to protect the recorded music industry.

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Keep up with us on IG @billboardontherecord, TikTok @billboardontherecord and @wordsbykristin.

Billboard On The Record is a podcast in partnership with SickBird Productions.

This episode is sponsored by BMI.
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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.

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Keep up with us on IG @billboardontherecord, TikTok @billboardontherecord and @wordsbykristin.

Billboard On The Record is a podcast in partnership with SickBird Productions.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 work as a music historian. From the lawsuit against Biz Markie, which made sampling more difficult and expensive, to AI-generated crate digging and the surge of catalog sales, Questlove shares his insight into sampling’s evolution and how it changed the music business.

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Keep up with us on IG @billboardontherecord, TikTok @billboardontherecord and @wordsbykristin.

Billboard On The Record is a podcast in partnership with SickBird Productions.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices