payola

noun
UK: /peɪˈoʊ.lə/
US: /peɪˈoʊ.lə/

  1. The secret payment or bribe to promote a product, especially in the entertainment industry.

    1. The radio station was fined for accepting payola to play certain songs.
    2. Critics argue that social media influencers often engage in a form of payola by promoting products without disclosing that they are being paid.

Synonyms

kickback hush money bribe
payola verb

  1. To engage in the practice of secretly paying someone to promote a product or service.

    1. The record company was accused of payola to get their artists on the radio.
    2. The investigation revealed that several DJs were payola to play certain tracks more frequently than others.

Frequently Asked Questions

The phonetic transcription of "payola" is /peɪˈoʊ.lə/ in British English and /peɪˈoʊ.lə/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "payola": kickback, hush money, bribe.

Example usage of "payola": "The radio station was fined for accepting payola to play certain songs.". More examples on the page.