Tag: on the record

Billboard Magazine Music

Questlove on Sampling, Earth, Wind & Fire and the Evolution of Hip-Hop | Billboard On The Record 0 (0)

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 [See More…]

Billboard Magazine Music

Aaron Dessner on Songwriting & Collaborating w/ Taylor Swift, Noah Kahan & Gracie Abrams 0 (0)

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 festivals. Dessner joins Billboard’s Kristin Robinson on this week’s episode of Billboard On The Record to talk through his music industry journey, the art of collaboration, and how his experimentation with founding record labels and [See More…]

Billboard Magazine Music

Rebecca Black Looks Back At the Virality of “Friday” 15 Years Later | Billboard On the Record 0 (0)

Rebecca Black joins Billboard’s On the Record to go deep on one of the biggest questions in music right now: Is there such a thing as bad virality? Fifteen years after “Friday” made her the internet’s most unavoidable conversation, Rebecca reflects on how different the online world was in 2011—when a monoculture could make something feel “everywhere”—versus today’s hyper-personal algorithms, niche platforms and nonstop viral cycles. She revisits what it felt like for a song to explode while she was still a kid trying to understand the industry, identity and perception in real time. Rebecca talks about the pressure artists [See More…]

Billboard Magazine Music

Drake, AI & The Live Nation Case: Breaking Down Music’s Biggest Stories | Billboard On The Record 0 (0)

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 earlier episode of Billboard On The Record, revealing which have already come true, which surprised them and what they expect to happen next. Host Kristin Robinson is joined by Billboard executive editor of business Dan Rys, senior [See More…]

Billboard Magazine Music

Training Ariana Grande & Timothée Chalamet: Inside the World of Hollywood’s Top Vocal Coach 0 (0)

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 actors transform into music legends for film. He breaks down what makes a great singer, how artists can protect their voices throughout their careers and how his coaching sessions help shape some of the industry’s most memorable performances. [See More…]

Billboard Magazine Music

How a Taylor Swift Superfan Became a Music Business Entrepreneur | Billboard On The Record 0 (0)

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 page into a six-figure income, spanning ticketing, social media management, writing and brand deals. She also explains why Taylor Swift continues to inspire such loyalty with her listeners, why her re-recordings changed the game and what [See More…]

Billboard Magazine Music

How Does FIFA Curate Stadium Music For The World Cup? | Billboard On The Record 0 (0)

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 tens of thousands of fans, Repp breaks down how every match, crowd and city requires its own approach, especially when top global leaders are watching. He also explains his World [See More…]

Billboard Magazine Music

John Summit: How An Accountant Turned DJ Is Bringing Back Dance Music | Billboard On The Record 0 (0)

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 releases, Summit walks through how he laid the foundation for his upcoming arena tour while losing $1 million in the process — and yes, what led to him lighting a Rimowa suitcase [See More…]

Billboard Magazine Music

Inside Your Favorite TV Show Soundtracks w/ Jen Malone | Billboard On The Record 0 (0)

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, collaborating closely with showrunners to build a series’ musical identity. She also breaks down the difference between composers and music supervisors, the process of clearing songs and how she approaches crafting each character’s sound. This episode of Billboard [See More…]

Billboard Magazine Music

Is There Too Much Music? w/ Milana Lewis | Billboard On The Record 0 (0)

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 be given the same royalty as human-made songs, how social media has rewritten the path to success and why artists today have more tools than ever to make music — but less clarity on how they [See More…]