Does Radio Still Matter in 2026? | Billboard On the Record

The U.S. is the only major music market where artists don’t get paid when their songs are played on FM/AM radio, but why? Michael Huppe, CEO of SoundExchange, breaks down the century-old laws that shaped American radio, and what SoundExchange is doing to push for artists to get paid on radio through efforts such as the American Music Fairness Act. He joins host Kristin Robinson to unpack the history of radio, from payola scandals, the creation of satellite and online radio, the rise of consolidation and the shift from tastemaker to follower status in the streaming era. With AI radio personalities and data-driven choices on the rise in 2025, the radio landscape will certainly keep evolving in the years to come. Billboard On The Record is a podcast in partnership with SickBird Productions. 00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:10 Setting the Stage: Does Radio Still Matter? 00:04:30 History of Radio’s Evolution and Impact 00:10:20 Artists and Royalties on Terrestrial Radio 00:16:50 The Relationship Between Radio and Artists 00:22:10 Why the U.S. is Unique in Radio Royalties 00:28:40 The Creation of SoundExchange 00:34:25 Niche Radio Platforms and Music Discovery 00:40:10 Radio Consolidation and its Impacts 00:45:20 The Role of AI in Radio and Music 00:50:40 SoundExchange and AI Royalties 00:54:10 American Music Fairness Act Explained 00:57:20 Guest’s Playlist Picks 01:00:00 Closing Thoughts and Thank You Host: Kristin Robinson Executive Producers: Diona DaCosta Hannah Karp Jade Watson Produced By: Kayla Forman Mateo Vergara Edited By: Rachel Derbyshire ►► Subscribe for more music news: http://blbrd.cm/Proracf ►► See our latest videos: http://blbrd.cm/xOgw6VQ About: Billboard is the world's most influential music media brand, with an unmatched authority among artists, fans and the industry. Billboard powers the ultimate global music destination and magazine, featuring unrivaled reporting on music news, issues and trends, the industry’s definitive charts, encompassing the most complete and well respected database of charts across all music genres, and elite conferences and events which regularly convene the industry and consumers around important conversations. Connect with Billboard Online: Visit the website: http://blbrd.cm/s5w4vTm Likes us on Facebook: http://blbrd.cm/ks26yg5 Follow us on Twitter: http://blbrd.cm/uRNqRoN Follow us on Instagram: http://blbrd.cm/6QaTrhn #SoundExchange #Radio #JohnMayer #RyanSeacrest #SiriusXM #iheartradio #billboardontherecord #billboard Does Radio Still Matter in 2026? | Billboard On the Record Billboard    / billboard