The hidden money financing your favorite songs

Pop Culture Happy Hour

We all need a trusted source for music discovery – a music-savvy friend or family member, a music site – or someone on social media. But are influencers taking money to promote music and not telling you? Today we’re bringing you an episode of NPR’s It's Been a Minute, where host Brittany Luse talks to NPR music reporter Isabella Gomez Sarmiento about the details and broader implications of this practice.

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We all need a trusted source for music discovery – a music-savvy friend or family member, a music site – or someone on social media. But are influencers taking money to promote music and not telling you? Today we’re bringing you an episode of NPR’s It's Been a Minute, where host Brittany Luse talks to NPR music reporter Isabella Gomez Sarmiento about the details and broader implications of this practice.

Connect with Pop Culture Happy Hour:
Letterboxd / Facebook
Our weekly newsletter
Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy
2026-09-07 26 min
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