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 On The Record is presented by KOSIGN.

Love what you hear? Don’t forget to rate, review and subscribe so you never miss an episode of Billboard On The Record.

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

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 can actually break through. 

This episode of Billboard On The Record is presented by KOSIGN.

Love what you hear? Don’t forget to rate, review and subscribe so you never miss an episode of Billboard On The Record.

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

Country music has taken over the charts, and Nashville is no longer just a country town. Seth England, CEO of Big Loud, sits down with Billboard On The Record host Kristin Robinson for a conversation about how his label has helped shape the modern country landscape and how artists like Morgan Wallen, Florida Georgia Line and HARDY have driven the genre’s rise. England breaks down how Nashville has become a hub for songwriters across genres, what actually drives hit-making today and why artist development remains one of the most important pillars at Big Loud.

Love what you hear? Don’t forget to rate, review and subscribe so you never miss an episode of Billboard On The Record.

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

Prediction markets have become mainstream and are changing the way fans engage with music and pop culture. Kalshi COO and co-founder Luana Lopes Lara joins Billboard On The Record to discuss how the platform is expanding into new categories and giving music superfans the ability to put money behind their favorite artists and predictions. She breaks down why she believes it was essential for Kalshi to be fully government regulated, how the company views insider trading and why she sees music and entertainment as essential to the platform's future.

Love what you hear? Don’t forget to rate, review and subscribe so you never miss an episode of Billboard On The Record.

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

Music streaming is a crowded market where platforms offer most of the same content, so how does Apple Music differentiate itself? Oliver Schusser, vp of Apple Music and international content, Apple, joins Billboard On The Record to break down how the service has transitioned from its early Beats Music roots into one of the world’s leading streaming platforms. He explains Apple Music’s focus on a curated, high-quality listening experience built around editorial expertise, artist relationships and product integration rather than scale alone. Schusser also discusses Apple’s stance on maintaining a paid-only model, how the platform uses AI in discovery and fraud prevention and the importance of its partnerships with artists and labels.

Love what you hear? Don’t forget to rate, review and subscribe so you never miss an episode of Billboard On The Record.

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

Christian and Gospel music are having a major moment. According to Luminate, Christian and Gospel has risen by 25% from 2024 to 2025 — making it the second fastest growing genre in America behind Rock. Lecrae, four-time Grammy-winning Christian artist and founder of Reach Records, joins Billboard On The Record to break down the genre’s rapid growth, how it’s attracting younger fans and the nuances of combining faith with business. From building his own independent label to staying tapped in with rising artists, Lecrae shares his journey creating a career outside the traditional system, why speaking out matters and what makes Christian music a uniquely powerful and complex space.

Love what you hear? Don’t forget to rate, review and subscribe so you never miss an episode of Billboard On The Record.

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

Coachella has become the biggest festival in America — and it rewrote the live music playbook in the process. Katie Bain, Billboard's senior music correspondent, director of Billboard Dance, joins Billboard On The Record to break down how a scrappy desert show founded by then-local promoter Goldenvoice turned into a global cultural force, from the early Pearl Jam experiment to era-defining performances by Beyoncé, Daft Punk and Frank Ocean. She dives into the high-stakes gamble of booking a lineup, the business behind ticketing, sponsorships and livestreams.

Love what you hear? Don’t forget to rate, review and subscribe so you never miss an episode of Billboard On The Record.

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

To purchase a copy of 'Desert Dreams: The Music, Style and Allure of Coachella' by Katie Bain, click here.

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Music catalogs have quietly become one of the most valuable assets in entertainment — so who’s really shaping the future of music ownership? Golnar Khosrowshahi, founder and CEO of Reservoir Media, joins Billboard On The Record to break down how she built a music catalog powerhouse before the space became crowded, why music rights offer long-term, reliable value and how her team approaches acquisitions with artists, estates and families. She also discusses preserving legacy while driving cultural relevance for new generations, how licensing, film/TV and biopics impact catalog value, the role of sampling in today’s music economy and how generative AI could reshape valuations across the industry.

Love what you hear? Don’t forget to rate, review and subscribe so you never miss an episode of Billboard On The Record.

Keep up with us on IG @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

How do songs go viral in today’s music landscape? And why has making it as an artist never been more strategic? Jesse Coren and Andrew Spelman, co-founders of Chaotic Good, joined Billboard On The Record for a live episode at SXSW to break it all down. Speaking from their experience building one of the leading viral marketing agencies in music, they explain how TikTok trends, niche audiences and volume-driven campaigns shape which songs take off. Coren and Spelman share how they simulate trends, optimize placements and use data to help artists reach the right listeners while freeing them to focus on their art. From algorithm insights to creative strategy, they reveal what it really takes to turn a song into a hit and navigate the fast-changing world of music discovery.

Love what you hear? Don’t forget to rate, review and subscribe so you never miss an episode of Billboard On The Record.

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mark Cuban joined Billboard On The Record for the first-ever live taping of the podcast at SXSW to share his take on the music industry — and why breaking through as an artist has never been harder. Speaking from his perspective as an investor, Cuban explains how the industry has shifted, with music now treated as an asset class and algorithms shaping what becomes a hit. He reflects on why Spotify succeeded, where new music tech could create opportunities and how fans might respond to AI-generated songs. Cuban also emphasizes the importance of artists thinking like entrepreneurs, leveraging the right tools and securing placement in legacy media. In the conversation, he highlights why music is “recession-proof” and what it really takes to succeed in today’s ever-changing music landscape. 

Love what you hear? Don’t forget to rate, review and subscribe so you never miss an episode of Billboard On The Record.

Keep up with us on IG @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