1. secret or illegal payment made to someone in a position of trust to influence their judgment or conduct
Usage: informal
2. the practice of bribing disc jockeys to play particular records on the radio
Usage: informal; music industry

Examples

• The radio station was investigated for payola schemes involving record companies.
• Several DJs were fired after the payola scandal broke.
• The music industry cracked down on payola practices in the 1960s.
• He was accused of accepting payola to promote certain artists.
• The company was fined for engaging in payola to boost their sales.
• Payola undermines fair competition in the music business.