Texas AG Probes Music Streaming Payola Scandal

0:00It's April 24th, from your city to your ears. This is Dallas News Today, powered by AI. I'm Cory with the story. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton just kicked off a major probe into big music streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, Amazon Music, and YouTube Music. He's accusing them of running paola schemes where they allegedly take bribes to push certain artists and tracks ahead of others. This echoes the old school radio paola scandals from the early 20th century that got banned federally to keep things fair. Paxton sent out civil investigative demands to these companies, forcing them to hand over records on their promo deals. Artists and fans are fired up because this could mean playlists and recommendations aren't organic. They're bought. Paxton says musicians should battle it out on equal ground, and listeners need straight up honesty about what's being served up. The investigation digs into secret cash swaps with record labels, promoters, or outsiders that juice up visibility, spots on playlists, or algorithm, rankings, all potentially breaking

1:04Texas anti-trust laws. We'll keep watching as these giants respond. Could shake up how your next jam gets discovered and bring real balance back to the beats.