RIAA CEO Mitch Glazier on AI, Copyright & Congress | On the Record

As the music industry faces a new era of AI, the fight over artists’ rights is playing out in Washington D.C.. On this week’s episode of Billboard On The Record, host Kristin Robinson is joined by Mitch Glazier, Chairman/CEO of the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America), to discuss the intersection of music and politics, the importance of keeping the music industry top of mind in a crowded political climate and the introduction of the NO FAKES Act, which is making its way through Congress. From AI transparency and standardized labeling to whether AI is the next Napster, Glazier and Robinson take a look at the RIAA’s work to protect the recorded music industry.
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Billboard On The Record is a podcast in partnership with SickBird Productions.

Host:
Kristin Robinson

Executive Producers:
Diona DaCosta
Jade Watson

Produced By:
Kayla Forman
Mateo Vergara

Edited By:
Rachel Derbyshire

Kristin Robinson 

We’re going to be talking about the intersection of music and politics

Mitch Glazer 

People often say that DC is Hollywood for ugly people. That’s sort of like the-

Kristin Robinson 

I wasn’t gonna say it, but [laughs]

Mitch Glazer 

DC is all about a brand around a person, and an artist is all about a brand around a person. They all have teams-

Kristin Robinson 

With everything going on in DC right now, there are a ton of hot button issues, life or death situations, and then you come in and you’re like, “Hey, let’s care about music. ” Or is it difficult to get people to see the gravity of what is going on in the music industry?

Mitch Glazer 

It’s not, because everybody loves music. The first thing I ask any person who’s elected to Congress is, “What was the song that you danced to at your wedding? ” That is our secret weapon. This industry is small with a huge impact.

Kristin Robinson 

So when I talk to people about generative AI, they’ll say generative AI is music’s next Napster moment. Do you think that that’s a fair comparison?

Mitch Glazer 

I think it’s the opposite. I would say with Napster, we were put in this terrible situation where it was like, you know, the industry versus fans. That’s not where you want to be. AI’s the complete opposite. Like, the fans, the people, they’re with us.

Kristin Robinson 

So I want to talk about the NO FAKES Act. It was first introduced as a draft bill in 2023, then it was formally introduced in 2024, reintroduced in 2025.