Agushto Papá, Juancito & Jess Judith gathered at the 2026 Billboard Latin Music Week to discuss the new wave of podcasters and its impact on music.
During a conversation moderated by Billboard Español’s Isabela Raygoza, each speaker revealed why they decided to become podcasters. “I never thought I’d end up working in social media—I’m a marketing major—but my content has always just been a reflection of who I am, plain and simple,” Judith, a Dominican influencer-turned-podcaster said. “I love music, and it’s been wild to see the journey of how it went from being my passion to becoming my job.”
“My podcast is called ‘Desde Cero’ (From Scratch),” Venezuelan podcaster Juancito shared. “I used to work in Uber and construction, and it was during those jobs that I started writing down ideas and wanting to conduct interviews. Everyone starts from scratch, and seven years later, we have a residency in Miami with a live audience.”
As for Agushto Papá—a Música Mexicana project composed of Diego Mondragon, Angel Lopez, and Jason Nuñez—the three childhood friends decided to launch their podcast when they didn’t have luck as a sierreño group.
“We’re music fans, and we felt there was a disconnect when we started,” Mondragon noted. “All of a sudden all of these artists were reaching the charts, and not a lot of people were covering them. It wasn’t a plan, but we were able to connect the fans from the U.S. that listen to Mexican music to the artist.”
As for what’s the role that podcasters play in a music artist’s career?
Judith explained: “People want to see something different and get to know you—not what someone else is doing. The difference between short-form and long-form content is that people connect more deeply; they’re interested in watching something longer. The coolest part is sitting down with these people and asking them about everything that’s going on.”
“I understood what we have to offer them,” Juancito added. “What do I bring to their promotion? What do you have to offer the artist? Do you have a strategy that adds value to their promotion? Right now, there is such a massive saturation of content that we really need to stand out.”
Billboard Latin Music Week coincides with the 2026 Billboard Latin Music Awards, which will broadcast live on Oct. 22 via Telemundo and Peacock from James L. Knight Center in Downtown Miami. It will also be available on Universo and the Telemundo app, as well as throughout Latin America and the Caribbean via Telemundo Internacional.
