Three Podcasters Bring the Conversation About Latin Music to Miami

Three podcast hosts with very different routes into music took the stage at Billboard Latin Music Week in Miami this week, to talk about how podcasts are changing the way fans find Latin artists. Agushto Papá, Juancito and Jess Judith joined a panel moderated by Isabela Raygoza of Billboard Español. The event runs from Oct. 19 to 22, 2026.

Agushto Papá is a Música Mexicana project, a name for modern regional Mexican music. The group is made up of Diego Mondragon, Angel Lopez and Jason Nuñez. They started their podcast after struggling to gain traction as a sierreño act, a rustic, guitar-led style of regional Mexican music. Apple Podcasts describes the show as the first and largest music podcast exploring regional Mexican music for an English-speaking new generation of fans.

Juancito hosts Desde Cero, which translates as "From Scratch." He said that after seven years on air, the show has a residency in Miami with a live audience. A residency is a run of regular dates in one city, usually at the same venue.

Jess Judith is a Dominican influencer who became a podcaster. She studied marketing, and she said she never expected to work in social media.

For artists, a podcast is a space to talk about the music and the people who make it, away from a single song or a release date. For listeners, it is often a way in. A host who explains where a sound comes from can turn a casual listener into a regular one, and that is the thread the panel kept returning to.

The week also leads to an awards night. The Billboard Latin Music Awards will be broadcast live on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET on Telemundo and Peacock. The ceremony takes place at the James L. Knight Center in Downtown Miami, and it coincides with Latin Music Week. Billboard has also opened a fan favorite vote tied to the ceremony, so viewers can take part in choosing one of the winners.

Latin Music Week gathers executives, artists, writers and media figures for panels, showcases and networking. Podcasts have become a regular part of that programme, alongside radio, streaming and live shows. This panel showed the variety in that shift: a group that began outside the industry's usual channels, a host with a long-running live show, and a creator who came to the work through social media.