The report says the work starts around six months before a tournament and can mean 10 to 12 hours a day of preparation. That points to a role closer to curator than club DJ.
That matters because World Cup music has to do two jobs at once: energise a global crowd and still feel local when a team walks out.
The bigger story is the screening. The report says 5,000 tracks were prepared for the 2022 World Cup, with checks linked to human rights and anti-discrimination concerns.
One example in the report is that “Seven Nation Army” was removed after links were identified with a racist chant tied to a national team. That underlines how stadium music is judged not only by tempo, but by meaning.
Different tournaments bring different limits. Olympic broadcast rules, the report says, restricted songs with lyrics in some events, pushing the music team toward instrumental versions. Political sensitivities at regional competitions required another layer of caution.
So the next storyline is clear: when the World Cup opens, listen for how polished the stadium sound feels. Even without a live DJ in the arena, the playlist will still be part of the contest’s identity - and Repp’s work may yet be most visible at the Fan Fest stage.