Billboard to Count Streams, Track Sales Toward Album Chart

Billboard to Count Streams, Track Sales Toward Album Chart

Billboard currently ranks their 200 albums chart using album sales alone. That’s about to change: Starting with the chart that comes out on December 3, the chart will begin incorporating data from streaming services as well as individual track sales, The New York Times reports

The Billboard 200 will now recognize 10 digital track sales from the same album as the equivalent of one album sale. Meanwhile, 1,500 song streams from an album will be the equivalent of one album sale. Data will come from every major streaming service, including Spotify, Beats Music, Rdio, Rhapsody, Google Play, and Xbox Music.

The Times reports that major pop stars will likely benefit from the new rule. Ariana Grande’s new album, for example, was at number 36 on last week’s chart. With the new formula, it would have ranked at number nine. They also note that artists who rely solely on album sales and keep their albums off streaming services—like Barbra Streisand—may be negatively impacted by the new rule.

Individual track sales and streams are already being counted toward Billboard’s Hot 100 singles chart.

Silvio Pietroluongo, vice president of charts and data development at Billboard, said of the change:

“Adding streaming information makes the chart a better representation of music consumption activity. While an extremely valuable measurement, album sales would mostly capture the initial impulse only, without indicating the depth of consumption thereafter. Someone could listen to the album just once, or listen to one track or a number of tracks 100 times. We are now able to incorporate those plays as part of an album consumption ranking throughout one’s possession of an album, extending beyond the initial purchase or listen.”

Read Chris Molanphy’s article about YouTube’s impact on the Hot 100 chart, and check out Eric Harvey’s Cover Story on streaming services.

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