charts discussion Billboard: we're counting Meek's free streams!

[State of Grace.]

Quote

We’re getting questions around whether Billboard is suddenly counting free streams for this coming week’s Billboard 200, seemingly due to some misinformation posted online. We’d like to take a moment to clear up any confusion that misinformation may have caused.

 

Free streams -- with “free” defined as streams a listener has accessed without having a paid subscription or as part of a trial period subscription -- have counted towards the Billboard 200 since it changed to a consumption model in 2014 where the ranking is determined by blending album sales, track equivalent album units and streaming equivalent album units.

Nothing in our process has changed for this week. 

 

Billboard has always been transparent about the methodology behind the Billboard 200 chart, and you can read about our transforming to a consumption model here.

Billboard does not currently have in place any rule or rules dictating how an approved streaming chart contributor can present or promote content on their services. Nor have we placed certain considerations or restrictions on how we would count those resulting streams on our charts. By the methodology now in place, which was arrived at in partnership with our industry constituents (record labels, distribution companies, etc.), on-demand audio streams from approved contributors, whether in front or behind a pay-wall, or via a free, discounted or paid trial, all count equally, provided the streams are consumer-initiated “on demand.” 

 

All of the above streaming variations are then put through an intense vetting process by Nielsen Music, which works closely with each streaming service to assure there are safeguards in place to guard against automated streams and/or excessive streaming from singular IP addresses.

When Billboard adjusted the Billboard 200 to a consumption-based ranking, we knew as an industry that we were moving into uncharted territory and would be facing new and unique scenarios as streaming continued to grow in influence. We have continuously adapted to that evolving marketplace and retail landscape to create new parameters and rules. 

 

The debate in treating free streams differently than paid/subscription streams is a valid one, as is examining how each streaming provider allows access to its service. Again, no changes were enacted this week, but when and if any adjustments are made on either front in the future, they will be communicated in advance to the industry to allow for proper preparation time.

http://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/7881874/clearing-up-free-streams-on-the-charts

 

Tidal and their shameless payola won.

This is embarrassing, poor Lana

Edited July 27, 2017 by State of Grace.

[Samson]

Mess

[QueenofCopyPaste]

 

[Oxygen]

Yikes  

[Jonathan]

Corruption WON

[TSLGNMA]

 

[Dark Poet]

I hope Lana pulls through, just to **** those scammers. 

[sxmescudi]

let me leave Lust for Life on repeat overnight 

[ultraviolence.xx]

poor lana

[State of Grace.]

the fact that they're still doing this even after Jay-Z's O B V I O U S drops these past weeks

Edited July 27, 2017 by State of Grace.

[OnikaSlays]

I still don't see why this is a big deal. Don't they count Spotify and Apple Music's free streams, what's the difference?

[simon]

TIDAL won. Honestly, I am sure that every service has had "peculiar" ways to push sales. It is just easy to bully TIDAL as HDD has constantly done, and as usual, it backfired.

[Dekkan]

Really trashy, but I get what they're trying to say.

[digitaldistortion]

Imagine if Lana still comes out on top. Lana has TALENT. When meek raps, it sounds like someone in the passenger seat trying to yell to the drive thru microphone.

[ontherocks]

1 minute ago, sxmescudi said:

let me leave Lust for Life on repeat overnight 

so that it doesn't count?

[State of Grace.]

Just now, OnikaSlays said:

I still don't see why this is a big deal. Don't they count Spotify and Apple Music's free streams, what's the difference?

22 hours ago, iHype. said:

https://listen.tidal.com/album/76384491

You don't even need an account to stream the album, which is why they are saying the streams shouldn't count. They can literally use spam bots to go on the page and play all the songs on loop.

 

There is also no revenue generated by those streams. Streams on Spotify even for free generate revenue. The sole purpose of the streams are to inflate a charting position in a close race.

.

[Raver]

Dear lord 

[BADLANDS]

**** him and all those other tacky ass bad rappers. 

 

Tyler or Lana better PULL tf through.

[Dekkan]

Just now, OnikaSlays said:

I still don't see why this is a big deal. Don't they count Spotify and Apple Music's free streams, what's the difference?

You need an account to stream for free on Spotify, while you can stream Meek Mill's album on Tidal without an account, which makes it possible to manipulate the streams and therefore, the chart numbers.

[Robotboy]

That's one of the reasons why everyone should stop caring about charts.

[scenekiller]

I mean I guess, I just find it more than a little shady that an album can be free to people WITHOUT subscriptions to Tidal seeing as it's only a paid service, not a freemium one, and have that count.

 

But do you, Billboard.

[Speezy]

Talent won 

Numbers never lie 

 

[TalkThatRihanna]

Rediculous 

[peterstyles13]

Pull through Lana

[Blue Rose]

I'm rooting for Tyler but I'm happy to see ATRL seethe