Billboard is making some changes to the way it counts streaming music when compiling its popular music charts. The Billboard Hot 100 chart gives more weight to the on-demand streaming music tier as opposed to the programmed tier. Starting next year, the company will take into account a new tier before compiling the charts.
On-demand music streaming services are those where users can select the music they want to listen to. Programmed services are like Pandora where the options are limited for skipping or selecting individual tracks.
Billboard is going to add a new tier to the mix starting next year and it’s all about the premium music streaming services. Paid services like Spotify and Apple Music are going to have more weight than ad-supported services and free tiers.
“The shift to a multi-level streaming approach to Billboard’s chart methodology is a reflection of how music is now being consumed on streaming services,” Billboard says.
The Billboard Hot 100 chart will continue to be put together using multiple metrics. Aside from subscription services of all kinds, the metrics also include digital sales, video streams, and radio play. Billboard 200, used for tracking albums, is also going to split the on-demand streams into paid and ad-supported tiers.
The chart position may not be that important for listeners but having a chart-topping song is still sought after by artists and labels. The addition of modern methods of music consumption will just give them more of an incentive to push their music through these services.