Billboard is changing its chart math again. Starting in mid-January, streams will count for more when calculating album sales. The main shift gives more chart influence to people using free, ad-supported streaming tiers.
The new formula reduces the number of streams needed to equal one album sale. For paid subscription streams, it drops from 1,250 to 1,000. The change for free ad-supported streams is even bigger, dropping from 3,750 streams to 2,500. This means free streams gain more relative power. Previously, one paid stream equaled three free ones. Now, a paid stream only counts as two and a half free streams. This will likely increase the total album equivalent sales reported across the board.
These updates apply to the Billboard 200 and similar genre album charts. The company says it is adjusting to reflect higher streaming revenue and shifting listener habits. Streaming has factored into their charts for well over a decade, with various tweaks over the years. They previously increased the value of paid streams back in 2018. This new move partly reverses that weighting, giving free streams a bigger bite.
The new formula reduces the number of streams needed to equal one album sale. For paid subscription streams, it drops from 1,250 to 1,000. The change for free ad-supported streams is even bigger, dropping from 3,750 streams to 2,500. This means free streams gain more relative power. Previously, one paid stream equaled three free ones. Now, a paid stream only counts as two and a half free streams. This will likely increase the total album equivalent sales reported across the board.
These updates apply to the Billboard 200 and similar genre album charts. The company says it is adjusting to reflect higher streaming revenue and shifting listener habits. Streaming has factored into their charts for well over a decade, with various tweaks over the years. They previously increased the value of paid streams back in 2018. This new move partly reverses that weighting, giving free streams a bigger bite.
