Billboard is reportedly revising its Hot 100 chart methodology to exclude digital downloads from artists’ websites, according to Chart Data. The changes have not been publicly confirmed by Billboard or Luminate.
The exclusion of D2C purchases from official artist sites has drawn criticism from some who argue Billboard charts no longer accurately reflect what music is truly popular. Comments responding to the news expressed concerns that the new methodology favors radio plays and paid streams, limiting representation for independent artists who rely on direct fan purchases. Others questioned Billboard’s frequent changing of the rules.
In May of this year, Billboard has revised its album chart policies regarding “fan packs,” which bundle physical albums with merchandise. The new guidelines specify that eligible merch bundles must include a sweatshirt and LP, t-shirt and CD, or other proper album-merch pair. Bundles cannot include tangible benefits like tickets or meet and greets, or digital downloads.
While album bundling has become standard to boost sales, the practice is controversial. Some industry executives argue it distorts what is genuinely popular by incentivizing purchases to support artists rather than quality music. Though Billboard removed bundling in 2020, the reinstated rules aim to minimize chart distortion.
However, critics would argue that excluding D2C album downloads from artists’ websites far more significantly distorts the charts by overlooking an important avenue of fan consumption and engagement, particularly for independent artists.
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