About the Charts: Eligibility guidelines and review process

About the Charts: Eligibility guidelines and review process

Luminate is the most comprehensive global provider of data and analytics to the entertainment industry. In addition to our suite of productivity tools, we power the Billboard Charts, the industry-standard measurement of music consumption.


The CONNECT platform now hosts official Billboard charts and data. Go to Charts to search and browse all charts. 




Back to Chart Eligibility 

Official eligibility guidelines

We collaborate with Billboard on official chart eligibility guidelines and reporting criteria. We also work with Billboard to develop the equivalent ratios used to convert music consumption activities into equal units that can be ranked on the charts. These chart eligibility guidelines + equivalent ratios create a framework for determining music popularity.


Innovation in music occurs rapidly; maintaining our framework requires cooperation across industry stakeholders. Together with Billboard, we review and update the guidelines multiple times per year. The most current versions are always posted here, in the Chart Eligibility section of the Luminate Knowledge Base. Music labels, distributors, retailers, data providers and all other interested parties are responsible for consulting and following up-to-date eligibility rules at all times. 


Please note that Billboard ultimately determines eligibility for their charts. Final judgments on eligibility and chart rankings, both in general and in specific cases, are made by Billboard. Refer to the Billboard Charts Legend for official definitions and recurrent rules. 


Eligibility reviews and updates
Luminate and Billboard review the chart eligibility model and assess feedback once a quarter, or about every three (3) months.

Changes and updates are posted to the appropriate section of the Chart Eligibility Rules. 
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Unmentioned tactics
Any promotional tactic, event, product category, transaction type or other scenario not mentioned in the Chart Eligibility Rules is ineligible for tracking and inclusion on the Billboard charts.

In short: if it's not covered, it's not eligible.
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Data delays / Chart publication hold criteria
Charts from the previous week (F-Th) are usually published in CONNECT on Mondays and Tuesdays. Sometimes, data irregularities, missed reporting or technical issues can trigger a system hold. When this happens, Luminate will notify clients and partners via email or post an in-app message.

CONNECT releases data when we have seven (7) days of complete and validated reporting. Delays and holds are triggered by our internal data processing protocols; we then work to audit, correct and validate the data before releasing it. We do not hold data or chart publication by request or based on external factors, such as numbers reported by other sources.  

Luminate does not comment on numbers or other content located in reports exogenous to Luminate. 
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Eligibility articles

Chart eligibility definitions and guidelines are sorted by topic. Jump to an article: 

  1. Music Eligibility

Valid songs, albums and editions


  1. Provider Reporting Requirements

What retailers need to know


  1. Product Eligibility

Valid product types, pricing policies and exclusions


  1. Incentives and Bundles

“Special products,” add-ons and merch


  1. Fan Packs

Detailed guidance for merchandise “fan pack” products


  1. Special Events

Detailed guidance for in-store events and pop-up fan experiences


  1. Venue Sales 

Partnership details and reporting requirements


  1. Data Reconciliation

Data review requests and forecast guidelines


Can’t see the articles? You must log in with Luminate credentials to access complete eligibility guidelines.

How do I log into the Knowledge Base?

If you subscribe to CONNECT or another Luminate product, visit the permalinked Knowledge Base at support.luminatedata.com. 


If you’re not logged in yet, the Chart Eligibility section will look like this:




Log in at top right or from the link in the header text.


Once you log in, Chart Eligibility should look like this:

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Requesting chart eligibility access
If you do not have a Luminate account but need to consult the eligibility guidelines, email help@luminatedata.com.

To help us direct your request, use the subject line "Chart Eligibility Knowledge Base access." In the email body, tell us the name of your organization, your role and the specific guidelines you wish to consult. 

A team member will reply with instructions and access credentials for the eligibility articles.

We may refer your request to Billboard for approval.
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Equivalents 

We use coefficients known as equivalent ratios to convert music consumption data into units that can be tracked, ranked and measured. The equivalent ratios and contributing data are maintained by Luminate’s staff of developers, data scientists and analysts. 


Read more: Equivalent weighting: Measuring music consumption



 





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