Equivalent weighting: Measuring music consumption

Equivalent weighting: Measuring music consumption

CONNECT tracks music consumption activity: all the ways people listen to recorded music, from streams to purchases to radio airplay. But these activity types are unequal measures of listener engagement and economic value. So we use equivalent weighting to convert them into comparable units of consumption. 


CONNECT applies different weighting formulas to Streams, Product Sales and Song Sales to calculate Album Equivalent and Stream Equivalent units. 


The below formulas don't apply to every equivalent figure shown in CONNECT. Exact weights and ratios may vary significantly based on chart type or country. Official Billboard charts are subject to additional rules that can affect equivalent calculations. For Billboard chart criteria, see Chart Eligibility




Back to Methodology 101 

Back to How it Works 


Filtering and exclusions 

All equivalents measure on-demand, official content only. Before applying the below formulas, we exclude programmed streams, interactive streams and UGC. 


Ad-supported and premium streams are weighted differently. 


Video and audio streams are treated the same. 





Album Equivalent 

Album Equivalent activity is a measure of combined weighted streaming, digital, and physical sales figures converted to one (1) album unit


An Album Equivalent measurement combines weighted streams and song sales with traditional album sales. We track Album Equivalent activity in countries for which we have product sales data (U.S. and Canada). 



Weighted Streams

1,250 premium audio or video streams = 1 album

3,750 ad-supported audio or video streams = 1 album


Weighted Song Sales

10 digital song sales = 1 album


Album sales

1 purchased album = 1 album



Weighted Streams + Weighted Song Sales + Album sales = Album Equivalent units






Stream Equivalent

Stream Equivalent activity is a measure of weighted ad-supported streams, premium streams and digital song sales converted to one (1) premium stream unit


Unlike Album Equivalents, Stream Equivalents treat streaming activity as the base unit of consumption. We use them to measure activity worldwide and in countries that do not provide product sales data.*


Stream Equivalent ratios assign audio and video streaming content the same weight.



Weighted Streams

4.5 ad-supported streams = 1 premium stream

1 premium stream = 1 premium stream


Weighted Song Sales** 

1/200 song sales = 1 premium stream



Premium Streams + Weighted Ad-Supported Streams + Weighted Song Sales 

 = Stream Equivalent units




*The above formula applies to Worldwide Stream Equivalents, not to every country.
We adjust weights and ratios at the country level to reflect local consumption patterns. 

**Premium stream is the base unit. 200 premium streams = 1 song sale.








    • Related Articles

    • Methodology 101: How Luminate collects, models and measures music data

      Luminate tracks music consumption activity. We do this by ingesting reported activity from thousands of data sources. We use that data to construct and maintain a musical entity database. This allows us to attach metadata and activity to artists, ...
    • Feature reference: Music Connect to CONNECT

      Some Music Connect features have been renamed or reorganized. Use the tables below to look up terms or locate features in the new platform. (You can also refer to the CONNECT Glossary). Back to Migrating from Music Connect Back to Getting Started ...
    • Activity Types: Tracking music consumption methods

      Luminate tracks four categories of music consumption, called Activity Types: Streams, Product Sales, Song Sales and Airplay. We segment or “break out” some activities into subcategories (on-demand or programmed streaming, physical or digital sales, ...
    • Data discrepancies: Identify and resolve differences between platforms

      Legacy Music Connect users may notice that the old and new platforms report data differently. In some cases, consumption figures in CONNECT don’t match those in Music Connect. Why does CONNECT report different numbers? All data from Music Connect has ...
    • Methodology FAQs: Our formulas, data sources and eligibility criteria

      Where does CONNECT get all that data? How do you calculate chart rankings? Why is this specific release type eligible or not eligible? What’s an Equivalent? We’re happy to take questions about our methodology, data collection procedures and ...
    • Popular Articles

    • Quickstart Guide: Set up CONNECT in minutes

      Whether you’re a new user or already have a Luminate Data account, here’s how to log in, access the CONNECT platform and start uncovering music insights. Back to Getting Started Quickstart steps If you’re already a Music Connect user, skip to Step 4 ...
    • Troubleshooting login and access issues

      Locked out of your Luminate account? Can’t log in to CONNECT? Getting a mysterious error message? Our Support team can help—but first, try our troubleshooting tips. See below for common login problems and our recommended solutions. Back to Getting ...
    • Troubleshooting guide: Quick fixes to common problems

      If you’ve hit a CONNECT roadblock—access issues, error messages, apparent bugs—don’t despair! There could be a simple solution. Use this guide to narrow down the problem and/or make it easier to explain to Client Support. First, review our best ...
    • Methodology 101: How Luminate collects, models and measures music data

      Luminate tracks music consumption activity. We do this by ingesting reported activity from thousands of data sources. We use that data to construct and maintain a musical entity database. This allows us to attach metadata and activity to artists, ...
    • Glossary: Acronyms, key terms and definitions

      Key terms and acronyms used in CONNECT. Back to Terms and Concepts Back to How It Works A ATD Activity to Date Combined total activity, starting from the earliest year for which CONNECT has complete data and ending with the selected time frame. ATD ...