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. 




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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.








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